food and simply burn themselves out Microspitta bruijnii bruijnii in within a matter of hours. of the World. My photographed speci­ A Pygmy These wild pygmy parrots didn't mens look a lot like M. bruijnii brui­ walk or waddle like parrots should. jnii, though this subspecies has previ­ Surprise: Every movement was a hop, skip or ously been known only from montane Micropsitta bruijnii bruijnii jump, or a quick diving flight to green­ New Guinea. I defer to systematists to er grazing territory. Nor did these hirds argue if these Seram Micropsitta brui­ Extends its Range to Seram? stand upright, like proper parrots. jnii are a new subspecies or an exten­ by Ojuna Ivereigh, Bali, Indonesia Their legs were constantly crouched, sion of the range of Micropsitta brui­ hacks level with the tree limbs, hills jnii bruijnii. grooming the smooth bark like high­ Either way, this still leaves one more powered Hoovers. The tight flock kept of Buce's pygmy parrots at large. The t first, I had no idea they constant tabs on each memher's posi­ most likely explanation is that islanders were pygmy parrots. In tion, or perhaps feeding status. do not differentiate between male and A fact, I'll embarrass myself "Tseek!" called one. "Tseek!" answered female M. bru!jnii pileata, which are thoroughly and admit that I didn't even another. "I'm eating . Are you nearly identical. Sexual dimorphism in recognize them as parrots. They had a . eating fungus? Very nice fungus. But, M. bruzj"nii hruijnii, however, is pro­ most unparrotlike disposition, these oh, here's better fungus!" I couldn't nounced. Locals may recognize the sparrow-sized fluttering through help but find these birds cheery in a male and female of this subspecies (or the Seram sub-canopy. contagious sort of way. an undescribed one very much like it) While perching in the rainforest trees Before I'd shot half a roll of film, as two distinct forms. Oddly, I of north central Seram, photographing my little friends were off. And we observed only birds that resembled (and waiting to photograph) birds, I'd hadn't even been properly intro­ male M. hruijnii hrujnii. read through most of the duced. Another search through Birds Another surprise is that I observed descriptions of Coates and Bishop's of Wallacea, and I was still baffled as these pygmy parrots below 100m ele­ Birds ofWallacea. A few times. And still to how to classify the buggers. vation. M. bruijnii is reported at eleva­ I didn't know who these little visitors Fortunately, I was equipped to tions between 500 and 2,300 meters. were. But I was more anxious to get process film in the field, which Siebers (930), however, cites villagers photos than an immediate 10. Shoot allowed me and my trapper-turned­ on neighboring Buru island who first, ask questions later, is the key to guide Buce Makatita to get a longer observe M. bruijnii pileata descending getting pictures of tiny, hyperactive look at these mystery birds. from mountainous regions during the birds like these. "Ah, nuri kecil," said Buce. He dry months of October and November. Maneuvering 700mm of lens into sounded like he was greeting a long It's possible that pygmy parrots are position, I examined my new friends lost friend. exhibiting a similar behavior on Seram. with the aid of magnification. At 10 "A 'little parrot'?" I asked. "Well, it is My observation OCCUlTed in September, meters off, in a neighboring tree, these a bit like the Buru Red-breasted Pygmy one of the drier months on the northern birds still seemed miniscule. Ten cen­ Parrot Micropsitta bruijnii pileata. But side of the island. timeters long 0.9 inches), at best. But the colors are wrong." On my next morning in the same now I could really make out their Buce looked at the plates in Birds of kayu besi ("iron wood") tree, I was jewel-like colors - shimmering green Wallacea. In the illustration, the Red­ once more graced by gorgeous pyg­ wings, red breast, royal blue collar, breasted Pygmy Parrot stood upright, mies, again at about 8 A.M. It was a orange cheeks, ruddy brown crown. I and seemed to be resting, which must fleeting visit, the flock of 10 or so sur­ might have counted 10 little hirds, had be something that only museum spec­ rounding me in my very tree by I been able to count. The flock was imens of pygmy parrots do. The parrot Masihulan Baru village. The little par­ constantly on the move, and mostly pictured had very little blue coloration rots seemed unafraid, approaching as hidden most of the time. In a frenzy, and a much fuller brown crown. close as one and a half meters. But as they hopped up and down limbs, "Ya, ada jenis ini juga," said Buce. I reached for a second camera body grazing on some invisible quarry - bits "Dan ini yang tadi foto. Dan satu lagi." prepared for close shooting, the flock of fungus, perhaps, or the occasional In all, Buce recognizes three "little par­ fluttered off in search of better grazing. invertebrate. They had a sense of rots" in Seram. The M. bruijnii pileata For weeks to come, I perched in trees urgency about them, as if it were a in Birds of Wallacea, the one I'd pho­ awaiting further sightings of Seram's struggle taking in calories faster than tographed, plus one other. tiny psittascene jewels. They never their little hearts burned them up. In It wasn't until returning to the U.S. came. Pygmy parrots, it seems, are rare fact, this is probably true. Scientists that I compared the pygmy parrot I'd and precious gems on an island that have had a hard time studying pygmy photographed with Forshaw's descrip­ has barely begun to be prospected by parrots in captivity. They refuse to take tion of the Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot western eyes. ~ 20 MarchiApril 2001