Coracopsis nigra
Silhouette: Farelli (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The lesser vasa parrot or black parrot (Coracopsis nigra) is a black coloured parrot endemic to most of Madagascar. It is one of four species of vasa parrots, the others being the greater vasa parrot (C. vasa), the Seychelles black parrot (C. barklyi), and the Comoros black parrot (C. sibilans). The latter two were formerly considered conspecific with the lesser vasa parrot.
Lesser vasa parrots inhabit the mangrove swamps and evergreen forests of Madagascar. They eat seeds, blossoms and fruit - especially berries and mangos. They build their nests in tree hollows and go through courtship in February. During this time, the female may shed the feathers on her head giving it a yellowish tone. The male's beak may also turn white during this time.
In 1743, the English naturalist George Edwards included a picture and a description of the lesser vasa parrot in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "Black Parrot from Madagascar". His drawing was made from a live bird owned by the Duke of Richmond. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the lesser vasa parrot with all the other... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Berenty Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 4 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Lisbon Zoo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 4 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Botanical and Zoological Garden of Tsimbazaza | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 6 | Loro Parque | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Vasa-Parrot sighting in Berenty Reserve on a given day, based on 156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 63 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Vasa-Parrot sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Lesser Vasa-Parrot sightings, Berenty Reserve ranks 2nd at about 60%. The best odds are in Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, about 70%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Vasa-Parrot is recorded against all the birds logged in Berenty Reserve (156 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
