Description
Surely one of the most beautiful of all the parrots, the male king parrot is resplendent in his plumage of scarlet red head and underparts, electric blue tail and emerald green wings and back. There is also a pale green stripe running from the shoulder down the wings. The female is less striking yet is still an attractive bird with the red of the head and throat replaced with green. It takes nearly three years for the male king parrot to develop his full coloured feathers. Before that he resembles the predominantly green female.
Habitat
A common inhabitant of the forests of the east coast of Australia.
Diet
A wide variety of seeds, berries, fruits and nuts are supplemented seasonally by blossoms, nectar and pollen.
Reproduction
The birds are usually seen in pairs with continuous contact being maintained by a shrill whistle repeated by both birds. Courtship begins with regular feeding of the female by the male and culminates in three or four white eggs being laid in a deep hollow tree trunk.
