Coracopsis vasa
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 ~10% in a week ~20%
The greater vasa parrot (Coracopsis vasa) is one of two species of vasa parrot, the other being the lesser vasa parrot (C. nigra). The greater vasa parrot can be found throughout Madagascar and the Comoros. The bird was first described in 1812 by George Shaw. There are three subspecies:
The bird is placed in the genus Mascarinus by some authorities. The greater vasa parrot's breeding season is uncertain, but is probably between October and December. It has a very unusual breeding biology and mating system; females are 25% larger than males, and are, physically, dominant. The species lives in loose, polygynandrous groups wherein each female has at least 3-8 sexual partners. The males have re-evolved a phallus, and copulations can last up to 90 minutes. Copulations come in two lengths—short (1–3 seconds) and long durations (averaging 36 minutes), with the latter involving a copulatory tie. A copulatory tie usually applies to mammals, such as canids and felids, where the two animals are unable to physically part during mating due to the swelling, and structure, of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Mantadia National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 4 | Berenty Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Zürich Zoo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 3 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 4 | Parc des oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Parc zoologique de Montpellier | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Safari World | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Parco Natura Viva | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 9 | Night Safari | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 10 | Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Singapore Zoo | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 12 | Bird Paradise | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 13 | Rainforest Wild Asia | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 14 | Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 15 | Loro Parque | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | River Wonders | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 17 | Zagreb Zoo | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 18 | Monkey Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 19 | Charles Paddock Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Vasa Parrot sighting in Antananarivo on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 49th most-seen of the 69 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Vasa Parrot in Antananarivo on a given day, against under 5% in July and September–May, the lowest months. Those are among Antananarivo's driest months, with about 70 mm of rain a month against 480 mm in January.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Vasa Parrot sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Antananarivo, in our data
Antananarivo is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Greater Vasa Parrot sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Vasa Parrot is recorded against all the birds logged in Antananarivo (26 verified sightings), 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.
