Royal Parrotfinch

Identification

The poster’s Royal Parrotfinch represents the Vanuatu regia form: red head, blue throat/breast and green body with a dark bill. The Cornell/eBird merged treatment uses Erythrura cyaneovirens, with E. regia retained here as a searchable historical name.

Male & female

Do not sex an individual from a colour plate. Adult plumage, geographical form and age require documented evidence; maintain uncertainty where a photo cannot resolve it.

Nature & behaviour

This profile focuses on the Vanuatu regia birds, while the wider merged Royal species also includes Samoan forms. Cornell documented the merger in 2022; the old species label alone does not establish provenance. Taxonomic treatments differ; retain the Vanuatu form and historical scientific name in records.

Cages & aviaries

A specialist conservation-focused reference, not a recommendation for the existing small cages. A documented keeping plan must establish space, shelter, climate and nutrition before any breeding attempt.

Diet & feeding

Natural-history accounts describe fruit including figs and associated small invertebrates as well as seeds. Do not translate this into an improvised fruit-only or standard Gouldian ration; seek a documented species/form-specific feeding plan.

Breeding

Verified captive developmental figures were not established here. Keep timings unset, preserve locality/form records and avoid substituting Red-faced or Fiji breeding schedules.

Compatibility

Keep forms and species separately for controlled breeding and identity preservation. Similar red heads do not establish compatibility, interchangeability or safe fostering.

Breeding timeline

Follow the bird, not just the calendar. Published ranges are observation windows; actual parental care and feeding decide the next step.

Reference figures describe the cited observations, not guaranteed captive deadlines. Unverified stages are deliberately left unset; use the care library and a species-informed breeding plan.

Sources & image credits