Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the Dracula parrot, New Guinea’s most goth-inspired bird, with striking black and red feathers and a bald, vulture-like head that gives it an eerie, vampire vibe. Despite its dark nickname, this parrot doesn’t hide from daylight—and its diet might surprise you! A rare parrot with an unforgettable appearance, the Dracula parrot stands out as one of nature’s most unique and mysterious avian wonders.
New Guinea is home to the most goth-like parrot, aptly nicknamed the Dracula parrot. Its common name is Pesquet’s parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), but its predominantly black plumage with striking red chest and wing patches truly gives this parrot vampire-like vibes. The parrot’s bald, vulture-like head and long, hooked bill add to its spooky look.
Behind the Name
The Dracula parrot’s true name—Pesquet’s parrot— is a nod to French naturalist Étienne Pesquet, who first described the species. Pesquet is recognized for his contribution to the identification and classification of this remarkable parrot, which is the only member of the genus Psittrichas.
The Pesquet’s parrot is one of three parrots with bare (featherless) faces. The other two are the Orange-Headed parrot (Pyrilia aurantiocephala) and the Vulturine parrot (Pyrilia vulturina). (A second nickname for Pesquet’s parrot is the vulturine parrot due to its head looking vulture-like, which can cause some confusion with the actual Vulturine parrot.)
What Does A Bird That Looks Like Dracula Eat?
They might have a dark and foreboding nickname, but Pesquet’s parrots are not bloodsuckers. (Nor do they hide from sunlight; they are not night parrots!) These birds feed primarily on figs, and their bald, vulture-like head prevents the fig’s sticky fruit pulp from getting matted up on their feathers.
This in-depth research paper, notes that “the jaws of the largest frugivorous parrots, e.g. Pesquet’s parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), and the hawk-headed parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus), are far less massive, and their proportions of head to body length are 1:4 whilst in the granivorous Anodorhynchus and Probosciger they are 1:3. The palatines in Psittrichas (Fig. 6E) and Deroptyus are also reduced, hence the ability of Psittrichas, for example, to swallow large chunks of fruit (Homberger 1981).”
A Look at Pesquet’s Parrots in the Wild
Size-wise, Pesquet’s parrots are relatively large at 18 inches in length. (In comparison, they are similar in size to an Umbrella cockatoo.) Males can be distinguished from females by a patch of red color on the head feathers behind their eyes, which females lack. According to CornellLab eBird, they have a raucous and rasping call (which you can check out with this link), similar to a cockatoo’s harsh call. They are known to be relatively shy in the wild, preferring the canopies of lowland forests in their native New Guinea.
You won’t find the Dracula parrot available as a pet. This species is protected due to its vulnerable conservation status. Unfortunately, their stunning feathers make them a target for hunters. In their native region, their feathers are used in ceremonial headdresses. In one study, out of 170 surveyed, 43% had headdresses containing Pesquet’s Parrot feathers. A focus of conservation efforts include dispersing protection kits (comprised of naphthalene mothballs, paper, and heavy-duty plastic sheets) to help preserve and prolong existing ceremonial headdresses to reduce hunting for replacement feathers. You might be lucky enough to see a Pesquet’s parrot in some zoos, such as this one at the Toledo Zoo.