Fun Moluccan King Parrot Facts For Kids

Christian Mba
Nov 18, 2022 By Christian Mba
Originally Published on Aug 30, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Moluccan king parrot facts on a colorful bird species.

There is a total of 350 species of parrots in the world. There are six subspecies of king parrots.

Moluccan king parrot is known by its scientific name Alisterus amboinensis. Moluccan king parrot (Alisterus amboinensis) is one among the same family usually known as Psittacidae and genus Alisterus.

Moluccan king parrot (Alisterus amboinensis) is endemic to Peleng island, West papua, and Indonesia and is seen in forests and islands. The Moluccan king parrot (Alisterus amboinensis) is primarily a herbivorous bird and feeds on fruits majorly as well as grains, seeds, and birds.

The Moluccan king parrot is known as the Ambon king parrot or the Amboina king parrot. These birds make excellent pets and are wonderful companions.

They have energetic, social, and friendly personalities. They do not prefer being caressed and wish to live in larger spaces for them to move around easily.

They are not the talking kind; they lack the ability to mimic human speech like other parrot species who can, they might repeat few words if they are raised through training from a young age.

For more relatable content, check out our fact files on palm cockatoo and umbrellabird.

Moluccan King Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Moluccan king parrot?

Moluccan king parrot is a type of parrot which belongs to kingdom Animalia and order Psittaciformes.

What class of animal does a Moluccan king parrot belong to?

Moluccan king parrot belongs to the class Aves, family Pssittaculidae, and genus Alisterus.

How many Moluccan king parrots are there in the world?

Moluccan king parrot (Amboina king parrot) belonging to genus Alisterus exact population size in the world is not evaluated, however, their population is expected to decline further in the coming years.

Where does a Moluccan king parrot live?

Moluccan king parrots live in rainforests, island regions, and gardens. They are seen in Peleng island, Maluku, West Papua, and Indonesia. These birds are not migratory similar to other parrots.

What is a Moluccan king parrot's habitat?

Amboina king parrot's habitat constitutes rainforests, island regions, and gardens. Amboina king parrots are sedentary beings and do not travel far distances unless necessary. Amboina king parrot is primarily herbivorous and hence requires trees with fruit available.

Who do Moluccan king parrots live with?

Moluccan king parrots or king parrot Amboina live in pairs or in a family group while adopting them it is advised to bring them together in a group. They are sociable beings and accommodative towards being kept as a pet as well.

How long does a Moluccan king parrot live?

Moluccan king parrot lived 30-40 years. The oldest parrot in the world was named Cookie and was 82 years old.

How do they reproduce?

Breeding season for the king part ambon begins in February and March. Their breeding patterns have not been observed in the wild however, postmating the male and female lay two eggs.

The incubation period lasts 19 days. They build nests in a tree hollow and feed the juveniles the same diet as they grew into adults. The king parrot ambon may mate multiple times throughout its life.

What is their conservation status?

The parrot ambon king population status is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN red list of threatened species. Moluccan king parrot range map is available on the IUCN website.

Moluccan King Parrot Fun Facts

What do Moluccan king parrots look like?

The Moluccan king parrots are colorful/ versicolor species as per description. Moluccan king parrots are colorful species and medium-sized in length. The head and main color are red, the back, rump, and tail are blue with a bit on top of their wings as well.

Their chest/breast has a dark red color. They have a long blue tail and green wings. They have a blue upper back.

Their overall color makes them stand out in their habitat. Their upper mandible is orange/red tipped with black while the lower mandible is black.

They have an orange eye with a black iris on either side of their head. Their feet are black as well. The wing is primarily used for flying from one place to another.

How cute are they?

The Moluccan king parrot is known by its scientific name Alisterus amboinensis. There are six subspecies of king parrots.

This is a cute and friendly bird and they can be kept as a pet as well. They should ideally be kept in pairs and are colorful beings with long tails. They are not capable of mimicking human speech and remain quiet for the most part except when they are in flight.

How do they communicate?

These birds are quiet and can be kept as pets however, these parrots are not capable of mimicking human speech. They do, however, occur some calls which are natural. These include pitched squawks and ringing notes. They are not effective communicators but may mimic some words if they are raised from a young age.

