The Ultra-Rare Dracula Parrot Looks Like A Vampire And Screams To Communicate
This vulture-parrot hybrid is found only within the jungles of New Guinea — and
might be the most gothic bird on Earth.
It's likely the rarest, most
gothic bird in existence — and it's so aptly named the Dracula parrot.
Its
scarlet red belly is surrounded by a sleek black plumage and gray scaling, like
a cape. Its vulture-like hooked beak protrudes from its small bald head set with
beady eyes. It lives a nomadic life, feeding on a highly-specialized diet.
Though
it may not be as bloodthirsty as its name implies, the Dracula parrot is
nonetheless an eerie sight.
Introducing The
Etremely Rare Dracula Parrot
Formally
called Pesquet's parrot or Psittrichas fulgidus, this sinister-looking bird is
the only member of its genus and its genus is the only member of its
subfamily.
It's truly one-of-a-kind — and the resemblance it
bears to Dracula is somewhat uncanny.
These ominous
looking birds are only native to the mountainous rainforests of the island of
New Guinea in the wider geographical Pacific area known as Oceania.
Outside
of this, there are only a few zoos worldwide that house the creepy vulturine
parrot.
Pesquet's Parrots Are Picky Eaters
Besides
its resemblance, that's about all the Dracula parrot has in common with
vultures.
This parrot feasts mainly on a sticky species of
hard-to-find figs, the rarity of which endangers its survival. However, nectar
and certain flowers have also been known to frequent the diet of these
frugivores.
Like vultures, the Dracula parrot has evolved
to lose the feathers on its head so that it doesn't get messy with the sticky
syrup of figs.
Size, Behaviors, And An Uncertain Future
Dracula
parrots are fairly large, clocking in at 18 inches long and weighing between 24
and 28 ounces.
There is very little difference between male and
female Dracula parrots. One telltale mark is that most males have a red spot on
their heads behind their eyes.
Not much is known about
the Dracula parrot's breeding habits in the wild. Researchers have gleaned that
females lay up to two eggs at a time in a nest inside a big, hollow tree.
Dracula
parrots appear to be somewhat social and are typically spotted in pairs or
sometimes large groups of up to 20.
When in flight,
Pesquet's parrots alternate between rapidly flapping their wings and enjoying
short glides. Unlike other parrots, these birds don't climb branches to move
around in trees. Instead, they jump from branch to branch.
They
are known to give out haunting calls that have been described as harsh, raspy,
and growling, and they can be heard from quite long distances.
Despite
its name, the Dracula parrot is the hunted and not the hunter. Its wings are
highly prized in certain indigenous markets and its chicks command very high
prices, too.
This, along with the usual blight of habitat loss
due to the logging industry, has left the Dracula parrot with a "vulnerable"
status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) list of
threatened species.
Other Animals With Vampiric Attributes
Perhaps
the Dracula parrot, with its innocuous eating habits, didn't fully satisfy your
bloodlust.
You'll be happy to know that there are actual birds
out there that do practice hematophagy — or feeding on blood. The vampire finch
of the Galápagos Islands is a bloodthirsty species that will ruthlessly target
bigger birds, like Nazcas or blue-footed boobies, specifically for their
blood.
Vampire finches peck at the tail feathers of other
birds to draw blood, like a wood pecker taps a tree for bugs.
That's
pretty savage, but not quite as brutal as the Kea. This crazy bird is one of ten
parrots native to New Zealand. A Kea will use its curved beak to rip the wool
right off a sheep's back and get to the bare skin. Then they dig in — tearing
through the flesh and picking out the fat from the sheep's back. This is
sometimes fatal to the sheep.
Other hematophagous critters
include vampire bats and the eel-like lamprey — sometimes referred to as a
vampire fish.
With those critters in mind, perhaps the Dracula
parrot with its innocent diet of sweet fruit is not so aptly named after all.
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