General Description

Males have a bright red head, neck and underparts. Females have a green head and breast. Both sexes have a red belly, green wings and back, a pale green shoulder stripe, and a long green tail. Upper bill orange, lower bill dark grey. Body length is up to 45 cm.

Biology

Australian King-parrots are usually seen in pairs or small flocks. They forage mostly in trees, feeding on fruit and eucalypt and acacia seeds. King-Parrots nest in deep tree hollows, laying their eggs on a layer of decayed wood-dust. The nest entrance is high in the tree, while the nest and eggs are quite close to the ground. The clutch size is usually three to five eggs. They are largely sedentary. Australian King-Parrots are becoming more common in suburbs containing lots of trees and will feed at supplementary food tables and fruiting trees in urban areas.

Distribution

Eastern mainland Australia.

Habitat

Wet forests throughout mountain areas.

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