Cape Parrots
Poicephalus robustus
Woudpapegaai, Grootpapegaai [Afrikaans]; Isikhwenene
[Xhosa];
isiKhwenene [Zulu]; Hokwe (generic term for parrot) [Tsonga];
Kaapse papegaai [Dutch]; Perroquet robuste [French]; Kappapagei [German];
Papagaio-de-bico-grosso [Portuguese]
The Cape parrot is endemic, endangered and highly localised,
being found in small patches of Afromontane forest in the Eastern
Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
It feeds exclusively on fruit, mainly foraging in the early morning and late afternoon. It nests in pre-existing tree holes, especially in Podocarpus (Yellowwood).
The felling of yellowwood trees is the main reason for its
Endangered status, as it results in difficulty in location of
nesting sites, leading to a poor reproductive rate.
The female lays 2-5 eggs, which are incubated by by the female only, for 28-30 days. The chicks stay in the nest for 55-79 days, after which they may remain with their parents for about one year.
Reference:
Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Roberts - Birds
of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker
Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.