There are many types of beautiful birds in the world but none other than the Dracula parrot has quite a frightening name. This is the nickname for the Pesquet’s parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), which is endemic to the island’s hill and montane rainforest.
The appearance of this large parrot is striking. It measures about 18 inches long and weighs between 1.5 and 1.75 pounds. With the body of a parrot and the head of a vulture, this unique bird is found only in the rainforests in the lower mountains of New Guinea.
Also known as a vulturine parrot, the bird famously has a bald, black face and a long curved beak that make its head look disproportionately small for a parrot. This lack of head feathers is likely an adaptation to the environment more specifically how they feed. Males can be told from females by the red spot behind the eye. Females lack this.
This parrot has a grayish-black weathered overcoat of feathers. What sets it apart is the brilliant scarlet plumage on its chest and wings that contrasts perfectly with its dusty gray back, neck, wings, and tail. Indeed, its head resembles the head of a vulture, which gives it its other name of vulture parrot. But, don’t let these colloquial names fool you—this bird is no flesh-eater.
Of the 393 different species of parrots, the Dracula parrot is not only unique in looks, but in its feeding habits too. Being a frugivore, it feeds exclusively on fruits, a few species of figs and on the nectar of various flowers. Dense head plumage would obstruct their ability or make a mess drinking the nectar of flowers. This featherless face makes the pesquet’s parrot the only parrot like this on earth.
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Pesquet’s parrot’s sound is similar to that of a cockatoo. Its calls are punctuated by harsh screeching that is higher pitched, but softer.
It’s not uncommon to see groups of 10 to 14 roosting in the trees when they are left alone in areas where they aren’t hunted. They can almost always be found at least in pairs. Dracula parrots are believed to have a lifespan of 20 to 40 years and they nest in large, hollow trees. Interestingly, only one or two eggs are laid at a time.
In-flight it alternates between rapid flapping and short glides. The feathers of the Pesquet’s parrot are highly prized. This combined with high prices in aviculture, the practice of keeping and breeding birds, especially of wild birds in captivity, has resulted in overhunting.
These rare birds are the only members of their genus. This genus is the only member of the subfamily Psittrichadinae, which shows how unique these parrots truly are. Habitat loss also presents an ongoing problem. For these reasons, it is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It’s believed that between 20,000 and 50,000 Dracula parrots exist in the wild and their population continues to decrease.
