Black-capped Lory

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Local names Man Yauri (Sansundi), Man Nyouri (Soeparno 1977). Range L. l. cyanauchen Biak, Supiori; L. l. jobiensis Mios Num, Yapen. Status Endemic subspecies. Ripley noted that this taxon is more solitary than its cohort on mainland New Guinea and recorded it up to 610 m. Common and widespread, however since 1997 it has become very scarce near roads and trails, and consequently increasingly rarely reported, almost certainly the result of insidious trapping for the cagebird trade. Sadly, this pattern is repeated throughout most of the accessible areas of western (Indonesian) New Guinea (KDB & SvB). M. Halaouate (in litt. 2021) noted that this subspecies’ wild population has declined horrifically due to trapping for the local market in Papua, to supply the bird markets on Java and Bali, and to satisfy the demand of big collectors who have established huge breeding centres on both of the latter islands. These ‘ entrepreneurs’ try to breed the birds for international export. Many parrot species are exported annually with permits as if bred in captivity, but some wild-caught birds have falsified papers that approves them for export (M. Halaouate pers. obs.). Halaouate’s estimate of the remaining wild population on Biak (Supiori?) is fewer than 2,000 birds and even this may be an overestimate.