Australian King Parrot

Description SIZE. About 17 inches (432 mm). ~ ADULT MALE. General colour above, including wings, green; inner series of uppertwing-coverts pale turquoise-green; lower back and rump blue; upper tail-coverts black washed with olive; tail-feathers black, glossed with olive on their margins; head, neck, and all the under-surface scarlet, a narrow line of dark blue feathers separating the hind-neck from the interscapular region; under tail-coverts scarlet, with black centres to feathers; under wing-coverts green margined with blue at their tips; edge of wing green; bill scarlet, paler at tip; legs and feet mealy-grey; eyes yellow. ADULT FEMALE. Head, wings and upper-surface green; rump-feathers green largely tipped with blue; tail-feathers green, lateral ones washed on their outer webs with blue and tipped with light red; throat and chest dull green, feathers of chin and upper throat washed with dull red; lower portion of breast and abdomen scarlet; under tail-coverts green, broadly margined with scarlet; bill black. IMMATURE. Resembles the female but can be sexed soon after leaving the nest as the bills of the females quickly darken whilst those of the males are of a yellowish colour; in addition, young hens have much less red on the abdomen and lower breast. Adult male plumage is acquired by a slow moult, which starts when the bird is something over fifteen months of age and is not completed for a further twelve months or so. Geographical Variations Birds from the northern extremity of the range are claimed to be considerably smaller (minor); this is not apparent in the field. Field Notes Cayley wrote: "The King Parrakeet is an inhabitant of the heavily timbered ranges and dense scrubs of eastern Australia; its range extending from as far north as Cairns in northern Queensland right down throughout the coastal districts of New South Wales into Victoria. Still fairly plentiful, it is almost exclusively confined to the dense scrub lands and heavily-timbered ranges. Usually met with in pairs and can often be seen and heard in National Park and similar districts close to Sydney. As in Gould~s time, it congregates in flocks during the non-breeding season and visits ripening crops, causing considerable damage. Its nesting-places are difficult to find as it shows a liking for some isolated locality in which to breed. As with the Red-winged Parrakeet, a hollow trunk of a large tree is used for breeding-purposes, and usually the nesting-cavity is placed at a considerable distance down the trunk from the entrance hole. Its call is loud and shrill, and easily distinguished from the cries of other species. "Clutch: three to five eggs; white, and rounded-oval in form; shell close-grained, smooth and lustreless. Breeding-season: October to January. I have frequently seen this species at the Sir Colin Mackenzie Sanctuary, near Healesville, Victoria, where a number of birds obtain an easy living from some of the food provided for the inmates of the sanctuary; the flock, which is extraordinarily tame, tends to follow the keepers on their rounds. In May 1961 I encountered the species on the Maclntyre River in northern New South Wales and again in May 1965 on the Boyne River near Gayndah in Queensland. In eastern Queensland during the bird-watchers~ tour of May and June 1970 this species was observed in small numbers at Gin Gin and, farther north, in the Eungella Range, west of Mackay. Later, it was found to be fairly plentiful in the rain-forest around Lake Barrine, on the Atherton Tableland. It is interesting to reflect that the range of the King Parrot, from North Queensland to Victoria, is almost identical with that of the Crimson Rosella except for the extension of the latter species farther to the west into south-eastern South Australia; both tend to prefer the same type of high rainfall mountainous country. Confusion between the two species may conceivably occur and it should be remembered that in the case of the larger King Parrot, the male is scarlet with green wings whilst the female and immatures are predominantly green with red underparts. On the other hand, both sexes of the adult Crimson Rosella are largely crimson, relieved with blue areas; however, the immatures, in the southern part of the range, are mostly dark green, with some red and blue areas. Aviary Notes For many years I was unsuccessful in my efforts to breed King Parrots; a hen which I had for ten seasons from 1936 onward with two different mates, invariably raised my hopes by coming into breeding condition each November but, as far as I know, never produced a single egg. A new hen obtained in 1947 did nothing that year, but laid four eggs from the perch late in the following spring. In 1951 I considered myself fortunate to obtain a pair which had bred regularly for several seasons when in the possession of their previous owner. The hen laid two eggs on the ground late that spring, and in the following season, although