King Parrot

(Polytelis alexandrae) 
 

Live: Coastal and mountain regions from northern Queensland to southern Victoria.

Habitat: Found from sea level to 1600m. Live in tropical rainforest, eucalyptus woodland and scrubland along watercourses. Often seen feeding in parks and gardens. Have disappeared in some areas due to land clearance and eucalyptus being replaced by pine. 

Diet: In the wild: Fruits, berries, nuts and seeds of eucalypts and acacia. Also eat blossoms, nectar and leaf buds when available. Cause damage to crops.
Zoo diet: Seed mix, fruit, vegetables and browse. Enclosure cleaned twice weekly.

Gestation: September - January.
Nest: Usually in a hollow limb of a eucalypt tree. Can be as many as ten nests in one tree.
Eggs: 4-6, incubated by the female for 20 days.

Status: Common

General: Size to 43cm.
Male: Scarlet head and under parts. Dark green wings and upper back.
Deep blue rump and lower back. Greenish black tail, tinged with blue.Grey-black underside.
Black beak, upper edge orange-red. Yellow eyes. Grey legs.
Female: Green head. Dull green breast with red on throat. Scarlet underparts. Rump and lower back: blue tinged with green. Green tail, underside grey-black tipped with red. Brown-black beak. Pale yellow eyes.
Juveniles: Resemble females. Brown beak and eyes.

Call: In flight a shrill call. Males have a high-pitched whistle when perching and screech when alarmed. Soft cackling when feeding.

Habits:Usually in small groups or pairs. Feed in the morning and late afternoon, roost in the shade in the hottest part of the day. Have a waddling gait when on the ground. Juveniles often form large flocks.
Fly with sweeping wing-beats and make sharp turns by tilting the body to move though dense forest.

Chicks: Young birds leave the nest approx 5 weeks after hatching. Leave the breeding area with their parents.