What Are Hanging Parrots?

Have you heard of hanging parrots? Do these sorts of parrots make good pets? Let’s take a look at some of the species of hanging parrots that you can get.

Did you know that there are 13 different species of these types of parrots, and they come from as far as South-East Asia across the islands to the south. These little parrots are mostly green plumaged and short-tailed.

Their coloration allows them to blend in with their background, making them hard for predators to spot easily.

Apart from the species of HPs mentioned in this article, the remaining species are scarce in aviculture worldwide. These parrots are small birds of about 13cm or 5 inches in length and are predominantly green.

The markings on their heads help to distinguish one species from another.

HPs are quiet and secretive birds, preferring a well-planted flight where they can hide in the vegetation.

They are not destructive or aggressive and may be kept as part of a mixed collection, including soft bills.

Their dietary needs are similar to soft bills and they are happy with a fresh daily supply of a nectar solution and fruit such as diced apple or grapes sprinkled with a soft food.

Some HPs will also eat invertebrates like meal worms. Many of them enjoy bite-size pieces of sponge cake soaked in nectar.

You can offer the cake in a small container which is too small for the bird to bathe in, otherwise it tends to jump right in and its plumage will become very sticky.

It is important to give these small parrots an opportunity to bathe each day by providing a container of water in addition to fresh water.

As the breeding season approaches, the hen cuts down leaves for nesting material, tucking these in among the feathers of her rump and transports them back to the nest box.

The nest boxes should be about 15cm or 6 inches square and 20 cm or 8 inches in depth internally.

The hen lays three eggs and these hatch after 20 days. The young will emerge from the nest about a month later.

Types Of Hanging Parrots

Here are the most popular three HPs that are kept in captivity by bird enthusiasts.

Blue-Crowned Hanging Parrot

The blue-crowned HP (Loriculus Galgulus) is probably the most widely kept member of the group.

It comes from the Malay Peninsula southwards to Sumatra and the neighboring islands.

The cocks are instantly recognizable by the circular blue area on to of their heads and their scarlet throats.

Their rumps are red with an adjoining area of tawny yellow feathering.

The hens are much duller and normally lack the red area seen on the throat of the cock bird, as well as the yellow band across the lower back.

The highly characteristic blue spot on the cock’s crown is hardly visible. Chicks are even duller in plumage than the hens and their foreheads are grey with a bluish tinge. The red feathering on the rump is much duller than the adult birds.

The chicks’ legs are paler than the parents and the bill is a pale horn color rather than the black of the adults.

On fledging, the young parrots are still fed by the cock bird for severely weeks until they are fully independent, by which stage the hen may have already begun to nest again.

Vernal Hanging Parrot

The vernal HP (L. Vernalis) occurs mainly in Asia, ranging from India to Vietnam. It can also be found on the Andaman Islands.

The male and the female are the color of new leaves. Cock birds can be distinguished by their white irises and the hens’ irises are brown.

They roost by hanging upside down like a bat off of a secure perch or the aviary mesh.

The roof of the flight must be covered to prevent them from being attacked by passing cats or foxes. It is important to check their claws regularly as overgrown claws hamper the bird’s ability to roost.

Celebes or Red-Crowned Hanging Parrots

Celebes are very attractive red-crowned hanging parrots (L. Stigmatus). Celebes HPs have become more popular in aviculture in recent years. These are slightly larger and more active than the Vernal, but they roost in a similar way and their care is identical in all respects.

They are sexed easily as the cock bird is more colorful than the hen. They look similar to the HPs above but have red mottled heads and yellowish feet.

Other types of HPs include:

Black-Billed Hanging Parrot
Bonaparte’s Hanging Parrots
Bourns’ Hanging Parrots
Butung Hanging Parrots
Camiguin Hanging Parrots
Cebu Hanging Parrots
Central Island Hanging Parrots
Ceylon / Sri Lanka Hanging Parrots
Colasisi Hanging Parrots
Doherty’s Hanging Parrots
Great Hanging Parrots
Green-fronted Hanging Parrots
Moluccan Hanging Parrots

Amongst others.

Do you own a HP?