Australian King Parrot

Meet the Australian King Parrot — one of Australia's most colourful birds and proof that nature occasionally decided subtlety was overrated.

🦜 Scientific name: Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

📍 Found: Along the east coast of Australia, from far north Queensland down through New South Wales and into Victoria.

🎨 The boys and girls look completely different

• Males have a brilliant scarlet-red head and chest with bright green wings.

• Females have a green head and chest, making them look like a completely different species.

📏 They're big parrots

• Around 42–43 cm long.

• One of Australia's largest true parrots.

🌳 Forest specialists

• Prefer rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, and heavily wooded areas.

• Often visit gardens and campgrounds where people offer food.

🍎 What do they eat?

• Seeds

• Fruits

• Berries

• Nuts

• Blossoms

• Occasionally insects and larvae

👶 Family life

• Nest in deep tree hollows, often in large old-growth trees.

• Females can spend weeks incubating eggs while the male brings food.

✈️ Not great long-distance migrants

• They mostly move locally in response to food availability rather than undertaking major migrations.

🔊 Their call

• Usually a loud, clear whistle or metallic "pee-ow" call that often gives away their location before you spot them.

🌲 Old trees matter

• Like many Australian parrots, they rely on large hollow-bearing trees for nesting.

• Hollows suitable for breeding can take over 100 years to form naturally.

🤔 Fun fact

• Despite their spectacular colours, they're surprisingly easy to miss in dense rainforest. Bright green feathers blend remarkably well into a canopy full of leaves.