This hanging parrot is known by myriad names, such as Great Hanging Parrots, Black-billed Hanging-Parrot, Maroon-rumped Hanging-Parrots and, finally, Large Sulawesi Hanging-Parrots.
Mostly it’s called the Sulawesi or Celebes Hanging Parrot (Loriculus stigmatus). As this name suggests, this hanging parrot is endemic to Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes) – part of the Maluku island group, Togian Islands, as well as islands of Butung and Muna, in Indonesia.
They are probably nomadic. Seasonal migrations are also possible. Populations are very localized, but in the areas they are found, they tend to be common to very common.
They often frequent open areas with bushes and trees as well as congregating along the forest edges to 3,300 ft (1,000 m). They are also found in lowland areas, coconut plantations, gardens and cultivated areas with flowering trees.
Outside the breeding season, they are usually seen singly, in small family groups or flocks of up to 30 birds.
Larger gatherings are sometimes found in favored foraging areas, such as fruiting and flowering trees.
They may also be seen in mixed groups, specifically with Ornate Lories (Trichoglossus ornatus) and Green Hanging Parrots (Loriculus exilis).
Description:
The Sulawesi Hanging Parrots average 6 inches (15 cm) in length – from head to tip of the tail.
The plumage of the Sulawesi Hanging Parrot is mainly green. The wings are green, except the underside of the flight-feathers, which are greenish-blue.
The foreheads and crown are red; there is a red patch to the throat and on the upper breast, and the edge of the wing, lower back and upper tail-coverts are also red. The breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts are yellowish-green and there is an orange-yellow tinge on the back.
The upperside of the tail is green with pale tips, and the underside is greenish-blue. There are red upper tail-coverts.
The bill is black, the irises are yellowish-white; and the feet are orange.
Hens look like males, except they lack the red markings to the head. Their throat patches are reduced in many females and their irises are brown.
Young birds look similar to the females, except the breast patch is interspersed with yellow and the edge of their wings are greenish-yellow. They have horn-colored bills and dark-brown irises. Their feet are yellowish brown.
Call / Song:
This hanging parrot is generally quiet with melodic fluting sounds. Their contact calls tend to be sharp and shrill; often disyllabic tzu-tzi, trisyllabic tzu-tzi-tzi or high-pitched ziiet-zu.
Diet:
Their natural diet consists of nectar, soft fruits (especially wild figs), buds, flowers and seeds.
In captivity, their diet should include plenty of fruits, such as figs, pear, apple, banana, and vegetables. They are also fed a seed mix of various millets, canary grass seed, some niger and oats (including sprouted); millet spray; as well as softened rusk, eggfood and meal worm larvae for rearing.
- Please refer to this webpage for additional information on feeding your hanging parrots.
Breeding / Aviculture:
The Celebes or Sulawesi Hanging Parrot is a pleasant, yet initially shy parrot. It is quiet with a melodic voice that can mostly be heard in the evenings.
The breeding season ranges from January to August. In their natural habitat they nest in dead trees or thick bamboo.
The hen usually lays 2 to 3 eggs which she incubates for 20 days. The chicks fledge when they are about 33 days.
Unfortunately, nestlings are often taken by local people for the pet trade.
Captive breeding has rarely been achieved and to ensure the continued existence of this species a lot has yet to be learned to ensure a successful captive breeding protocol.
Breeders of this species report that they do fine in a colony system with the same species. They are hard chewers and plenty of fresh branches need to be provided on a regular basis.
It is important to provide sufficient nesting material for the hen to work with, such as willow and pine twigs, and / or ivy and other leafy plant material. They will also accept pieces of bark and leaves, which the female tucks in her feathers and carries into the nesting box.
A suitable nest box would be a tree stump, about 12 inches high (30 cm) and 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. The entrance hole should be about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Females may lay 2 to 4 eggs.
Incubation period may be 20 to 21 days. It’s important to note that both the brooding female and the chicks aresusceptible to stress – so maintaining a stressfree environment is of utmost importance.
This parrot is susceptible to fungal infections, therefore strict hygiene is necessary. A shallow pan of cool water should always be available for bathing and drinking. These parrots generally enjoy bathing and there are multiple reasons both for their health and well-being to provide them with daily bathing opportunities. Adding a few drops of GSE or hydrogen peroxide in its bathing water will help in preventing infections. As an additional benefit, GSE also has good anti-parasitic properties
- Bird Grooming: Benefits of bathing (SAFELY) and recommendations.
It should be provided a planted, preferably indoor or well-sheltered aviary (unless it is kept in temperate climates) of 8 x 3 x 6 ft (2.5 x 1 x 2 m) dimensions or larger. It needs to be protected from cold, wet conditions and should not be exposed to temperatures below 68F (20° C) – and not less than 77°F (25°C) during the acclimatization period.
- Please refer to this webpage for additional information on housing and breeding your hanging parrots.
Taxonomy:
Species:Scientific: Loriculus stigmatus … English: Celebes Hanging Parrot, Red-crowned Hanging Parrot … Dutch: Roodkroontje … German: Rotplättchen … French: Loricule à tête rouge de Célébes
CITES II – Endangered Species
Sub-Species: stigmatus. The subspecies Togian Hanging Parrots / quadricolor (from Togian Islands) and Butung Hanging Parrots / croconotus (from Butung and Muna) are no longer recognized.
Sub-species:
Butung Hanging Parrots (no longer a recognized subspecies)
Species:Scientific: Loriculus stigmatus croconotus … English: Butung Hanging Parrot … Dutch: Butung Hangparkiet … German: Butung Fledermauspapagei … French: Loricule d’ile Butung
CITES II – Endangered Species
Distribution: Islands of Butung and Muna
Togian Hanging Parrots (no longer a recognized subspecies)
Species:Scientific: Loriculus stigmatus quadricolor … English: Togian Hanging Parrot … Dutch: Togian Hangparkiet … German: Togian Fledermauspapagei … French: Loricule d’ile Togian
CITES II – Endangered Species
Distribution: Togian Islands
