AUSTRALIAN SPECIALISTS!

Fledgling green-winged king (far left) accompanied by parents

GREEN-WINGED KING (Alisterus chloropterus)

The green-winged king is the only species described within these web pages that does not actually occur in Australia.  This species is confined to Papua New Guinea, located just north of the Australian continent.  Three subspecies exist.  The nominate subspecies, A. c. chlorpterus occurs in eastern New Guinea, west in the north to the Huon Peninsula and to Hall Sound, Papua, in the south.  A. c. callopterus is found in central New Guinea from the upper Fly River west to the Weyland Mountains, West Irian.  This subspecies differs from the nominate in that the blue band on the males does not come up onto the nape of the neck (females are identical).  The remaining subspecies, A. c. moszkowskii, is confined to northern New Guinea from Geelvnik Bay east to the Aitape district.  In A. c. moszkowskii the male is similar to A. c. callopterus but the female is very different with mostly green plumage that closely resembles that of the hen Australian king.  There has been very few directed studies of the green-winged king in the wild and very little is known of its habits.  It is a very quiet bird that perches below the canopy, making it very difficult to spot until flushed.  It inhabits lowland and mid-mountain forest eating berries, seeds, fruits, buds, blooms and perhaps (likely) insects.

    I breed A. c. chloropterus.  I have never seen any other subspecies in the US, but believe a few moszkowskii exist since I sent a hen to a customer who did not believe it to be a female since his other female green-winged was all green.  Our pairs have taken several years to get comfortable in our aviaries but are now reliably producing offspring.   They usually nest in the spring but have been known to nest at almost any time of year.  My birds typically lay 4 eggs but sometimes 6.  Incubation period is 19 days.  The young look very much like the female but with more green extending up the back of the head and neck.  Maturation occur in the second year.

Pricing

$2000 per pair, $1000 for singles.

Copyright © 2008 Outbackbirds