You can find these small, but vibrantly-coloured parrots in our Gems of the Jungle exhibit.
Blue-crowned hanging parrots have green plumage and black beaks. In addition, males also have a red mark on their throat, a red rump and a yellow lower back, along with a characteristic blue ‘crown’ patch on their heads. For females, the blue crown is either much fainter or non-existent, and they don’t have red patches.
They inhabit forests and mangrove swamps, as well as gardens and plantations, in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.
Hanging parrots mainly eat fruit, but also feed on palm oil nuts, seeds, nectar and fresh flowers.
Interesting facts!
- The blue-crowned hanging parrot is one of 14 species of hanging parrot, which are unique among birds for their ability to sleep upside-down!
- Males will fluff up their red throat feathers, strut, and show off their red and gold rump to attract females during the breeding season
- In Malaysia, the blue-crowned hanging parrot is often used to symbolise love in poetry and literature
Conservation
Populations of blue-crowned hanging parrots are stable in the wild. However, they have been heavily traded – due to their popularity as pets – since the early 1980s.
