Australian King Parrot

The Australian King Parrot is a large, brightly colored parrot found in forest and woodland along the eastern coast of Australia. Males and females look quite different, with males showing a bold red head and underparts against green upperparts, while females are almost entirely green with more subdued markings.

Male head, neck, and underpart feathers are a deep, even red, sharply contrasting with green back and wing feathers and a small pale blue-green rump patch. Female plumage is mostly green throughout, including the head, with only the underparts sometimes showing a duller reddish wash and no strongly contrasting red head. The tail is long, broad, and dark green to blackish, with paler undersides in some individuals. Flight feathers are green with darker tips. The strong red head and underparts of the male are unmistakable, while the female's largely green plumage can be separated from other green parrots by overall larger size and the long, broad tail shape.

This species shows clear sexual dimorphism, with males exhibiting the red head and underparts described above and females showing a mostly green plumage with a duller belly wash. Juveniles resemble females initially, with young males gradually acquiring red head feathering through successive molts as they mature over roughly a year or more.

Australian King Parrots inhabit rainforest, eucalypt forest, and adjacent woodland along the east coast of Australia, sometimes visiting parks and gardens near forested areas. The species is generally sedentary, though some populations move to lower elevations in winter.

This species feeds on seeds, fruit, and blossoms, often foraging quietly in the canopy or occasionally on the ground. It nests in deep tree hollows. Its call includes a range of sharp, metallic contact notes given in flight or while perched. Pairs and small family groups are typical, with birds sometimes becoming quite tame around forested picnic areas.