Breeding biology of the Greyheaded Parrot (Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus) in the wild

Abstract

The Greyheaded Parrot breeds in Northern Province, South Africa and south-east Zimbabwe (the southern limit of its range) from April to August, yet further north breeds in other months of the year. Egg laying between monogamous pairs is synchronous and 2–4 eggs are laid in natural cavities in Baobabs (Adansonia digitata). Post-breeding seasonal movements occur into regions where nest sites are scarce or possibly absent. Males provision the female in the nest cavity during incubation and the early stages of nestling development. Attendance at the nest by the female is reduced once fledglings are able to thermoregulate on their own. By the end of the fledging period visitation rates to the nest site by the male and the female are reduced to twice a day (mid-morning and late-afternoon). Nest sites are possibly limiting, with interspecific competition for nest sites occurring. Intraspecific competition for nest sites in areas where populations have declined has possibly been reduced. Removal of chicks from nests by humans threatens populations outside protected areas. The conservation of this species in the southern limit of its range is thus highlighted.