Poicephalus
Appearance
Appearance
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[thumb\|The wing tips of the long\-winged parrots reach almost to the end of the tail plumage.](/wiki/File:Mohrenkopfpapagei_von_hinten_070816_1.jpg "Mohrenkopfpapagei von hinten 070816 1.jpg")
[thumb\|Parrots often use African baobabs as a nesting tree.](/wiki/File:Baobob_tree.jpg "Baobob tree.jpg")
Members of the *Poicephalus* genus are stocky birds with short broad tails and relatively large heads and beaks that often differ in color from their trunks. Although they are parrots with [rectrices](/wiki/Rectrices "Rectrices") of medium length, their [pinion feathers](/wiki/Pinion_%28feather%29 "Pinion (feather)") reach down almost to the end of the rectrices, making their wings appear to be remarkably long.

According to H. Strunden, *Poicephalus*, from [Ancient Greek](/wiki/Ancient_Greek "Ancient Greek"), means "grey head" (*poliós* \= grey and *kephalé* \= head).

Most species in the *Poicephalus* genus are predominantly green. However, grey is also common, and the feathers on their heads frequently vary in colour from the rest of the plumage. Senegal parrots and brown\-headed parrots for example have blackish or dark brown heads, while the head plumage of [brown\-necked](/wiki/Brown-necked_parrot "Brown-necked parrot") and Cape parrots is grey\-brown to silver\-grey. With the exception of the [red\-fronted parrot](/wiki/Red-fronted_parrot "Red-fronted parrot"), the different colours of head and body plumage of these four species do not overlap or blend. The red\-fronted parrot only shows a more fluent transition, with merely the slate grey ear patches and the red front and crown clearly set apart. Another variation is found in male [Rüppell's parrots](/wiki/R%C3%BCppell%27s_parrot "Rüppell's parrot"), whose brown plumage is overlaid with silver\-grey at the ear patches and the top of their heads, with only a tinge of green on the top\-side plumage. Female Rüppell's parrots, on the other hand, have a bright blue back section, rump, and upper tail coverts, while the feathers on their lower ventral region and vent are a dull blue.

Several of the species show marked [sexual dimorphism](/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism "Sexual dimorphism"), Rüppell's parrots, brown\-necked parrots, cape parrots, and [red\-bellied parrots](/wiki/Red-bellied_parrot "Red-bellied parrot") are dimorphic, the other species of *Poicephalus* parrots cannot be distinguished by the colours of their plumage. The difference is especially clear in red\-bellied parrots, where males have red or bright orange plumage on breast, belly and below their wings while the feathers of females are all grey\-brown in these areas.

The smallest species in the genus is the [Meyer's parrot](/wiki/Meyer%27s_parrot "Meyer's parrot"), with adults reaching a body\-length of only 22 centimeters (≈ 8,66 in.) and weighing approximately 120 g (≈ 4,23 oz). The largest species, the [Cape parrot](/wiki/Cape_parrot "Cape parrot"), by contrast, is usually almost as large as an African grey parrot, adult males reaching a size of 32 centimeters (≈ 12,6 in.) and a weight of about 400 g (≈ 14,1 oz).

Many *Poicephalus* parrots have bulky heads and powerful beaks, the colour of which varying with the species. While [brown\-headed parrots](/wiki/Brown-headed_parrot "Brown-headed parrot") and [Niam\-Niam parrots](/wiki/Niam-Niam_parrot "Niam-Niam parrot") have a grey upper mandible and an off\-white lower one, other species have a homogeneously grey\-coloured beak or a horn\-coloured one with a darker tip.

The Cape parrot stands out with a particularly sturdy beak in relation to its overall size which it needs to obtain its main food source, the hard\-shelled fruit of *[Podocarpus](/wiki/Podocarpus "Podocarpus")* trees. British parrot specialist [Rosemary Low](/wiki/Rosemary_Low "Rosemary Low") has pointed out that, among the genus, only the Cape parrot is able to crack open [walnuts](/wiki/Walnut "Walnut") with its beak. Except for [macaws](/wiki/Macaw "Macaw"), this is a rare ability among parrots in general.


Is there any bird that can crack open walnuts with its beak besides Cape parrot?