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 ~70% 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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Vasa-Parrot sighting in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, based on 298 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 34th most-seen of the 102 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and December
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Vasa-Parrot in Ranomafana National Park on a given day, against about 20% in May, the lowest month. Those are among Ranomafana National Park's wettest months, with about 330 mm of rain a month against 80 mm in September. January and June have too few records to rate.
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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Lesser Vasa-Parrot sightings, Ranomafana National Park ranks 4th at about 30%. The best odds are in Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, about 70%), Berenty Reserve (Madagascar, about 60%) and Mantadia National Park (Madagascar, about 60%). 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 Ranomafana National Park (298 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.
