Australian King-Parrot
Alisterus scapularis
A heavy-set and colorful forest parrot of eastern Australian woodlands, forests, and gardens. Male has entirely orange-red head/chest/belly, female has bright orange-red belly, immature is emerald green. Feeds on fruiting trees and often comes to gardens and feeders. Makes a loud piercing metallic "squeak" like a forced metal hinge.
Identification
Adults of both sexes are about 43 cm (17 in) in length, including the long, broad tail. The adult male has a red head, breast, and lower undersides, with a blue band on the back of the neck between the red above and green on the back, the wings are green and each has a pale green shoulder band, the tail is green, and the rump is blue. The male has a reddish-orange upper mandible with a black tip, a black lower mandible with an orange base, and yellow irises. The plumage of the female is very different from the male having a green head and breast, a grey beak, and the pale shoulder band is small or absent. Juveniles of both sexes have brown irises and a yellowish beak, and otherwise resemble the female.<p>The two subspecies are A. s. minor, found at the northern limit of the species range and is similar in appearance to the nominate subspecies but smaller, typically about 5 cm (2 in) smaller in length.<p>On those rare individuals which have areas without melanin, feathers are orange to yellow. Such a bird can look startingly different from the more common scarlet and green variety.
Taxonomy
The Australian king parrot was first described by the German naturalist Martin Lichtenstein in 1816 as Psittacus scapularis. The species belongs to the genus Alisterus, whose three members are also known as king parrots. The species are sometimes allied to the genus Aprosmictus.<p>Two subspecies are recognised, which are differentiated by size:<p>Naturally-occurring hybrids with the red-winged parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus) have been recorded from Bell in southeastern Queensland.<p>"Australian king parrot" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).
- Scientific name
- Alisterus scapularis
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1816)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Alisterus
Range and habitat
Australian king parrots range from north and central Queensland to southern Victoria. They are frequently seen in small groups with various species of rosella. Further from their normal eastern upland habitat, they are also found in Canberra during winter, the outer western and northern suburbs of Sydney, and the Carnarvon Gorge in central Queensland.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
Migration pattern: Vertical migration.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray-cheeked Nunlet
Nonnula frontalis
Rare and unobtrusive in forests and woodlands, typically with dense understory. Distinctive within limited range. Rather plump with large, slightly decurved bill. Brownish overall with warmer rufous crown, gray cheek, and tawny throat. Also note pinkish eyering. Sexes similar. Perches stolidly in the lower to middle levels; typically singly or in pairs.
Foothill Screech-Owl
Megascops roraimae
Small, cryptically patterned, yellow-eyed owl of forest in lowlands and foothills, where it tends to stay well hidden in the understory. Occurs on the east slope of the Andes and into the lowlands, as far south as Bolivia and as far east as the Guyanas. Cannot be identified readily by sight, but it is the only screech-owl throughout most of its range and within its habitat. Song is a purring trill that can easily be mistaken for the purring of a toad or insect. Plumage varies from grayish brown overall to reddish.
Hispaniolan Palm-Crow
Corvus palmarum
Endemic to Hispaniola. A large, all-black, gregarious species of pine woodlands, scrub, and palm savannahs; often found in flocks of up to fifty birds. Note this species’ relatively short, stout bill with extensive feathering on top. Compare with White-necked Crow, which has longer bill with less extensive feathering on top. Additionally, White-necked is a bit larger and has red (not dark) eyes. Vocalizations are predominantly a flat, harsh “raaah,” which is rather different from any of the various calls of White-necked Crow.
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