Moluccan King-Parrot

Alisterus amboinensis

Content

35 to 40 cm.. length between 145 and 163 g. of weight.

The Moluccan King-Parrot (Alisterus amboinensis) has a head, neck, the nape of the neck and the upper mantle of bright red, with strong demarcation to dark blue-violet in the lower mantle, back, buttocks and supracaudales coverts. Green wings with the exception of the blue in the small inner coverts and carpal edge. Under, black wings with blue-violet coverts. Bright red bottoms, with mauve bases to coverts infracaudales, sometimes visible; flanks with a little blue. Upper, the very dark blue colal; below black grey color wide-margin rose to the side feathers.

Bill with an orange-red base on the upper mandible, Blackish lower; Orange iris; black grey legs.

The two sexes, somatic sexual dimorphism is not presented..

Immature with more green in the back; Brown-Black beaks; pale eye-ring and darker than the adults of iris. Dotted pink on the outer tail feathers. Mature in one year.

• Sound of the Moluccan King-Parrot.

The Moluccan Parrot is distributed through the dense primary and secondary humid forests, and from time to time in the adjacent plantations, farmland and gardens, from the lowlands up to around the 2.100 meters above sea level.

The birds are usually found in pairs or in small groups, and they are very calm while feeding and shy at all times, hiding in the thick foliage and flying amid shrill calls at the first sign of an intruder.

Just nothing is known of the cycle of reproduction in the wild, although according to sources, nesting takes place between the months of February and April.

Two young birds nests have been found on two occasions in hollow trees.

One instance of captive breeding gave data for incubation of 19 days, with the emerging young in nine weeks.
The courtship was observed during feeding, and two eggs were deposited.

The diet includes acorns Lithocarpus, as well as hard fruits, outbreaks and other forest tree berries.

Size of the area of distribution (reproduction / resident): 149.000 km2

Is distributed from Peleng and Sula Islands eastward through the Moluccas, including Halmahera, Buru, Ambon and Seram. Also found in the Western Islands of papua, including Waigeo, Batanta and Salawati.

In New Guinea is from Vogelkop and East of the Bomberai Peninsula some 135 ° E.

Usually Rare due to habitat loss and trade in birds.

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Least concern

• Population trend: Decreasing

The size of the world's population has not been quantified, but the species is described as generally common, Although rare in Halmahera.

The nominal subspecies population is estimated at 70.000 specimens (pit et to the. 1997).

The population is suspected to be declining due to the destruction of habitat in course.

Occasionally available.

Nervous, is a bird a pet bird.

In captivity will have failed to reproduce.

In the Zoological Garden of Loro Parque, Tenerife, on Canary Islands, biologists Dr. Burkard and Dr. Gerlach they have made so large colonies, but since 1972 they have succeeded until now non.

More information on loromania

– Moluccan King-Parrot, Amboina King Parrot, Amboina King-Parrot, Ambon King-Parrot, Moluccan King Parrot (ingles).
– Perruche tricolore, Perruche royale d’Amboine (French).
– Amboinasittich (German).
– Periquito-rei-amboina (Portuguese).
– Papagayo Moluqueño, Papagayo Real de Amboina (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Alisterus
– Scientific name: Alisterus amboinensis
– Citation: (Linnaeus, 1766)
– Protonimo: Psittacus amboinensis

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“Moluccan King-Parrot” (Alisterus amboinensis)

Sources:

– Sounds: Frank Lambert (Xeno-canto)