Australian king parrot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Australian king parrot |
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| Male in New South Wales | |
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| Female in south-east Queensland | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Alisterus
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| Species: |
scapularis
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| Australian king parrot range (red: all-year resident) |
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The Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is a colorful bird. It lives only in eastern Australia. You can find them from Cooktown in Queensland down to Port Campbell in Victoria. They like to live in humid, heavily forested areas. This includes places with eucalyptus trees and rainforests. These parrots mostly eat fruits and seeds. They find their food both in trees and on the ground.
Contents
About the King Parrot
The Australian king parrot was first described in 1818. A German scientist named Martin Lichtenstein gave it its scientific name. This bird belongs to a group of parrots called Alisterus. There are three types of "king parrots" in this group.
Scientists recognize two slightly different types, called subspecies. They are mostly different in size:
- A. s. minor
- A. s. scapularis
What They Look Like
Adult king parrots are about 43 centimeters (17 inches) long. This length includes their long, wide tail.
The adult male parrot is very striking. It has a bright red head, chest, and belly. There is a blue band on the back of its neck. Its back and wings are green. Each wing has a pale green band on the shoulder. The tail is green, and its rump (bottom part of its back) is blue. The male's beak is reddish-orange on top with a black tip. The bottom part of its beak is black with an orange base. It has yellow eyes.
The female parrot looks quite different from the male. She has a green head and chest. Her beak is grey. The pale shoulder band on her wings is either small or missing.
Young parrots, called juveniles, look like the female. They have brown eyes and a yellowish beak.
The A. s. minor subspecies is found in the northern part of their range. It looks like the other type but is smaller. It is usually about 5 centimeters (2 inches) shorter.
Sometimes, a king parrot might have unusual colors. If it lacks melanin (the stuff that makes colors), its feathers can be orange or yellow. This makes them look very different from the usual red and green birds.
Where They Live
Australian king parrots live across eastern Australia. Their range goes from northern Queensland down to southern Victoria. You often see them in small groups. They sometimes fly with other types of parrots called rosellas.
These parrots are usually found in eastern upland forests. But you can also spot them in other places. They visit Canberra in winter. They are also seen in the outer western suburbs and north shore of Sydney. You might even find them in the Carnarvon Gorge in central Queensland.
King Parrots as Pets
In Australia, people sometimes keep king parrots as pets. They can be bred in special bird enclosures called aviaries. If they are raised by humans, they can be calm and quiet pets. They are a bit picky about the seeds they eat.
These parrots are not very well known outside of Australia. As pets, they don't talk much. They usually prefer not to be held. However, they can become very attached to people. We don't know how long they live in the wild. But some pet king parrots have lived for up to 25 years!
Images for kids
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Male showing extensive blue rump
See also
In Spanish: Papagayo australiano para niños
