The King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is one of Australia’s most spectacularly colored birds. They are sexually dimorphic with males having a scarlet red-orange head and belly, green wings, and a blue back. The scarlet color is so deep and saturated, sticking out like a sore thumb among the green foliage. Females retain the scarlet belly, but have a green head and yellow neck instead. Juveniles are difficult to distinguish from females, and both sexes have a bright yellow iris. King parrots are distributed along coastal and mountainous regions in eastern Australia, inhabiting eucalypt and subtropical rainforests. They nest in deep tree hollows with eggs laid near ground level and reside in pairs during the breeding season, sometimes accompanied by their offspring. This species thrives in urban areas so long as there are adjacent forest patches, and they can often be seen foraging on fruit, seeds, and nectar. Fleets of rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) regularly bully the parrots when occupying a food source, taking advantage of the parrots’ shy demeanor.
All photographed after attracted to placed seeds [4]
