Editing Poicephalus

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Expand German|Langflügelpapageien|fa=yes|topic=sci|date=December 2009}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Papagei Mohrkopfpapagei 0509182.jpg
| name = ''Poicephalus'' parrots
| image_caption = [[Senegal parrot]] eating fruit
| taxon = Poicephalus
| authority = [[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1837
| type_species = ''[[Senegal parrot|Psittacus senegalus]]''<ref name=HM4>{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=67 |title= Psittacidae |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-24}}</ref>
| type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1766
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
}}

The [[genus]] '''''Poicephalus''''' belongs to the subfamily '''[[Psittacinae]]''' of the [[true parrot]]s ('''Psittacidae''') and comprises ten species of [[parrot]]s native to various regions of the [[Afrotropical realm]], which encompasses [[Sub-Saharan Africa]], ranging from [[Senegal]] in the west, [[Ethiopia]] in the east, and to [[South Africa]] in the south.<ref>[http://www.oldworldaviaries.com/text/lewis/poicephalus-taxonomy.htm Taxonomy of Poicephalus parrots]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11184166631Map_-_Africa_LRG.jpg |title=Map showing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa |access-date=2 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202230456/http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11184166631Map_-_Africa_LRG.jpg |archive-date=2 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Like lovebirds (''[[Lovebird|'''Agapornis''']]'') and vasa parrots ('''''[[Vasa parrot|Coracopsis]]'''''), the latter being endemic to Madagascar, the ''Poicephalus'' parrots are typical specimens of Afrotropical [[zoogeography]]. Several of the species exist in slightly different forms, or subspecies.

''Poicephalus'' parrots have been kept as pets and companion birds for centuries, the Senegal parrot perhaps being the most famous species. The trade in this species most likely began in the early 19th century, when Senegal parrots first appeared as companion birds in Europe.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lantermann|first=Walter|title=Papageienkunde|publisher=Parey Buchverlag|year=1999|isbn=3-8263-3174-5|location=Berlin|pages=455}}</ref> Alongside [[Grey parrot|African grey parrots]], Senegal parrots still range among the mostly frequently imported parrots from Africa.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hoppe|first=Dieter|title=Langflügelpapageien|publisher=Ulmer Verlag|year=2006|isbn=3-8001-4786-6|location=Stuttgart|pages=86}}</ref>

== Appearance ==
[[File:Mohrenkopfpapagei von hinten 070816 1.jpg|thumb|The wing tips of the long-winged parrots reach almost to the end of the tail plumage.]]
[[File:Baobob tree.jpg|thumb|Parrots often use African baobabs as a nesting tree.]]
Members of the ''Poicephalus'' genus are stocky birds with short broad tails and relatively large heads and beaks that often differ in color from their trunks. Although they are parrots with [[rectrices]] of medium length, their [[Pinion (feather)|pinion feathers]] reach down almost to the end of the rectrices, making their wings appear to be remarkably long.

According to H. Strunden, ''Poicephalus'', from [[Ancient Greek]], means "grey head" (''poliós'' = grey and ''kephalé'' = head).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Strunden|first=Hans|title=Die Namen der Papageien und Sittiche|publisher=Horst Müller-Verlag|year=1986|isbn=3-923269-21-8|location=Bomlitz|pages=64}}</ref>

Most species in the ''Poicephalus'' genus are predominantly green. However, grey is also common, and the feathers on their heads frequently vary in colour from the rest of the plumage. Senegal parrots and brown-headed parrots for example have blackish or dark brown heads, while the head plumage of [[Brown-necked parrot|brown-necked]] and Cape parrots is grey-brown to silver-grey. With the exception of the [[red-fronted parrot]], the different colours of head and body plumage of these four species do not overlap or blend. The red-fronted parrot only shows a more fluent transition, with merely the slate grey ear patches and the red front and crown clearly set apart. Another variation is found in male [[Rüppell's parrot]]s, whose brown plumage is overlaid with silver-grey at the ear patches and the top of their heads, with only a tinge of green on the top-side plumage. Female Rüppell's parrots, on the other hand, have a bright blue back section, rump, and upper tail coverts, while the feathers on their lower ventral region and vent are a dull blue.

