General Information

In their native Australia, the King Parrots are occasionally bred in aviaries and kept as calm and relatively quiet household pets, but are relatively unknown outside of Australia.

Physical Description

The King Parrot adult males are very striking in appearance with a red head, breast, and lower undersides. They have a blue lower back, green wings, and a green tail. Their beak is reddish-orange with a black tip and yellow eye ring. Unpaired, younger males are normally seen in medium sized groups. Females are similar in appearance except for a green head and breast, a black upper beak, and paler yellow eye ring. Juvenile parrots of both sexes resemble the females. When fully grown, the King Parrot can be a very majestic bird, typically growing 16 inches in length including a long tail.

Diet

Australian King Parrots eat nuts and seeds, fruits and berries, nectar and buds.

Habitat

These parrots are found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent. This includes eucalyptus-wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest. They range from North and Central Queensland to Southern Victoria. Frequently, these birds are seen in small groups with various species of Rosella. During winter, they can also be found in outer western suburbs of Sydney and the Carnarvon Gorge in Central Queensland. Wild Australian King Parrots build their nests in eucalyptus trees and line them with chewed wood shavings. The ones encountered in the wild are often quite shy.

Reproduction

The nest is usually a cavity located in a large eucalypts tree. Although the entrance is high above the ground, the floor of the cavity itself may be almost at ground level. The nest lining is usually a layer of decayed wood dust. The female will incubate the eggs but is attended by the male who will also assist in feeding the young once they are about half grown.