Xafsmom--- Cape (pics)- Is it a Brown Head or Grey Head?

[kellywess]

I took pics of Scout today, the Cape up the street. In another thread you had mentioned the difference between Brown and Grey Headed Capes. I didn't realize there were two color variations. So now I am curious. I posted the same pics in the other thread but wanted to make sure you saw these, because I am really curious. Here they are...

[ThreeX]

That's cool! Don't think i have seen a Cape at all before. Looks like a "brown headed Jardine with a macaw beak" : )

[kellywess]

Here is another pic. He has quite a beak on him.

[Emmilyy]

He's beautiful!

[sweetpeaches]

Funny I was just reading an article about these guys and this is what it said about the coloring:

The Brown-Necked Parrot has a more blue-green tinge to its body feathers.

The Grey-Headed Parrot has more of a silver-gray head and neck.

I saw two of them at Bird Paradise, I fell in love with this species about a year ago. If I were ever to get another parrot I would love to get a cape.

The article also said this about them:

Everyone reports on the Cape’s sweet disposition. One owner has said that they snuggle like Cockatoos, play like Amazons, are smart like African Greys, and will learn tricks like a Macaw.

Their faces almost have a "turtle like" look to them. I think they're really cute.

[xafsmom]

*DROOL*

Brown-necked, btw.. not brown head. There is a brown head parrot which isn't a Cape or Uncape. P. cryptoxanthus looks a lot like a Niam Niam parrot.

According to every source I know (and I know a lot) there were no verified importations of the grey-headed (P.f. suahelicus) into the USA. So, by default, it would have to be the good old brown-necked (P. f. fuscicollis). The suahelicus and the f. fuscicollis both look too much alike to me, which means there was probably cross species breeding after importation before they reclassified. The only big difference to me is the true Cape (P. Robustus) and the P. fuscicollis. The true Cape has a yellowish head and neck.

Cape, Uncape, Tomato, Tomatoe ...I wants! I wants!

[dmiller91]

Tina, do you actually know someone with a pair of true capes?

[xafsmom]

No, and I don't think there are any true Capes in the USA anymore. I know Canada has grey-headeds and I believe 50 pair (in 2000) of P. robustus, but I haven't heard of a single validated P. robustus breeder in the USA. There are some yellow-tinged fuscicollis breeders that might have originally been paired with imported Capes though.

If I could find true, honest to god P. robustus in the USA, I'd dance a jig.

[kellywess]

I wish you would post some pics so I can see the difference. I learn something new everyday when I come here. Scout is a handsome little fella though isn't he? I love him. I would love to see him be able to go home with someone... he just doesn't like too many people.

[xafsmom]

Here are pics:

True Cape (P. r)


Grey-headed (P. f. s):


Brown-necked (P. f. f):