provided with the original massive log in which they had previously bred, did not even lay. When I moved to the Mount Lofty Ranges in 1966 I acquired a pair of Kings which were believed to have bred in captivity; however, the hen of this pair died egg-bound and I could not obtain a replacement for some time. Late in 1967 a sub-adult cock bird—obviously an escapee, for the species does not occur in the wild state in South Australia—began to visit my pair at frequent intervals, and when another hen was obtained he was obviously delighted. We proceeded to train him to enter the aviary next to the hen by means of a funnel, releasing him every morning and later putting the hen in the same aviary. In 1968 this pair had an unsuccessful first clutch and then laid again in December and successfully reared three young birds which emerged from the nest early in February 1969. In the following spring a second successful breeding took place by this semi-liberated pair, two further young being fledged in December of that year. Meanwhile, the other pair of reputed breeders succeeded in hatching one young one, in both 1968 and 1969, but in each case it only survived about a fortnight; I assume the hen stopped brooding at night too soon, for the crop in each case was full. King Parrots in Australia have not proved free breeders in captivity, largely because of the difficulty in supplying them with suitable nesting sites. They seem to like a very long log in an almost vertical position; frequently they will lay on the ground or in a seed receptacle, and have even been known to breed successfully under such apparently adverse conditions. Tavistock3 wrote: "The courtship of the King Parrot is elaborate and amusing. When a pair in good condition are introduced to one another they show great excitement. The cock puffs the feathers on his head, draws his body plumage tight, displays his green wing bar to the fullest extent, shakes his head, gives his wings a quick, shivering flip, makes a nibbling motion with his beak and after uttering his ~Crashak!~ call loudly goes off into a singular kind of song in a minor key interspersed by sounds not unlike a hen announcing the arrival of her egg. All the while his eyes blaze, with contracting pupils, and from time to time he scratches his head violently, the access of the tender passion apparently sending blood to his brain to such an extent as to cause irritation! The hen responds by also puffing her head feathers, drawing tight her body plumage, contracting the pupils of her eyes and joining her cries to those of her lover. When courting a hen confined in an aviary a cock at liberty will sometimes indulge in an aerial form of display, flying about in a figure of eight with his plumage set as when displaying on a perch and keeping up his chirruping song as he goes. When in breeding condition and about to lay, the hen King invites the cock to feed her by a noise and up and down motion of the head similar to that of the other close relatives. In addition to the calls already mentioned both sexes of the King Parrot have a long-drawn whistle, ~Eeng, eeng, eeng~ repeatedly, many times in succession at short intervals." W.T. Greene, M.D. PARROTS IN CAPTIVITY 1875 KING PARROT, OR PARRAKEET. Psittacus cyanopygus, Russ. SYNONYMS: Asprosmictus scapulatus, GLD.; Psittacus scapulatus, KHL.J Platycercus scapulatus, VQRS.; Platycercus cyanopygus, FNSCH.; etc. GEEMAN: Der Konigs-Sittich. This Parrot is very generally, but erroneously, called the King I Lory, for it undoubtedly belongs to the Platycerci, and not to the Lories: it is a large handsome bird, slightly exceeding the well-known Grey Parrot in size, and with a very much longer tail: the head, neck, and all the under surface of the body, including the under tail coverts, are deep red, while the back and wings are dark green, growing deeper and deeper in shade to the tail, which is nearly black; the under surface of the tail feathers is black; the rump is blue, and the wings are marked with a spot of very light green. The feet are leaden grey, the upper mandible is orange red, with a black tip, and the lower black above, and below a dark slate grey. The female, or Queen, is such a totally different-looking bird, that she was formerly considered by naturalists to belong to a different species. The general colour of her plumage is dingy green, with a reddish shade on the breast, and a deeper tinge of the same colour on the abdomen and the under tail coverts: the tail is not of such a deep blue black green as in the male, and she is a trifle smaller than her mate. The young resemble their mother until their second year, when the males begin to assume the adult plumage. We have met with no published record of these handsome birds breeding in this country, but we have been assured than an amateur in an eastern county has succeeded more than once in obtaining a brood: and his mode of procedure was one so well calculated to ensure success, that