Tenu Parrot
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Tenu Parrot, or Tenu, is a large parrot specialized the jungles and forests of Central America. Their large sizes allow them to have the strength to break open nuts, seeds, and bark unavailable to other birds, as well have a powerful bite when fighting against predators or for space. Unlike many parrots, they are missing their third toes, which has become vestigial and generally only appears under the skin as massively reduced bones beside the backward fourth toe. It is unknown why this loss has occurred.
The birds have a black body with crimson wings, neck, and head, with golden patches on the throat, secondary feathers, and white hip area and throat. A black and white striped skin patch is present around the eyes, suggesting the species may be closely related to macaws. Similarly to hornbills, they have a keratinized patch on the forehead. Older individuals present with larger keratin patches, which may play a role in breeding selection.
Genetics and Reproduction
The Tenu is one of the only known pathenogenetic species of parrots, reproducing via cloning. There are no males within the species, and instead, the largest females will act similarly to males of other parrot species, grooming and preening smaller Tenus, gathering nesting materials, and defending their mates from other larger birds. While capable of reproducing without males, the species does still require mating ritual in order for them to be stimulated to begin producing eggs, in many cases with the largest birds mounting smaller ones as part of the ritual before nest building.
Due to a lack of sexual reproduction, diversity is quite low in the species with few locales or regional variants. This has raised concern that environmental changes and habitat loss may severely affect the species in the future, although populations are stable at this time.
Ecology and Habitats
Tenus are exclusively found in highly productive jungles and forests in Central America. Their diets require high amounts of fruit, nuts, and insects such as beetle larva and termites, serving as specialized omnivores in their environment. Due to their habits of stripping bark from trees in order to search for insect larva, the species can post a risk to trees in fragmented areas and damage soft barked species.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The species primarily feeds on nuts, seeds, fruit, and insects by crushing tough specimens with their robust beaks. They have also been observed following the feeding sites of smaller birds, taking advantage of the tough pits from fruit that most discard as they cannot break them open. Their larger sizes may also provide some protection to smaller birds from predators, such as jaguars, by way of acting as extra eyes within a flock.
Behaviour
These birds are often described as bullies by naturalists. Their large sizes and powerful bites make them extremely confident, and prone to bullying other animals away from food if they desire it. Tenus are also known for being extremely loud and brash with their calls, with screeches that can carry for dozens of miles across the canopy. When they have seen a predator, the birds will fly into high branches out of reach, flap their wings, and harass the predator, often by stripping bark and dropping it onto them to prevent climbing to their perches.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Incredibly social, flocks of these birds are generally made up of 3-5 large older individuals followed by anywhere from 10 to 25 smaller and younger birds along with their offspring. While prone to bullying other bird species, they will also flock with other smaller parrots, particularly those that eat pitted fruits. These large flocks typically roost high in the canopy of trees, only coming down to the forest floor to scavenge for insects and seeds en mass, with individuals taking turns as sentries to watch for predators.
The vast majority of flocks will stay together their entire lives, only merging or changing members during breeding seasons when different flocks may come together if roosting in similar or close by groves. Separation from their flocks is known to cause intense amounts of stress, feather plucking, and self harming behavior, even if replanted back into other groups. Their complex social behavior also shows that Tenus are capable of long lasting friendships, rivalries, and grudges.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
There have been attempts in the past to integrate the species into the pet trade, although all attempts have failed due to their intense social structure. Adult animals can become so stressed when removed from their flock that they refuse food and water, and may begin to pluck their feathers, which can cause deadly infections. Birds plucking blood feathers may be prone to bleeding to death. There have also been no known successful attempts to breed the Tenu Parrot in captivity, as in such conditions, the birds become too stressed to do so, fight with attempted mates, and even if artificially prompted to lay eggs, abandon their nests or consume their own eggs.
Due to concerns about lack of diversity and the potential for diseases from other parrots dealing massive blows to their populations, the Tenu is currently banned for export and capture from the wild.
Origin/Ancestry
natural
Lifespan
70-80 years
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Average Length
45-50 in wingspan, 35-40 in body length
Geographic Distribution
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