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DESCRIPTION 12 inches (30cm). Glowing, deep red overall. Wings and thighs brown-green. Front edge of wing and underwing coverts yellow, primaries grey underneath with reddish band. Uppertail brown-green with blue tips. Eyes yellowish-brown to red, beak orange, legs charcoal. Immatures have brown beaks and dark brown irises. No visible means of distinguishing sexes.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION Moluccan islands of Indonesia.
HABITAT Forest regions, around flowering coconut and palm trees in pairs (in their own territories) or flocks. Broods in tree hollows.
DIET Nectar and fruit, with greenstuff and some seed. Supplement with vitamin A to avoid fungal disease candidiasis. Also provide pollen, a natural for this group.
SPECIAL NEEDS Bathing facilities (even though they may splash water around the room). Keep in pairs, temperature not below 50°F (10°C).
CAGE LIFE Loud voice, imitator, messy eater, tame. May learn to talk. Aggressive towards other pairs of same species and towards caretaker. Breeding necessary for preservation of stock. Better suited for aviary than cage. Lays 2 eggs, incubation 24 to 28 days, male sleeps in nest at night, fledging 75 days, male can then be hostile to young.
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