Meyers parrot

Introduction: One of the most concentrated birds in its distribution range is Meyer's parrot (Poicephalus meyeri), named after George FW Meyer, who published a catalogue of his father's Abyssinian bird collection 'Catalogus Avium' in 1858.

Distribution: North-eastern Namibia including all the main national parks such as Etosha National Park, Nkasa Rupara, Mudumu, Kaudom Game Reserve, Victoria Falls, Bwabwata National Park and along the Chobe, Zambezi, Kwando and Kavango Rivers. Prevalent in the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve.

Diet: Small seeds are picked up in bill and swallowed, husked. Eats fruit, nuts and seeds of figs, raisins, marula. Known to raid orange orchards and maize crops and is the only bird able to break open pods and seeds of leguminous trees of miombo woodland.

Description: Often confused with the brown-headed and Rüppell's parrots. Grey head. Long and pointed wings. Highly vocal.

Breeding: Nests in tree cavity up to 10m above the ground. Females lay between 2 and 3 eggs between March and August with an incubation period of 30 days.

Size: 25cm.

Weight: 120g