The Dracula Parrot

Greetings kiddies, welcome to my little corner of the inter-web where I have decided to vomit up the embarrassment of information and pointless facts rolling and tumbling in my skull. Thank you for stopping by, and by all means, please make it a habit.

Today’s brain marble is the Dracula Parrot, known professionally as Pesquet’s Parrot. I first came across this wonderful creature when I was researching for a horror article I was writing. I found him completely by chance, and oh what a wonderful surprise he was. I mean just look at him. He is a striking and intriguing bird. Though called a parrot it looks more like a vulture. I mean look at him and tell me you couldn’t see him gorging himself on a huge pile of fetid meat or a rotting human corpse.

It gets its name from its hooked beak resembling Dracula’s fangs. He hails from the rain forests of Papua New Guinea standing 18 inches tall with a wingspan of 30 inches and weighing in at about 1lb. His plumage is dead of space black with a tummy that is blood red, which I’m sure added to the Dracula nom de plume. As if sometime in its history the stomach feathers had been white and became stained with so much blood the red became genetic.

No, I’m not a frustrated novelist, why do you ask?

Not much is known about this bird because he loves to hide, therefore hard to study. We do know that it is used in tribal rituals and is (at the time of this writing) endangered.

Despite his horror movie-like vulture looks this guy is a fruitarian of sorts. His favorite food is a type of sticky syrupy fig. He loves it so much that the feathers on his head have evolved to fall out so they don’t get all sticky from his diet. While we’re still on diet, there is one more thing that adds to the lore and that is the fact that it also feeds on the fruit of the Bloodwood Tree. This is a tree that bleeds dark red sap when cut. How kookie is that?

He was first discovered in 1898 by French naturalist Jean Delacour while he was exploring the forests of Papua New Guinea. Delacour named the species Psittrichas fulgidus or shining parrot. It’s not what I would have named him but horror movies weren’t really a thing just yet.

But I digress. Like most greats, he wasn’t officially recognized by ornithologists and the like until decades later and has subsequently become one of the most mysterious birds in the Avian community.

Some myths surrounding the Dracula Parrot are that it possesses supernatural powers. Some cultures believe that the bird has the ability to bring good luck, while others believe that it can curse individuals who cross its path. In Indonesian culture, the Dracula Parrot is known as “burung hantu,” which translates to “ghost bird,” and it is believed that the bird is a messenger of the spirit world. Like the crow in Native American cultures.

In addition to these myths and legends, the Dracula Parrot also plays a role in traditional medicine practices, in some cultures. Its feathers, beak, and other body parts are believed to have healing properties and are used in remedies for various ailments.

The Gimi people of Papua New Guinea consider him a sacred bird and is depicted in some of their art. Their feathers were used to make ceremonial headdresses.

From the research I’ve done this bird is just revered by everyone that comes across it. Like a puppy that’s so ugly, it’s cute.

That’s all I’ve got for you today kiddies. Keep checking back. My plan is to publish every day. I’ve got lots of odd, sometimes disgusting, and just good ole interesting subjects heading your way.

Much Love