- Alisterus scapularis
Identification
42-43 cm (16½-17 in)
Male
- Red head, breast, and lower undersides
- Blue lower back
- Green wings and tail
- Beak: reddish-orange upper mandible with a black tip; lower mandible all black
- Yellow eye ring
Female:
- Green head and breast
- All black upper beak
- Paler yellow eye ring
Juvenile: of both sexes resemble the females
Distribution
An Australian endemic found only along the east coast, mostly east of the Great Dividing Range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- A. s. minor:
- Northern Australia (north-eastern Queensland)
- A. s. scapularis:
- Coastal eastern Australia (northern Queensland to southern Victoria)
Habitat
Tropical and subtropical montane forests, coastal heathland, open agricultural land with stands of Eucalyptus and gardens.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists of fruit and berries, eucalyptus and acacia seeds and small insects.
Breeding
They nest in tall forest trees utilising holes or hollow limbs. The clutch consists of 3-6 eggs (normally 5) which are incubated by the female.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Juvenile in it's first moult
Photo by Nrg800
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Wikipedia
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Australian King Parrot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Australian_King_Parrot
External Links