Several of the species show marked [[sexual dimorphism]], Rüppell's parrots, brown-necked parrots, cape parrots, and [[red-bellied parrot]]s are dimorphic, the other species of ''Poicephalus'' parrots cannot be distinguished by the colours of their plumage. The difference is especially clear in red-bellied parrots, where males have red or bright orange plumage on breast, belly and below their wings while the feathers of females are all grey-brown in these areas.

The smallest species in the genus is the [[Meyer's parrot]], with adults reaching a body-length of only 22 centimeters (≈ 8,66 in.) and weighing approximately 120 g (≈ 4,23 oz). The largest species, the [[Cape parrot]], by contrast, is usually almost as large as an African grey parrot, adult males reaching a size of 32 centimeters (≈ 12,6 in.) and a weight of about 400 g (≈ 14,1 oz).

Many ''Poicephalus'' parrots have bulky heads and powerful beaks, the colour of which varying with the species. While [[brown-headed parrot]]s and [[Niam-Niam parrot]]s have a grey upper mandible and an off-white lower one, other species have a homogeneously grey-coloured beak or a horn-coloured one with a darker tip.

The Cape parrot stands out with a particularly sturdy beak in relation to its overall size which it needs to obtain its main food source, the hard-shelled fruit of ''[[Podocarpus]]'' trees. British parrot specialist [[Rosemary Low]] has pointed out that, among the genus, only the Cape parrot is able to crack open [[walnut]]s with its beak. Except for [[macaw]]s, this is a rare ability among parrots in general.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Low|first=Rosemary|title=Das Papageienbuch|publisher=Ulmer Verlag|year=1989|isbn=3-8001-7191-0|location=Stuttgart|pages=178}}</ref>

== Distribution ==
All ten species of ''Poicephalus'' parrots live in Africa, south of the [[Sahara]]. Their natural habitat ranges from the coastal regions of the [[Red Sea]] and the [[Gulf of Aden]] in the north to the [[Drakensberg]] in South Africa and the northern edge of the [[Kalahari Desert]] and the [[Namib]] in the south. Thus ''Poicephalus'' parrots can be found in any tropical and subtropical habitat across Africa, except the high-altitude mountains, although they also live in the subtropical [[Afromontane]] regions and a geographical region where Kalahari desert and the South African [[Highveld]] merge. The Sahel and the two other deserts within their habitat (Namib and Kalahari Desert) are natural distribution boundaries because they are no appropriate biotopes for parrots. To the southeast, increasing [[deforestation]] limits their range. So much so that the [[Cape parrot]] populations, already considered one of the most threatened large parrot species of Africa, have become disjunct in an area reaching from the [[Eastern Cape|Eastern Cape Province]] to [[KwaZulu-Natal]].

''Poicephalus'' parrots have spread to only a few islands on the African shore; while brown-headed parrots can be found on [[Pemba Island]] in the [[Indian Ocean]], and Senegal parrots occur on the [[Îles de Los]] off the Guinean coast, ''Poicephalus'' parrots have become [[extirpated]] from [[Zanzibar]].

Normally, the distribution areas of the different ''Poicephalus'' species do not overlap but this may happen when food becomes scarce after longer periods of [[drought]] and the parrots are forced to migrate to find more abundant food sources. Then several different ''Poicephalus'' species can be found in one region. Other parrot species naturally occurring in the same distribution area as ''Poicephalus'' parrots include [[Grey parrot|African grey parrots]], [[Rose-ringed parakeet|African ring-necked parakeets]], and different species of [[lovebird]]s like red-headed, black-collared, yellow-collared, rosy-faced, black-cheeked, black-winged, Fischer's, and Lilian's lovebirds.

== Habitat ==
With the exception of the Cape parrot, whose preferred food sources are ''Podocarpus'' and ''[[Celtis africana|Celtis]]'' seeds,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wirminghaus, J.O., C.T. Down, M.R. Perrin, C. T. Symes|date=2002|title=Diet of the Cape Parrot, Poicephalus robustus, in Afromontane forests in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220009433|journal=Ostrich|volume=73|issue=1–2|pages=20–25|doi=10.2989/00306520209485347|bibcode=2002Ostri..73...20W |s2cid=84515402|via=Resaerchgate}}</ref> ''Poicephalus'' parrots are readily adaptable dietary generalists. This is why they were able to spread to such diverse habitats as lowland tropical rain forests, mangrove forests, rain as well as dry forests of different biomes, and the wooded parts of African savannahs.

