Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail Parrot 37 cm. Bill pale bluish-grey; forehead and face green; crown to hindneck rich blue with a red patch in mid-crown; breast, sides of the neck,
nape, and mantle dull olive-yellow shading to yellowish-green on underparts and to dull green on back and wings and tail, with blackish spatulas.
Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail Parrot Female has blue reduced or even absent, and no red on the crown. Immature like female but even less blue, no spatules.
Systematics History
Part of the P. discurus clade (see that species). Sometimes considered conspecific with P. discurus, but the case for species status recently reinforced. Monotypic.
Subspecies
Monotypic.
Distribution
N peninsula of Sulawesi and associated islands (Bangka, Lembeh) and Togian Is.
Habitat
Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail Parrot Primary lowland forest to around 1000 m, occasionally in stands of trees at forest margins.
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
When perched utters several harsh nasal screeches. Also a harsh grating “krraaa”, often given in series, and higher-pitched squeaky notes.
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened. CITES II. Currently considered near-threatened. A BirdLife “restricted-range” species. Not as common as P. platurus and usually only seen singly or in pairs, but still fairly numerous overall;
especially common in Dumoga-Bone National Park. Nevertheless, extensive forest loss in lowland areas within the range of this bird has raised concerns for its long-term prospects.