our readers will doubtless be grateful to us for detailing the modus operandi for their benefit. A pair of adult King Parrots were placed in an out-door aviary, only a portion of which, was protected from the weather, the interior was fitted up with logs suitable for nesting places, and the whole of the back covered with pieces of virgin cork. The King and Queen soon made themselves at home in their new abode, and commenced by looking out for a house among the hollow logs of various sizes that had been placed at their disposal by the owner: none of these, however, seemed to be to their taste, and after trying first one and then another, they gave up the logs as a bad job altogether, and selected for their residence a ledge under the roof in the inner portion of their abode, which was shaded from observation by a broad piece of cork, and on this ledge the Queen deposited her eggs, how many in number the owner could not tell, for he was afraid of disturbing the birds by looking, and in due course the hen hatched and reared her young, sometimes two, sometimes three in number. As they are naturally shy and timid, the King Parrots should not be placed in the company of any other birds, especially if it be desired to induce them to breed. Personally we have not made any attempt at breeding these birds, but they are so thoroughly hardy, that there should be no difficulty in getting them to nest. Although natives of New South Wales and Queensland, these birds seem to suffer more from heat than from cold, seldom living many years in the house, but lasting for a long time in a properly constructed and well-sheltered aviary out of doors. The most suitable food for these birds in the house is grain of all kinds, some of which had better be soaked for them, green food of all sorts, given more sparingly in winter than in summer, nuts and fruit, or even a slice of raw potato: they are very fond of bathing, and should always have an abundant supply of water within reach, but sop is an abomination that should never be offered to them, though a piece of sponge-cake or a biscuit will be relished, or even a slice of dry bread. As the King Parrot grows slowly, it should be a long-lived bird, and, with proper care, is; but it cannot stand delicacies or coddling, which soon cause it to droop its wings and fade away, or to fall dead from its perch in a fit. It will doubtless have been remarked that we have not hitherto touched upon what some writers make one of the most important features of their works, namely, the Diseases of Birds: our reason is that we consider domesticated birds when properly cared for have no diseases of a curable kind, and we have preferred giving plain directions for the suitable management of our pets, to a number of useless recipes for curing complaints that, with a little care and attention, would never have supervened to worry the owner and to kill the bird. Coughs are avoidable, so are fits, so is egg-binding, so are colds, inflammations, and congestions, so are constipation and diarrhsea, and so in point of fact are all the ills that captive birds are, not heirs, but liable to, when kept by persons who think only of themselves and neglect their prisoners, or who have their heads crammed full of useless and too often mischievous old-fashioned notions as to feeding, coddling, and depriving the poor creatures of water. Depend upon it, diseases are more readily prevented than cured. Keep your birds out of draughts, feed them as you find recommended in these pages, give them room to exercise their wings and feet in, company and occupation, and you will find that there will be no diseases to cure, and that old age, for which there is no preventive, will at last gently and insensibly usher them into—we were about to write—a better land, but—after all who can tell whether the Great and Good Creator may not, in some portion of His boundless universe, have reserved a place where the unhappy members of what men are pleased to call the "brute" creation, may re-live their lives, and find compensation for the ills that, by no fault of theirs, they were made to suffer here? Who indeed! but we must forbear, the subject is not one for discussion in these pages. The King Parrot is not a particularly bright or intelligent bird, still an odd male, now and again, will become exceedingly tame, and learn to repeat a few words, or even a short sentence, but to enable him to do even this, he must be taken in hand when very young, and much patience and perseverance be brought~ to bear upon the task. The female is a very silent bird, and we never knew one that learned to repeat even a single word: we are far, however, from saying that such a phenomenon as a talking Queen Parrot is impossible, but simply that we have neither seen nor heard of one. It is unfortunately true, as an author who is well known as inimical to "~dealers" asserts, that some importers of King Parrots "stove" up their birds to make them moult