Amboina King Parrots

The Amboina King Parrot also known as the Moluccan King Parrot and the Amboina Green Winged Parrot, is one of the most striking looking parrots you will ever find. Often confused with the green winged or the Australian King Parrot which are both similar, except these species have a vivid light green patch on their darker green wings.

Highly prized for their vivid primary coloring, Amboina King Parrots are bright red with blue backs and green wings. No pictures can do their plumage justice and although relatively rare are well worth seeing.
Native to Indonesia where they are featured on stamps, they are usually found on the islands of Moluccas, New Guinea and Ambolina, but their natural habitat is under serious threat and as a result is close to being listed as an official endangered species.

Males and females are identical and their sex can only be identified by DNA testing so buyers be ware when being sold an Amboina King parrot if it is important to you which gender you acquire.

Adult Amboina King Parrots will vary in length from 14 to 19 inches. Allowances should be made for the tail, which is quite long, when looking at a cage in which to house the bird. The minimum area, if you want them to comfortably stretch their wings and fly or move around, should measure 5 x 2 meters. If breeding they will need a nesting box that is at least 120cm deep. They are difficult to breed but the results are well worth it.

They are very comfortable with humans or other birds around and are not known as an aggressive species. They have been known to bite a little when cornered or under extreme threat but on the whole are a good option if you want a placid bird.
They are quite strong willed however and will not shy away from eye contact. In fact many owners have noticed that they tend to learn better because of this. There voice is very soft and gentle and they are excellent mimics.

There are differing opinions on what age the birds are before they reach sexual maturity. Estimates vary from 12 to 30 months but when Amboina King parrots are sexually mature the area around the eye turns from a whitish grey to black. Up to 3 white eggs are produced 2-3 times a year and incubation is between 20 and 25 days. The young are independent within three months.

Amboina King Parrots are not difficult birds to keep. They require no special treatment and can be fed and maintained in much the same manner as any parrot species. They do tend to be greedy and will gobble their food and that of any other bird they share their cage with. They can react to high levels of Iron in their diet so take care when selecting vegetable scraps and choose pellets that are low in iron content.

Despite their confident manner they can become stressed if moved from location to location.
Due to their striking beauty and increasing rarity these parrots are quite expensive. They are, however well worth their high price. Their proud poise, sweet voice, gentle temperament and amazing color will make them a wonderfully exotic addition to any aviary.