FEATURE


desirable parrots for any enthusiastic parrot breeder, unfortunately – apart from the Australian King and Australian Crimson-wing – their sub species are either completely unobtainable in Britain or only very rarely available to the aficionado.


T


The Crimson-wings are the smaller group, with only two recognized species and two sub species; the Australian Crimsonwing (Aprosmictus e. erythropterus) from a wide area of east-central to northern Australia, its sub species the New Guinea Crimson- wing (A. e. coccineopterus) from coastal areas of southern New Guinea and the Timor Crimsonwing (A. j. jonquilaceus – from the island of Timor) with its sub species the Wetar Crimson-wing (A. j. wetterensis –from the nearby island of Wetar).


Picture © Tony Tilford


he Indonesian ‘Island Kings’ with the and in their western limit, eastward s, now Maluku) into the most ea; these include the nominate sub boina King of Amboina and Ceram), uensis (the Black-billed King), A.a versicolor (the most western orm).


The much larger King group consists of the Indonesian ‘Island Kings’ with the six sub species spreading from Peleng Island in their western limit, eastward through the Moluccas (ie the Spice Islands, now Maluku) into the most western tip of the Vogelkop of New Guinea; these include the nominate sub species Alisterus a.amboinensis (the Amboina King of Amboina and Ceram), as well as Alisterus a. Sulaensis, A.a. buruensis (the Black-billed King), A.a.hypophonius (the Blue-winged King), A.a versicolor (the most western form) and A.a dorsalis (the most eastern form). In all these types – to the initiated –


BIRD SCENE 43


he King and Crimson-wing group have long been among the most


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48