Experiences of keeping and breeding the Mindanao Hanging Parrot,
Loriculus philippensis apicalis

By Heinz Lölfing, Germany

These hanging parrots comprise eleven subspecies which occur among more or less 7,000 Philippine islands. These innumerable islands are without doubt also the reason for the large number of subspecies. Seven subspecies have a red crown, four a red cap. These birds are about 15 cm long. Males and females are readily distinguished, since the female lacks the red throat patch and can be recognised by her well defined blue cheeks.

The identification of the subspecies is often quite difficult since there are only slight differences in the colouration of the back, from yellow to orange/red for example, and the changing extent of the throat patch which distinguish the subspecies.

The breeders most commonly come across the subspecies L. philippensis philippensis, L. p. mindorensis and L. p. apicalis.

The first Philippine hanging parrots came to London Zoo in 1871. It is thought that they were from the Island of Cebu and the subspecies was L. p. chrysonotus. This subspecies is probably extinct due to the clearing of the forests on the island of Cebu. In the same year this subspecies was bred at London Zoo. One young was reared. The nominate form was bred in the Berlin Zoo, Dählhölzli. In recent times specialists in the Netherlands and Germany have regularly bred these hanging parrots successfully. In particular, I have regularly bred the subspecies L. p. apicalis in my collection each year without great problems.

With regards to the breeding observations of L. p. apicalis, in the following section I would like to describe how I generally try to breed these subspecies. L. p. apicalis differs from the nominate form in that the top of its head, nape and mantle are coloured orange. The back has a golden hue. The female is easily distinguished from the male. She lacks the red throat patch and the cheeks are coloured blue.

L. p. apicalis is native to the Philippine islands of Mindanao, Dinagat and Bazol. Using the map provided one can easily identify the distributions of the various subspecies.

In their native region the birds occupy various habitats such as rainforest, open woodland, plantations, gardens and bamboo thickets. Their voice is not typical of parrots, more melodic. The Philippine hanging parrots feed in the wild on fruits, berries, flowers and nectar. Seeds and plant juices are also taken.

My hanging parrots are kept in small aviaries with dimensions of 1.2 m wide, 0.9 m deep and 1.2 m high. A colony in larger aviaries with other hanging parrots has not resulted in any advantages. Especially the females are very quarrelsome, whereby one female can prevent any other hanging parrot from coming to the feeding table so that a second feeding station has to be provided. The males may be disturbed during their courtship display and may develop competition. Although it rarely comes to a serious fight between birds, I have tried to break up the colony system since the females were producing almost entirely infertile clutches of eggs.

The birds are kept throughout the year in light, high cellars in the house. The walls of the aviaries are washable, the floor is covered in wood shavings which are regularly changed. Through the numerous perches fitted to the walls the birds have adequate opportunities to climb around.

The rooms are heated with the temperature held at an average of 20°C. Sunlight enters the rooms through large windows. The humidity is maintained at between 60 and 80% by plants kept outside the aviaries.

The Mindanao Hanging Parrots receive the same diet as my other hanging parrots which consists of plenty of fresh fruit (especially apple), soaked sultanas, pears, grated carrot, a commercial nectar (Avesproduct, Lorinectar), regularly in small amounts a strawberry jam and strawberry yoghurt. It is important to feed mealworms during the period when chicks are being reared, in order to provide sufficient animal based protein. An eggfood for parrots and parakeets completes the menu. In the autumn I feed hawthorn berries and rosehips which are readily taken by the birds. My hanging parrots also regularly receive fresh willow twigs which they delight in stripping.

The nesting sites are natural logs with an overall height of 40 cm, outer diameter of 22 cm and inner diameter of 15 cm, with the entrance hole 5 cm in diameter. When the nest boxes are fitted a 6 cm depth of wood shavings is added.

Both pairs of Mindanao Hanging Parrots comprise, through events out of my control, of wild caught, imported females, both males were obtained as fully coloured captive bred birds from a Dutch colleague.

The two females were purchased in November 1989 as a pair of Ceylon Hanging Parrots, Loriculus beryllinus. There is a distinct similarity between female Mindanao Hanging Parrots, L. p. apicalis, and Ceylon Hanging Parrots, although the Ceylon Hanging Parrot has a white iris which is brown for the Mindanao Hanging Parrot. In June 1991 was the first opportunity for me to obtain two captive bred male Mindanao subspecies so that I had the chance to breed from two pairs.

Already in August 1991 one female laid three eggs in the above mentioned nest box. All three eggs proved to be infertile. The female laid again in October, but the four eggs were again infertile. After a four week incubation period both clutches were removed. To give the birds a rest I removed the nest box and only replaced it in May 1992. In September/October 1992 both males began courtship displays almost simultaneously. The male flew repeatedly back and forth in the aviary and sang. He moved with quick steps up and down a branch. At the same time the throat and breast plumage were puffed out. He offered the female food: he held a frothy drop at the tip of the beak and the female took this drop from the male, without touching the beak. In addition, one could often observe how the female invites the male to copulate as she lowers herself so that her back became horizontal. The female gave a quiet call. Then the male climbed onto the female and mating followed. This can take up to 10 minutes.

At the beginning of November 1992 both females laid their eggs in the nest boxes which have already been described, with 3 eggs in one clutch and four in the other. The eggs were laid two days apart from each other.

After the third egg the female began incubation proper. The female incubated alone and appeared only for the evening feed for a few minutes to feed and defecate. The female was courted by the male and also fed by him. The chicks hatched after twenty days when they were naked and blind. After nine days the first pins appeared. The eyes opened on the twelfth day. The body was covered in down by day sixteen. The first quills could be seen on the wings. On the twenty second day the wings were almost fully feathered. The nest did not require cleaning for the first ten days after the chicks hatched. I only changed the nesting material after this time twice a week, since it had become soaked. The adults did not object to these regular inspections. After between thirty and thirty three days the young fledged and moved clumsily around the aviary. They did not return to the nest. The adult pair then once again began the courtship for the next clutch.

The young were independent after fourteen days and were removed from the adults and placed in a young bird aviary. If I had not removed the nest box after the third brood they would have continued to breed. The time of year made no difference. In 1993 12 young birds were reared with me and in 1994 a total of 16 young birds. The development of adult plumage is complete at about nine months.

The maintenance and care of hanging parrots is time consuming due to the food and the resulting liquid droppings. They throw fruit in all directions making the perches sticky as well as the area around the feeding places. The perches must therefore be changed at regular intervals. The walls of the aviaries must be washed regularly with hot water, detergent and a brush.

Hanging parrots belong in the hands of experienced lory enthusiasts. Keeping of these birds demands the best care. The first goal must be the breeding of these birds to maintain them in our aviaries. When one observes certain requirements for husbandry and feeding, success in breeding will follow. I hope that my notes have assisted in this.