GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: red fan parrot, hawk-headed parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus accipitrinus, parrots, birds, photograph
I took this picture yesterday morning to share with you;
Orpheus.
Male Hawk-headed (red fan) parrot, Deroptyus a. accipitrinus, April 2008.
Image: GrrlScientist 2008 [larger view].
This species originates in the New World tropics; Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana and the extreme northwest portion of Brazil. This bird was captive-bred and was purchased for me by a friend. He was shipped to me by the breeder when he was only four and a half months old, so he was quite young when he arrived. Currently, he is getting ready to celebrate his one year birthday (24 May), so he is growing up! One of my readers suggested the name "Orpheus" after I mentioned on my blog that I like naming my birds for characters in Greek mythology. Even though my Orpheus is not a poet or singer as his namesake suggests, he is a tremendous talker! He also can get quite loud -- louder than any of my other parrots, even though he is not the largest, physically, of the flock. His nickname is "Pipsqueek." He is very camera-shy, so I was lucky to get this image to share with you.
Comments
Grrl,
Superb photography of a very pretty bird. Wow! I see you also replaced your author photo under "Profile."
Posted by: biosparite | May 1, 2008 12:48 AM
How is his demolition work coming on?
Posted by: Bob O'H | May 1, 2008 12:50 AM
He's beautiful. Thank him for us, for sitting still enough for the camera.
Posted by: Karen | May 1, 2008 4:32 AM
He is a beautiful parrot. Thanks for the photo, and early Happy Birthday Orpheus!
Posted by: Jo Ann | May 1, 2008 10:38 AM
are they a good talking bird?
Posted by: billy | December 5, 2008 10:36 AM