[[Brown-necked parrot|Grey-headed parrots]] (''P. f. suahelicus'') and Meyer's parrots have settled in an especially wide range of different habitats. The natural distribution of the grey-headed parrot ranges from wooded lowland savannahs to humid high-altitude rainforests, up to altitudes of 4000 m.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hoppe|first=Dieter|title=Langflügel-Papageien|publisher=Ulmer|year=1990|isbn=3-8001-7214-3|location=Stuttgart|pages=13}}</ref> Meyer's parrots also occur in the moist forest regions of various life zones, as well as in shrub and grassland savannahs.

Occasionally, ''Poicephalus'' parrots can be observed in agricultural areas, where they feed on fruit and grain.

== Behaviour and ecology ==
[[File:PioniasFuscicapillus, crop.jpg|thumb|''[[Brown-headed parrot|Pionias fuscicapillus]]'' from the book ''Die Vogel Ost-Afrikas'' (1870).]]
Although ''Poicephalus'' parrots are not related to the American [[Amazon parrot]]s, they have come to occupy similar ecological niches and show some analogies in their behaviour.

Living mostly in small family groups consisting of adult birds and their young, ''Poicephalus'' parrots sometimes form loose larger groups with other families. If there is plenty of food available, those groups may comprise up to 100 birds.

Even though some groups of ''Poicephalus'' parrots sometimes cause losses in orchards, maize or millet fields near settlement areas, they are generally shy and keep away from humans.

''Poicephalus'' parrots spend the nights in treetops, returning to the same roosting tree regularly. At dusk, they start preening before then leaving for their feeding grounds; loud calls usually announce the birds' departure. Depending on the food supplies available, ''Poicephalus'' parrots are able to cover large distances: [[brown-necked parrot]]s have been known to fly ca. 80&nbsp;km (≈ 50 miles) in search of food. Subpopulations of [[red-fronted parrot]]s have been observed roosting in higher altitude areas before descending to their sources of food, overcoming a difference in altitude of about 300 m.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hoppe|first=Dieter|title=Langflügelpapageien|publisher=Ulmer|year=2006|isbn=3800147866|location=Stuttgart|pages=18–19}}</ref> After feeding in the morning, ''Poicephalus'' parrots often rest in treetops in the vicinity of the respective food source, alternately sleeping or dozing and preening. They return to their feeding grounds once more in the late afternoon before leaving for their nocturnal roosts.

== Diet ==
Most ''Poicephalus'' parrots are dietary generalists, feeding on seeds, fruit, and leaves of different kinds of trees and shrubs. Blossoms rich in nectar and [[accessory fruit]] are also part of their diet as well as insects, although the latter never make up a great part of their food. Because their diet does not contain enough water to cover the parrots' need, they require sources of water within their habitats.

The [[Cape parrot]] is a notable exception among the ''Poicephalus'' parrots since it is an [[Oligophagy|oligophagous]] dietary specialist feeding mostly on the seeds of ''Podocarpus'' and ''Celtis'' trees. Apart from trapping and habitat loss, It is probably for this reasons that the Cape parrot is an endangered species, listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN.<ref>{{Cite iucn|title=Poicephalus robustus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species|last=|first=|date=2017|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T119194858A119196714.en|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Some ''Poicephalus'' species like Senegal and Meyer's parrots are partial migrants, thus compensating for scarce or seasonally fluctuating food supplies. They only migrate out of breeding season.