their nest feathers prematurely, and assume the adult garb, before the natural period for their doing so has come round,,, fpr we have seen the cruel practice in operation, and remonstrated, but were met by the assurance that the birds liked it, and that it agreed with them. To which we replied that the poor things did not look as if they enjoyed being half-cooked alive in the dark, and that we believed a bird so treated was irretrievably weakened in constitution, and would never live out half its days: but a King "in colour" being worth more than double the price of a young bird in the nestling garb, the practice is persisted in (not by all dealers, however), and is one that the E.S.P.C.A. might well occupy itself with. Dr. Russ much admires this handsome bird, and says of it: "Der groste und zugleich einer der prachtvollsten von alien diesen Sittichen", (the largest, and at the same time one of the most magnificent of all these Parrakeets.) Bechstein speaks of the King Parrot in his Natural History of Cage Birds, and says it is a native of Amboina, though he admits that he was told it came from "Botany Bay"; he describes the difference between the sexes correctly, yet Dr. Finsch, writing at a much later date, says that they are alike, "beide GescMecter gleich sein", which Dr. Russ justly characterizes as "ein Irrthum", a mistake. But who is infallible? even the last-mentioned doctor, great authority as he undoubtedly is on bird matters, nods sometimes, as we may have occasion to point out later on. The King Parrot is a very gentle and amiable bird, so much so, that it may be safely trusted in an aviary full of small birds, but in such a situation it is not at all likely that it will breed, as small birds are of a prying and inquisitive nature, and the King and Queen are shy, and brook no interference from anybody with their domestic arrangements: they do not punish, as they very well might, the intruder on their privacy, the disturber of their rest, they simply forsake the log or box they had intended to take up their abode in, and try again elsewhere: their motto, being, apparently, "Anything for a quiet life", and if very much disturbed they will give up the attempt, and leave their tormentors in possession of the ground: it is therefore necessary to give a pair of these birds a good-sized aviary, or bird-room, preferably the former, all to themselves, and we have no doubt, though we have not personally made the experiment, that so situated they would be certain to breed, and really the experiment is one that would be well worth trying, for these birds always command a good price in the market: and the only objection to raising them is that they are two years old before they don their adult plumage; but, on the other hand, they are small eaters, and cost but very little to keep. In their own country the King Parrots eat, especially during the breeding season, a considerable number of insects, but they will do very well without such dainties in captivity; though, perhaps, if they had young ones to feed, it might be as well to supply them with a few mealworms daily: such a practice, however, is open to objection, for once begun, it would have to be continued, and mealworms are sometimes difficult to be obtained in this country, although in Germany they are regularly bred; but in all bird-matters we are, as yet, very far behind our Teutonic friends. Although, for its size, this species has not a very large or powerful beak, it is, nevertheless, as partial as any of its congeners to 'whittling", and should always be provided with a piece of semi-decayed wood upon which to exercise its beak, and thus enable it to while away the time, which, doubtless, often hangs heavy enough—we were going to say upon its hands—but at all events it is, no doubt, frequently at a loss how to employ itself; occasionally turning round and plucking out its own feathers for want of something else to do. It happens now and then that a Parrot having moulted does not regain its plumage, and the owner imagines that the bird itself eats its feathers, which is not the case, the poor thing has not the strength to reproduce them, and after a longer or shorter interval of wretched nakedness dies. Such a bird is suffering from extreme debility, and requires in the first instance warmth; a temperature, say, of 70° Fahr., an abundance of nourishing food, chief of which is sound fresh hemp-seed, then sponge cake, canary-seed, lunch biscuit, apples, and nuts, and, for medicine, ten drops of Parrish~s Chemical Pood to each ounce of its drinking water. We have seen port-wine, brandy, and quinine recommended among many other things, but the regimen we have just described, will, unless the poor bird be too far gone, soon restore it to health, and the owner will have the pleasure of once more beholding his favourite clothed as Nature intended it should be. As soon as the reparative process is complete, the temperature of the place where the