Abstract
In the age of specialization, I
decided on a group of very colorful
parrots called king parrots. Starting
in 1982, I have worked with three
species of the king parrots. These
include the Australian King (Alisterus
scapularis) from eastern Australia,
the moszkowskii subspecies
of the Green-winged King (A. chloroperus)
from New Guinea and the
Amboina King Parrot (A. amboinensis)
from several Indonesian islands
including Amboina in the southern
Moluccas.
King parrots are naturally tame and
confiding, hardy, non-destructive and
the quietest of the mid-sized parrots.
These endearing qualities make this
parrot highly prized by parrot enthusiasts
who are ready for a beautiful
bird which will not cause complaints
from the neighbors.
The Australian King Parrot is not a
shy bird and is commonly seen in
nearby fields, parks and gardens in
Australia. It is the largest of the
broad-tailed Australian "parakeets,''
measuring 17 inches in total length.
The adult males have a brilliant red
head in comparison to the adult
females. A bright, pale green scapular
bar above the wings can be seen in
the adult males.
I have been a bird hobbyist for 25
years, ten of which I have bred king
parrots. Most of the flimsy literature
which is available on breeding king
parrots would discourage even the
most avid aviculturists. But the truth
is that the Australian King and the
other kings are as easy to breed as
any of the other Australian parrots,
once you allow them to settle down
with the correct conditions.
I place one pair of king parrots per
aviary. The aviaries are eight feet
long, three feet wide and four feet in
height. I have bred king parrots in
cages six to 16 feet long without any
noticeable change in productivity.
The cages are suspended three and a
half feet above the ground. This is
done to eliminate bacteria, fungi and
worms. Three gang perches are
placed at each end of the aviary. The
male seems to think that any perch
the female is on is his! This gives the
female an opportunity to give way to
"his majesty", thus avoiding stress.