== Breeding ==
At the earliest, ''Poicephalus'' parrots start breeding when they are three years old. Then they nest in natural tree-holes found in large trees such as [[Adansonia digitata|African baobabs]] and [[carob]] trees, where their nesting sites are most commonly found. Cape parrots, however, prefer ''Podocarpus'' trees and red-bellied parrots are known to nest in cavities of termite mounds. No nesting materials are collected.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Hoppe|first1=Dieter|title=Langflügelpapageien|last2=Welcke|first2=Peter|publisher=Ulmer|year=1990|isbn=3-8001-7214-3|location=Stuttgart|pages=20|language=German}}</ref>

A clutch of eggs usually consists of two to four eggs, laid within one to four days and incubated solely by the female through 26 to 28 days.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Low|first=Rosemary|title=Das Papageienbuch|publisher=Ulmer|year=1989|isbn=3-8001-7191-0|location=Stuttgart|pages=188–189|language=de|postscript=. This information relates to red-bellied and red-fronted parrots breeding in captivity.}}</ref> Meanwhile, the male feeds the female and stays close to the nesting site until some days after the chicks have hatched. As soon as the female no longer has to warm the chicks permanently, the male also begins to feed them. The hatchlings' weight could only be measured in captive breeding so far and is five (Meyer's parrot) to six (brown-headed parrot) gram (≈ 0,18 to 0,21 oz). The chicks are covered in white or light grey downy feathers and their usually rather noisy parents become more quiet and watchful while around the nest.<ref name=":0" />

How long the non-captive hatchlings stay in the nest is poorly known, more precise observations of wild specimens are only available for Cape parrots and brown-necked parrots. Young Cape parrots remain in the nesting cavity for up to 79 days, while the brown-necked parrot chicks leave their home on the 69th day.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hoppe|first1=Dieter|title=Langflügelpapageien|last2=Welcke|first2=Peter|publisher=Ulmer|year=2006|isbn=3-8001-4786-6|location=Stuttgart|pages=23|language=German}}</ref> Reliable data concerning Senegal and brown-headed parrots bear on the observation of captive parrots which revealed that the fledgling period of Senegal parrots varied between nine and eleven weeks while young brown-headed parrots left the nest during the twelfth week of their lives. The male kept feeding them until they were fifteen weeks old.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Low|first=Rosemary|title=Das Papageienbuch|publisher=Ulmer|year=1989|isbn=3-8001-7191-0|location=Stuttgart|pages=187|language=German}}</ref>

== Predators, parasites, and typical illnesses ==
Sitting females and nestlings are especially vulnerable to predation, e.g. by [[Dasypeltis|dasypeltes]], [[boomslang]]s, [[monitor lizard]]s like [[Savannah monitor|savannah]] and [[Nile monitor]]s, baboons, [[Viverridae|civets]], and mongooses. The [[African harrier-hawk]] likewise sometimes robs the nests, holding on to the entrance of the cavity with one claw and grabbing the nestlings with the other. The mentioned predators mostly capture eggs and fledgling birds, while adult birds may be hunted by eagles, hawks, falcons, and sparrowhawks of appropriate size.

The most common ectoparasites found on ''Poicephalus'' parrots are [[feather mite]]s and [[Bird louse|bird lice]] that live on the birds' feathers and skin. Like other wild animals, ''Poicephalus'' parrots may be infested with internal parasites like [[Coccidia]], [[Ascaridida]], ''[[Capillaria (nematode)|Capillaria nematodes]]'', and [[Cestoda]] (tapeworms).

Little is known about diseases typical of wild ''Poicephalus'' parrots but the examination of Cape parrots and Rüppell's parrots found that parts of these populations are infected with the virus that causes the [[Psittacine beak and feather disease]] (PBFD). There is still no treatment available for this often fatal disease and although some birds may show no symptoms, they may nonetheless spread the virus they carry.

== Population ==

The population dynamics and [[conservation status]] of the various ''Poicephalus'' species are heterogeneous, ranging from "least concern" to "endangered". More extensive field studies have been undertaken only in South Africa and Namibia so far, hence the most reliable data come from those regions and the species and subspecies living there. According to the [[World Parrot Trust]] online encyclopedia,<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Encyclopedia|url=https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=17 June 2020|website=}}</ref> the numbers of most ''Poicephalus'' species remain unknown but are assumed to be stable, with the exception of [[red-fronted parrot]]s, whose population seems to be decreasing. Hoppe and Welcke point out that data about the population development of ''Poicephalus'' parrots are often either inconsistent or obsolete, if they exist at all.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hoppe|first1=Dieter|title=Langflügelpapageien|last2=Welcke|first2=Peter|publisher=Ulmer|year=2006|isbn=3-8001-4786-6|location=Stuttgart|pages=15–17; 80–167|language=German}}</ref>

