Fun Great-billed Parrot Facts For Kids

The great-billed parrot (Tanygnathus megalorynchos) is also known as the Moluccan parrot or the island parrot. They are medium-sized green parrots with an exceptionally large red bill.

They are very calm and composed and do not prefer to stay near other hyperactive and loud birds, rather like to hang around with calmer species like the eclectus. They are outstanding talkers and develop their speaking skills at a very early age. As a pet, they often pick up phrases and words used by humans around them and show off their vocabulary in front of people. Though they are usually very quiet, they can get very loud when they get excited over something.

In the wild, they never engage with any species, rather prefer to fly away from any kind of trouble to avoid danger.

If you enjoyed reading about the great-billed parrots, you will definitely enjoy facts on the golden-shouldered parrot and the greater vasa parrot.

What type of animal is a great-billed parrot?

The great-billed parrot (Tanygnathus megalorynchos) is a species of green parrots belonging to the family of Psittaculidae under the genus Tanygnathus.

What class of animal does a great-billed parrot belong to?

The great-billed parrot belongs to the class of Aves.

How many great-billed parrots are there in the world?

Unfortunately, there is no information available on the exact number of great-bills living in the world right now. However, according to the IUCN Redlist, their population trend is continuously decreasing due to the ongoing habitat destruction and refutable exploitation.

Where does a great-billed parrot live?

The natural habitat of the great-billed parrot includes tropical forests of islands off Sulawesi, central and southern Moluccas, Tanimbar Islands, Timor, Flores, and Sumba in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Talaud and Sangir Islands. They are also found in Maluku in eastern Indonesia, the Philippines, and the islands of West New Guinea.

What is a great-billed parrot's habitat?

The great-billed parrots are not endemic species and have a wide habitat range. They are generally found in tropical forests and non-migratory birds. However, as they are great companions they are often kept as pets, too.

Who do great-billed parrots live with?

In the wild great-billed parrots are often found in flocks, but as pets, they are kept in pairs or stay solo.

How long does a great-billed parrot live?

In captivity, a great-billed parrot (Tanygnathus megalorynchos) lives up to 12-20 years of age.

In the wild, their average life span decreases due to the changes in their natural habitat.

How do they reproduce?

Though very little is known about the natural breeding pattern of the great-billed parrots, studies have shown that their breeding period starts around December, however, it may vary according to the locations.

After they are done mating the female lays a maximum of two eggs. During this, the males feed the female birds as she tends to the eggs. It takes approximately 60-65 days for the baby birds to hatch out of their eggs, gain maturity and grow proper wings strong enough for flight.

What is their conservation status?

 The IUCN Redlist listed this species as Least Concern on their Red List, as their studies have shown that there is no immediate danger or possible chance of extinction for the great-billed parrots.

However, the population trend of this species is continuously decreasing due to habitat loss. So, actions will soon be taken by groups looking forward to conserving rare species.

What do great-billed parrots look like?

Great-billed parrots are medium-sized green parrots with an exceptionally large red beak, a medium-sized head, a yellow iris, and a pale blue rump.

They have an entire olive-green back with yellowish-green underparts. They also have black shoulder feathers, and wing edges. Each of its feathers has a broad yellow edging and the secondary coverts are entirely green with yellowish-green edging.

The flight feathers of this species are blue in color that has a narrow green touch towards the outer webs. The feathers of their main wings are blue and the sides of their breasts are yellow. These parrots have a great resemblance to other species of parrots and have very few distinguishing features as per their appearance. They differ from the blue-naped parrot for the lack of blue on their head, while the male eclectus parrot has a red flank patch that makes them differ from great-billed parrots.

How cute are they?

These great-billed parrots with blue feathers on their wings are considered extremely cute for their behavior and colorful body.

How do they communicate?

This species of birds communicate through various forms of vocalizations. They have their own calls and can caw, trill, and make other noises to express how they feel. These birds also have excellent talking skills and can learn how to speak quite easily. They love to show off their vocabulary and speaking skills in front of other humans.

How big is a great-billed parrot?

The total length of a great-billed parrot body is 16 in (41 cm) long. They are almost the same size as other birds of this species like the thick-billed parrot, whose total body length is about 14 in (36 cm).

However, a bird similar to a macaw who has a body length of 39 in (99 cm) appears huge in front of the great-billed parrot.

How fast can a great-billed parrot fly?

Though there is no recorded document about the exact flight speed of these green parrots, a normal parrot from the same family of Psittaculidae can fly at speed of 45-50 mph (72-80 kph).

How much does a great-billed parrot weigh?

The average weight of the great-billed parrot is 9 oz (260 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Unfortunately, there is no specific name allotted to differentiate between males and females of this bird.

What would you call a baby great-billed parrot?

The babies of those species also don't have any specific name allotted to them; they are just referred to as baby birds.

What do they eat?

In wild, the diet of a great-billed parrot includes mainly berry, fruit, nut, and seed. They receive their nutrition from their food.

In captivity, they are also fed a high-quality seed mix of safflower, paddy rice, wheat, and oats. Other food items that they get alongside regular fruit include pine cones, cooked rice, and half-ripe maize.

Are they dangerous?

There are no instances that have ever shown this species to be dangerous. They are always very calm and composed. They do not prefer to stay near other hyperactive and loud birds like macaws and Amazons and like staying near the eclectus. Though they have massive beaks they haven't bit anyone intentionally due to aggression.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they are one of the best options to keep as a pet. They get along very well with humans and lights up their surroundings with their actions. They are great companions and unlike other common pets like dogs and cats who once in a while bite their owners for various reasons, there are very rare instances where they bit their owners or anyone for that matter, with their big sharp beaks.

People who enjoy keeping a bird as their pet often chooses parrots over a fancy and exotic macaw.

Please check local laws and regulations about keeping these animals as pets as they may be illegal in some States and countries.

Did you know...

In the wild, great-billed parrots fly away from trouble as soon as they sense anything wrong.

Their pale blue rump and red beak make them stand out from other parrots like the eclectus, who otherwise have almost all the same physical features.

Due to heavy habitat loss in the Tanimbar Islands, Flores, and Sumba in the Lesser Sunda Islands the population trend of the great-billed parrots of those areas is continuously declining.

Parrots that talk can cost up to $1,200.

How many eggs do great-billed parrot lay? 

Females of the great-billed parrots lay a maximum of two eggs per reproductive cycle.

How to tell male and female great-billed parrots apart? 

The primary difference between males and females of this species is their size. They have a slightly smaller head and a smaller beak than the males.

A baby parrot has a duller rump and black iris. 

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable facts, check out these copper pheasant facts or three-toed woodpecker fun facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable P is for parrot coloring pages.

Second image by TJ Lin.