Amboina King Parrots aka Moluccan King-Parrot, Amboina Green-winged King Parrot
King Parrot Information Page
The Amboina King (Alisterus amboinensis) is also known as Moluccan King Parrot, Ambon King Parrot or Amboina Green-Winged King Parro. This beautiful king parrot is endemic to the islands of Moluccas and New Guinea. Found primarily in humid forests, the Amboina King Parrot is most comfortable where the climate is quite warm and damp.
Predation and loss of habitat have lowered the population of the Amboina King Parrot drastically, and they are now "near-threatened" in conservation status.
Description:
These parrots can only be described as serene, sophisticated and strikingly beautiful due to their well-defined, bright coloration of their plumage.
At 14 to 19 inches (35 centimeters), the Amboina King Parrot is considered one of mid-size to larger parrot breeds. They primary plumage is red, with bright green wings, bright blue backs, rumps, tail coverts and wing coverts. The top of the tail is usually black with vivid blue highlights. Their underside is dark gray or black with pink markings on the margins and their feet are gray.
Males and females look alike and DNA testing is necessary to determine the sex of your bird.
They are physically and sexually mature at twelve months of age.
Personality:
Amboinas are not only incredibly beautiful, but also quiet (other than the occasional shrill sentinel call) and gentle in nature. They are quite different from other parrot species that tend to be noisier, more destructive and more aggressive than they tend to be.
They are not known to be cuddly birds, but these gentle creatures do become very confiding and have a knack for entertaining themselves. Because they are so quiet and colorful they are very much in demand as aviary birds.
Amboinas are social birds and do require daily interaction with their flock -- be it with other birds in an aviary setting or with their human family. In an aviary setting, they do well even when kept with smaller birds.
It is important to remember that these parrots require space to accommodate their activities and their long tails. The width is considered more important in the long-tailed species rather than height in a cage -- but remember, the biggest cage possible is always the best choice. However, they are best kept in a planted aviary that allows them plenty of room to fly from perch to perch.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Amboina King Parrots are quieter and less destructive than other parrot species. The challenges that you might experience with them maybe poor socialization - in which case patience and time in taming and gaining the trust of the parrot is necessary.
Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation. If they feel cornered, some biting may occur.
They have some mimicking ability and most of them learn to talk, and their voices are soft and sweet to listen to - similar to the voice of an eclectus parrot.
Training and behavioral guidance will help your pet be the kind of companion you want it to be ...
- AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
If you are considering a king parrot as a pet, the following web resources might be of interest:
- Procuring your Parrot
- Breeders:
- Click here for a listing of breeders by state / country. Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- Housing & Caring for Your Conure: Conures love to climb and play and need to be provided with a cage that allows them to move around freely and toys to entertain themselves with. Please refer to the following websites for information:
Taxonomy:
Species: Scientific: Alisterus amboinensis amboinensis ... English: Amboina King Parrot, Amboina Red Parrot ... Dutch: Molukse Koningsparkiet, Ambon Koningsparkiet ... German: Amboina Königssittich ... French: Perruche d'Amboine, Royale d'Amboine
CITES II - Endangered Species
Sub-Species: amboinensis, sulaensis, versicolor, buruensis, hypophonius, dorsalis
Sub-species:
Buru Island King Parrots: Please scroll up for further information.
Distribution: Buru in Southern Moluccas, Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Alisterus amboinensis buruensis ... English: Buru Island King Parrot ... Dutch: Buru Koningsparkiet ... German: Buru Königssittich ... French: Perruche de Buru, Royale de Buru
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Halmahera King Parrots: Please scroll up for further information.
Distribution: Halmahera in Northern Moluccas, Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Alisterus amboinensis hypophonius ... English: Halmahera King Parrot ... Dutch: Halmahera Koningsparkiet ... German: Halmahera Königssittich, Blauflügel Königssittich ... French: Perruche de Halmahera, Royale à ailes bleues
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 5 - click on link to view photo.)
Peleng Island King Parrots: Please scroll up for further information.
Distribution: Peleng Island, Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Alisterus amboinensis versicolor ... English: Peleng Island King Parrot ... Dutch: Peleng Koningsparkiet ... German: Peleng Königssittich ... French: Perruche de Peleng, Royale de Peleng e
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
Salawati King Parrots: Please scroll up for further information.
Distribution: Western Papuan Islands, North-western New Guinea, West Irian
Species: Scientific: Alisterus amboinensis dorsalis ... English: Salawati King Parrot ... Dutch: Salawati Koningsparkiet ... German: Salawati Königssittich ... French: Perruche de Papoea, Royale de Salawati
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 6 - click on link to view photo.)
Sula Island King Parrots: Please scroll up for further information.
Distribution: Sula Islands, Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Alisterus amboinensis sulaensis ... English: Sula Island King Parrot ... Dutch: Sula Koningsparkiet ... German: Sula Königssittich ... French: Perruche de Sula, Royale de Sula
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