Whereas [[red-bellied parrot]]s and [[Senegal parrot]]s are apparently still rather frequent, some subspecies of otherwise stable species of ''Poicephalus'' parrots have become endangered due to habitat loss and trapping. This holds true for the ''Poicephalus gulielmi fantiensis'' subspecies of the red-fronted parrot, for example, which has come under threat because of extensive deforestation and trapping (although The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species ([[CITES]]) makes trade in such birds illegal).

There are as yet no reliable data concerning the [[Niam-Niam parrot]] native to the [[Chad]] and [[Central African Republic]] and the [[yellow-fronted parrot]] endemic to the [[Ethiopian Highlands]]. Because of intense deforestation in its habitat, the population of the [[yellow-fronted parrot]] is probably declining. Information regarding [[brown-headed parrot]]s and [[Rüppell's parrot|Rueppell's parrots]] are contradictory. While some studies suggest that both species have become very rare all over their respective range, other studies claim that both species are declining in numbers but are not critically endangered yet.

Of those species where reliable data is available, the most critically endangered ''Poicephalus'' species is the [[Cape parrot]] which largely depends on ''[[Podocarpus]]'' seeds for his diet. With many areas of ''Podocarpus'' trees in decline due to forest clearance this species is threatened with extinction. In 2018, only 1.453 specimens of wild Cape parrots were counted,<ref>{{cite web|first=|date=11 November 2020|title=Cape Parrot|url=https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/cape-parrot|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=11 November 2020|website=World Parrot Trust Encyclopedia}}</ref> which might indicate a slight increase compared to 2004,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hoppe|first1=Dieter|title=Langflügelpapageien|last2=Welcke|first2=Peter|publisher=Ulmer Verlag|year=2006|isbn=3-8001-4786-6|location=Stuttgart|pages=15}}</ref> even though the data come from different sources.

== Taxonomy ==
The genus ''Poicephalus'' was introduced by the English naturalist [[William Swainson]] in 1837.<ref>{{cite book | last=Swainson | first=William | author-link=William Swainson | year=1837 | title=On the Natural History and Classification of Birds | volume=1 | place=London  | publisher=John Taylor | page=301 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41945079 }}</ref> The [[type species]] was subsequently designated as the [[Senegal parrot]].<ref>{{cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1937 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=3 | publisher=Harvard University Press | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts  | page=224 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14477939 }}</ref> The name is from the [[Ancient Greek]] ''phaios'' "grey" and ''-kephalos'' "headed".<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=312 | url=https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n312/mode/1up }}</ref>

The genus contains ten species.<ref name="ioc">{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2018 | title=Parrots, cockatoos | work=World Bird List Version 8.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/parrots/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=4 April 2018 }}</ref>

*[[Red-fronted parrot]], or Jardine's parrot, ''P. gulielmi''
*[[Yellow-fronted parrot]], ''P. flavifrons''
*[[Brown-necked parrot]], or uncape parrot, ''P. fuscicollis''
*[[Cape parrot]], or Levaillant's parrot, ''P. robustus''
*[[Meyer's parrot]], ''P. meyeri''
*[[Rüppell's parrot]], ''P. rueppellii''
*[[Brown-headed parrot]], ''P. cryptoxanthus''
*[[Niam-Niam parrot]], ''P. crassus''
*[[Senegal parrot]], ''P. senegalus''
*[[Red-bellied parrot]], ''P. rufiventris''

==Species==
{| class="wikitable" width="98%"
! colspan="5" style="background-color: #D3D3A4;" | Species
|-
! width="20%" |Common and binomial names
! width="18%" |Image
! Description
!Subspecies                                  
! width="18%" |Range
|-
|[[Senegal parrot]]
(''P. senegalus'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Mohrenkopfpapagei1.jpg|500x120px]]
|Grey head, green back and chest. Yellow, orange or red belly depending on subspecies.
|''Poicephalus senegalus versteri''

