FEATURE PARROT
some isolated areas. Possibly thanks to distance and difficulties to access the areas in inhabits in the region, which for a long time have been disturbed by local clashes, the Yellow-fronted parrot is not endangered in the wild. I have kept Yellow-fronted parrots (Poicephalus flavifrons) since 2010. They are placed in an indoor cage, 90x70x140cm, with a nesting box, 30x35x25cm, vertically oriented with an entry hole 8 cm in diameter. The box is situated outside the cage, with small side doors for checking and manipulation purposes. The temperature is kept above 15 degrees Celsius. My parrots quickly became accustomed to their new environment and they became beloved pets of the whole family. They are fed on a mixture of grains for large parrots and different fruits. Occasionally, they get vegetables, children´s biscuits and vitamin and mineral additives. For their favorite food they are willing to leave the safety of their home, to take a flight and then return to their cage. They are most active in the morning and in the evening. They clean, feed and communicate together noisily. During the day, the couple mostly sit patiently side by side on their perch and rest. They spend the night sleeping with heads between wings on their back. From 11 November 2011 I witnessed the courtship of the couple. When the male began to court the female, he pressed himself towards the perch and fluttered his partially spread wings. He fed the female and mounted her repeatedly, during which both birds whistled gently. From 18 November the birds were mating. The female encourages the male by crouching on the perch and by taking short sideways steps. The
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he Yellow-fronted parrot is an Ethiopian endemic species. Its natural range, according to the literature, is limited to
BIRD SCENE
BIRD SCENE 07
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