Guaiabero
Also known as: Bolbopsittacus lunulatus (scientific name) · Guayabero (Spanish-derived spelling) · Lunulated parrot
Definition
The guaiabero (Bolbopsittacus lunulatus) is a small, stocky green parrot endemic to the Philippines and the sole member of its genus, named for its reported fondness for guava orchards, where flocks descend on fruiting trees from Luzon to Mindanao. Males show a pale blue collar and orange cheek flash absent in females, and the species’ tolerance of open woodland and farmland edges has kept it among the more visible endemic parrots despite habitat change. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Guaiabero |
| Wikidata | Q286299 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | Parrots |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Bolbopsittacus lunulatus |
| AGROVOC | birds |
| Google Scholar | Bolbopsittacus lunulatus guaiabero endemic Philippine parrot distribution subspecies |
| ConceptNet | parrot |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Bolbopsittacus lunulatus (scientific name)
- Guayabero (Spanish-derived spelling)
- Lunulated parrot
Examples and Analogies
- Orchard Raider: Its common name paints it as the parakeet of the guava grove, arriving in chirping squads the way fruit bats arrive at ripe bananas.
- One-of-a-Kind Genus: It occupies its own evolutionary branch, making it to Philippine parrots what the tamaraw is to Mindoro bovids, a singular local experiment.
Usage Scenarios
1. Farmland Birdwatching
Because it visits fruiting trees near settlements, it serves as many Filipinos’ first encounter with an endemic parrot.
2. Avian Trade Monitoring
As a native psittacine, it appears in enforcement discussions about the illegal pet trade alongside better-known Philippine parrots.
Strategies
- Retain groves of native and guava fruiting trees in agricultural landscapes to sustain food sources.
- Enforce wildlife-trade rules under RA 9147 to prevent collection of this protected endemic.
Security and Safety Measures
- Keep fledglings wild: taking young birds from nests is illegal under Philippine wildlife law and depletes local populations.
- Farmers deter raids with netting rather than poison, which is both unlawful and hazardous to other wildlife.
Historical Context
The species was described to science in the early nineteenth century as naturalists catalogued the Philippines’ distinctive parrot fauna, and its unusual bill and skull structure later prompted ornithologists to place it alone in the genus Bolbopsittacus. Twentieth-century fieldwork mapped several island subspecies across Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao, and modern checklists continue to treat it as a low-profile but characteristic member of the archipelago’s parrot assemblage, which ranges from the critically endangered Philippine cockatoo to widespread hanging parrots. (Wikipedia)
Challenges and Controversies
Quiet Population Pressures
Although not currently considered threatened, trapping and habitat alteration cause local declines that receive little study.
Subspecies Boundaries
The treatment of island populations as subspecies rather than species affects how conservation priority is assigned.