''Poicephalus senegalus mesotypus''
|West Africa
|-
|[[Meyer's parrot]]
(''P. meyeri'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Meyers Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) pet on table.JPG|500x120px]]
|Green, yellow under wings. Six subspecies (including nominate) with variable yellow colouration.
|''Poicephalus meyeri saturatus''

''Poicephalus meyeri matschiei''

''Poicephalus meyeri transvaalensis''

''Poicephalus meyeri reichenowi''

''Poicephalus meyeri damarensis''
|Sub-Saharan Africa
|-
|[[Red-bellied parrot]]
(''P. rufiventris'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Poicephalus_rufiventris_(Juvenile_male)_-stretching-8a.jpg|500x120px]]
|Mostly green and grey. Male has red belly.
|none
|Horn of Africa
|-
|[[Brown-headed parrot]]
(''P.  cryptoxanthus'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Poicephalus cryptoxanthus -caged.jpg|500x120px]]
|Mostly green and grey. Yellow under wings.
|''Poicephalus crypoxanthus tanganyikae''
|East Africa
|-
|[[Red-fronted parrot]]
(''P. gulielmi'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Poicephalus_gulielmi_-pet_-juvenile-8a.jpg|500x120px]]
|Mostly green, variable amount of red on head and shoulders depending on subspecies.
|''Poicephalus gulielmi fantiensis''

''Poicephalus gulielmi massaicus''
|African tropical rainforest
|-
|[[Cape parrot]]
(''P. robustus'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Poicephalus robustus -South Africa-6a.jpg|500x120px]]
|Mostly green, grey or brownish head and neck.
|none
|South Africa
|-
|[[Brown-necked parrot]]
(''P. fuscicollis'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Kapsky.jpg|500x120px]]
|Mostly green, grey or brownish head and neck.
|''Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus''
|Sub-Saharn Africa
|-
|[[Rüppell's parrot]]
(''P. rueppellii'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Rueppell-papagei.jpg|500x120px]]
|Overall dark brown colour, head is dark greyish, yellow on legs and leading edge of wings, female has blue rump and lower back.
|none
|Southern Africa
|-
|[[Yellow-fronted parrot]]
(''P. flavifrons'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Poicephalus flavifrons -near Bishangari Lodge, Ethiopia-8.jpg|500x120px]]
|Mostly green with a yellow head.
|''Poicephalus flavifrons aurantiiceps''
|[[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Niam-Niam parrot]]
(''P. crassus'')
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Niam-Niam Parrot in a Tree.png|500x120px]]
|Mostly green with a brown head.
|none
|[[Central African Republic]] and adjacent areas
|}

== Subspecies ==
The Cape parrot and red-fronted parrot form a [[species complex|superspecies complex]].<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Massa, Renato|author2=Sara, Maurizio|author3=Piazza, Matteo|author4=Di Gaetano, Cornelia|author5=Randazzo, Margherita|author6=Cognetti, Goffredo|year=2000|title=A molecular approach to the taxonomy and biogeography of African parrots|url=http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/223428__908256978.pdf|journal=Italian Journal of Zoology|volume=67|issue=3|pages=313–17|doi=10.1080/11250000009356330|s2cid=84641647|access-date=5 December 2010|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== In aviculture and human care ==
The Senegal parrot, Meyer's parrot, red-bellied parrot, and the brown-headed parrot are popular as [[pet]]s because they are easier to keep in apartments, being generally quieter and smaller than most other [[companion parrot]]s. Some ''Poicephalus'' parrot species are rare and not known in captivity.

While some ''Poicephalus'' populations have come under pressure from habitat loss, others are affected by trapping for the pet trade. For example, while it is still listed as "least concern" on the [[IUCN Red List]], the Senegal parrot is one of the species most frequently caught from the wild, with 735,775 birds recorded in international trade since 1981.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/senegal-parrot|title=Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus)|last=|first=|date=8 April 2020|website=World Parrot Trust|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071226195059/http://www.wingscentral.org/aps/faqcapes.aspx Cape Parrot FAQ]

{{Psittacini}}
{{Psittacopasseres|Ps.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q925204}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Poicephalus| ]]
[[Category:Parrots of Africa]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William Swainson]]