Ficus ovalis Seed Predation by an Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis) in Costa Rica

Abstract

Parrots and parakeets (Psittacidae) are often thought of as frugivorous, and fruits are often listed as the food of parrots observed feeding in the wild (e.g. Forshaw 1978, Parrots of the World, London, David and Charles, Newton Abbot). On the other hand, from observing parrots of all sizes feeding in the wild in Central America and in captivity, I have the impression that a parrot is rarely frugivorous and usually preys on the seeds inside the fruit, whether the fruit is immature or mature. I have never encountered an unambiguous case of seed dispersal by parrots. Psittacids that eat figs, however, are often mentioned to me as potential exceptions to this generalization, and the tiny Orange-chinned Parakeet.