12 |
![]() |
Australian King-ParrotAlternate name(s): "King Lory", "Southern King Parrot" ![]() race "minor": "biimbirran" [ngadjon] Size: 42-44 cm Weight: 200-285 g |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
Race "scapularis"
![]() |
ADULT |
![]() |
MALE |
Close-up frontal portrait of a male Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]
Close-up frontal view of a male Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2012]
Frontal view of a male Australian King-Parrot
[Kingaroy, QLD, March 2016]
Frontal/ventral view of a male Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2021]
Close-up near-lateral view of a male Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP,
QLD, November 2020]
Close-up lateral view of a male Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2012]
Lateral view of a male Australian King-Parrot sitting in a Kurrajong tree
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, February 2006]
Near-dorsal view of a male Australian King-Parrot showing
the blue rump (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD, February 2019]
Near-dorsal portrait of a male Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2021]
Near-frontal view of a male Australian King-Parrot in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lamington NP,
QLD, November 2020]
![]() |
FEMALE |
Close-up frontal portrait of a female Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2012]
Close-up near-lateral view of a female Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, QLD, July 2019]
Close-up near-lateral view of a female Australian King-Parrot
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2013]
Some Australian King-Parrot acrobatics (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]
Lateral view of a female Australian King-Parrot with tattered
plumage
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, November 2016]
Lateral/ventral view of a female Australian King-Parrot
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Near-dorsal view of a female Australian King-Parrot feeding on
White Cedar
nuts under a tree
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]
![]() |
PAIR |
Direct comparison of a male Australian King-Parrot, back, and
a female, right (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kingaroy, QLD, December 2015]
Lateral view of two pairs of Australian King-Parrots in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2016]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Close-up frontal portrait of an immature male Australian
King-Parrot moulting into adult
plumage
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[October 2018]
Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Australian King-Parrot
looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Australian King-Parrot
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2012]
Lateral portrait of a juvenile Australian King-Parrot
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2021]
Lateral view of a juvenile Australian King-Parrot
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2012]
Near-dorsal portrait of a juvenile Australian King-Parrot
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2021]
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Oct - Dec | Eggs: 4 - 6 | Incubation period: 20 days | Fledging age: 35 days |
![]() |
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: Wood | Height above ground: >10 m |
It is not entirely certain whether the opening to the tree hollow shown below is in fact the entrance to the birds' nest. We saw them around the opening, but not actually entering it. The same treetrunk had another opening on the other side.
Entrance to the nest(?) of a family of Australian King-Parrots
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2008]
Female Australian King-Parrot checking out a potential nest hollow
that had been pointed out by the male
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, August 2015]
![]() |
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 33 x 27 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Tapered oval |
![]() |
Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair/small flock |
bonding ritual between a pair of Australian
King-Parrots; the
female will beg for food to test the male's suitability as a
partner, knowing that she will have to rely on him while
incubating and brooding the young
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]
The photo below shows that Australian King Parrots can be quite curious.
Australian King Parrot looking into a house clinging to
the flyscreen on a window
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Adults: Seeds, fruit | Dependents: Regurgitated seeds | Water intake: Daily |
Australian King-Parrots eat both fruit and seeds. They love apricots and figs (just before they turn ripe) and the fruit of the White Cedar tree. The latter they will eat either sitting in the tree or later from the ground, once they have fallen.
We were surprised to find Australian King-Parrots feeding on (unripe) mistletoe fruit. Photos are available here.
Male Australian King-Parrot feeding on what looks like the
fruit of native Lilypily (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD, February 2019]
Close-up view of a male Australian King-Parrot chewing
some kind of fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, August 2017]
Male Australian King-Parrot chewing on a
White Cedar nut
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]
Close-up portrait of a female Australian King-Parrot chewing on a
White Cedar nut
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]
Pair of Australian King-Parrots taking
White Cedar
nuts from the ground
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]
When food is in such abundance, Australian King-Parrots can
occasionally be seen in considerable numbers, although usually
they come in pairs or small family units
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]
Young male Australian King-Parrot feasting on the seeds of a shrub
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2008]
Here a closer look at the seeds
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2008]
Close-up lateral view of a male Australian King-Parrot feasting on lychees
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]
Near-lateral view of a female Australian King-Parrot feasting on lychees
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]
Near-dorsal view of a female Australian King-Parrot feasting on lychees
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]
Some species of parrots, in this case Australian King-Parrots,
know how to find reliable water supplies in tree hollows
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Cape Conran Wildlife Caravan Park, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2007]
Australian King-Parrots checking whether it is safe to
approach a bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2018]
Australian King-Parrots drinking from a bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2018]
Male Australian King-Parrot feeding on sunflower kernels
[Kingaroy, QLD, March 2016]
Female Australian King-Parrot feeding on sunflower kernels
[Kingaroy, QLD, March 2016]
Immature male Australian King-Parrot feasting on lychees
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, December 2020]
Immature male Australian King-Parrot feasting on lychees
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, December 2020]
![]() |
Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
kingpar_20140125_2.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © MD | |
kingpar_20140110_3.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
kingpar_20191203_2.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
kingpar_art_20131107.m4a |
scapularis (SE QLD) |
Calling mate | © ART | |
kingpar_20200919.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Q&A (arrival) | © MD | |
kingpar_20140704.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Alarm call | © MD | |
kingpar_20180131_2.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Warning/departure | © MD | |
kingpar_20191203.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Warning/departure (family of 4) |
© MD | |
kingpar_20160406.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Disturbed/suspicious; alarm/departure |
© MD | |
kingpar_20140502_2.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Alarm calls (in-flight) | © MD | |
kingpar_20140127.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Alarm call (Brown Goshawk) | © MD | |
kingpar_20140319.mp3 |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Alarm call (Brown Goshawk) | © MD | |
kingpar_art_20131125.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Feeding call | © ART | |
kingpar_20151016.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Male wooing female (short) | © MD | |
kingpar_20151016_2.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Male wooing female (long) | © MD | |
kingpar_20180131.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
kingpar_20191014.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
? (family approaching water hole) | © MD | |
kingpar_20191014_2.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
? (family approaching water hole) | © MD | |
kingpar_20191014_3.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
? (family approaching water hole) | © MD | |
kingpar_20191014_4.m4a |
scapularis (NW NSW) |
? (family approaching water hole) | © MD |
More Australian King-Parrot sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.