How big is a Moluccan king parrot?

Moluccan king parrot 13.8 in (35 cm) in length according to data which is ten times bigger than the smallest parrot in the world, the buff faced pygmy parrot 3.4 in (8.6 cm) in length.

How fast can a Moluccan king parrot fly?

Moluccan king parrots fly at a moderately good speed however their exact speed is not evaluated. The fastest parrot in the world according to data.

Parrots mostly fold their wing coverts when they rest on a branch. They may occasionally open their coverts in order to stretch themselves out however, this is rare. They spread out their covers prior to flight.

How much does a Moluccan king parrot weigh?

Moluccan king parrot birds species weigh 0.4 lb (160 g) in size. Kakapo bird species is the heaviest parrot species in the world. They are big in size as compared to the size of the Moluccan king parrot.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Moluccan king parrot female species are referred to as hens and Moluccan king parrot male parrot is referred to as a cock. Male and female species differ in reproductive functions however, they are similar in appearance.

What would you call a baby Moluccan king parrot?

Moluccan king parrot baby is called a chick and is small in size. Moluccan king parrot birds are equally involved in raising the young, the chick develops over weeks and leaves the nest only post-fledging.

What do they eat?

Moluccan king parrot consumes a herbivorous diet within their habitat. They search for food in a varied manner. Their search for food is less at night. Moluccan king parrot eating fruits is the most common site.

Other things included in their diet include grains as well as seeds. They need an appropriate proportion of proteins and vitamins in their diet. As pets, it's important to feed them right to sustain them.

Are they dangerous?

No, these birds are not dangerous they have dark red plumage and are small to medium length in size. They are fit to be adopted as pets however, they don't enjoy being caressed so it's best to keep them in spaces cages. Predators of these species include hawks, snakes, cats, tarsiers, and bats.

Would they make a good pet?

These bird species are sociable beings and fit to be adopted as pets. Moluccan king parrot for sale in the US (United States) is rare since they are not endemic species.

They can be adopted as pets if you read up on the legalities related to owning such exotic and colorful birds. They are playful birds and you can keep them in large spaces. They are ideally wild beings however if trained from a young age they can be fun and loving pets.

Even the Australian king parrots make good pets and can cost around $ 100-500. You could search for more information related to these species on pet-specific websites.

Did you know...

Parrots and parakeets are often confused but they are not the same. Species like the Indian green-necked parakeets with a green plumage are known as budgies. They are not versicolor as other species. Parakeets are most commonly adopted as pets.

French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his Orinthologie mentioned a description of a Moluccan king parrot. His observations were on specimens collected. The French zoologist did this in the year 1760. The French zoologist used the French name La perruche rouge d'Amboine which is influential in determining their name. He also used the Latin name Psittaca amboinensis coccinea.

An ornithologist birder is a person who is keen on identifying wild birds in their natural environment as well as captures photos of the same.

If you are interested in learning more about the same you could learn more on the 'e-bird' website or the Merlin bird app where you could take photos of birds and learn more about them just by saving and using those photos clicked on the app.

Are Moluccan king parrots friendly?

There are six subspecies of king parrots. Moluccan king parrots birds are described as friendly and sociable beings however they don't like being petted. They are best left to themselves. They have a colorful appearance which is red, blue, green, and other colors.

How smart are Moluccan king parrots?

Moluccan king parrot in the jungle setting is innately wild beings and seldom approach humans however if they are bred in captivity they are capable of being accustomed to being trained and might also pick up some human words although they might not completely mimic human sounds.

They are free and sociable beings and have the capacity to retain human faces as well.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these amazon parrot facts and alexandrine parakeet facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Moluccan king parrot coloring pages.

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Written by Christian Mba

Bachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science

Christian Mba picture

Christian MbaBachelor of Science specializing in Computer Science

Christian Mba is an experienced blogger and content writer with over a decade of experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Nigeria and has a keen interest in Python programming. Along with his writing and blogging expertise, he is also an SEO specialist with more than six years of experience. Chris, as he is commonly known, has a passion for music and enjoys playing the piano.

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