bird is kept—a warm conservatory makes a ~capital bird-hospital—must be gradually and cautiously lowered to that in which it is decided to keep it, but draughts must be studiously avoided, or inflammation of the lungs is certain to set in, when, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, and in spite of the utmost care and attention, the poor creature will die. Inflammation of the lungs, pneumonia, is much more readily prevented than cured in birds, but when it does occur, warmth and nourishment are the only remedies, and generally the sufferer will not feed, sometimes even it will not drink, though usually the thirst is excessive; in such a case we have seen it recommended to give milk and chicken-broth, and should be disposed to give the latter a trial; not cold, but just tepid, and if the bird would not take that, we should advise a small quantity to be poured down its throat every now and then with a spoon. In a case that came under our own observation, the patient~s cage was wrapped up, all but a small space in front, in a blanket, and set upon the dresser in a very warm kitchen, where the fire was kept up,. < for the Parrot~s especial benefit, all night as well as during the day; he was fed on sponge-cake and hemp-seed, he would eat nothing else, and a teaspoonful of sherry was put in his drinking water: in a couple of days he was all right, screaming and chattering as usual. A lady of our acquaintance who has kept a King Parrot for four years, sends us the following interesting account of her pet:—"My King has been in my possession for four- years, and the person who had him before me had kept him three years, so that he is at least eight years old, but probably nine, or more. I feed him upon canary-seed, hemp, and boiled maize, and supply him with plenty of coarse sand and fresh water; for he not only drinks freely, but is extraordinarily fond of washing himself. When he came into my possession he was in a very low weak state, and I thought I should have lost him; he had been dieted for some time on canary-seed only, and could scarcely stand, but by nursing him and giving him hemp and boiled maize, and biscuit, captain biscuit, which I used to chew for him, he soon came round, and has never ailed anything since. He is very tame and gentle, and talks very nicely: some of the sentences he pronounces very distinctly, ~Polly, put the kettle on~; ~Mother, call the doctor~; ~Mother, kiss your darling~; ~Kiss Sukey, there~s a dear~, .and so on: he is rather shy and silent before strangers, but is very talkative and amusing when I am with him in the room alone. He is in very fine condition, and apparently in the best of health." For the correctness of this description we can vouch, for we have rarely seen a bird of this species in better feather, although he is kept in the heart of London; he does not seem, however, to miss the fresh air in the least, but appears to be perfectly happy and contented: for companions he has a Grey Parrot, a Cockatiel, several Canaries, and some Collared Doves. Australian King Parrot TODAY Other Names: Australian King, Eastern King, Queensland King, King Lory, Scarlet Parrot, Green Parrot. Description: Medium to large bright scarlet/orange and green coloured parrot. Males are easily identified. They have a bright scarlet/orange head, neck and underparts with a bright green back and wings. There is a narrow band of blue on the nape, and the rump, lower back and upper tail are also blue. The mandibles are scarlet with black markings, the eyes are yellow and the legs and feet are grey. Females differ from males in that their heads are dark green, the upper tail is also green and the throat and chest are a dull green with tinges of red on the upper throat. The bill like the feet and legs is grey. Immature birds strongly resemble the adult female. Often encountered in pairs or small flocks, King Parrots feed mainly in trees but also spend time on the ground. These birds are less approachable than other parrots such as Rosellas. Nevertheless, they do frequently visit parks and suburban gardens. In some areas these birds are considered a pest in orchards and crops such as corn. Length: 400-450mm. Subspecies: A north Queensland race is smaller than the nominate form. Not formally recognised as a subspecies or variety, these birds are known as Alisterus scapularis minor by aviculturists. Distribution: From Cooktown in northern Queensland southward to Melbourne (Vic). Habitat: Forests (including rainforest) and woodland and suburban parks and gardens. Diet: Seeds, berries and other fruits, nuts, nectar, blossom and leaf buds. Breeding: July-January depending on locality. Nests: The nest is usually a cavity located high in a tree (mostly large eucalypts). Although the entrance is high above the ground, the floor of the cavity itself may be almost at ground level. The nest lining is usually a layer of decayed wood dust. The female incubates the eggs but she is attended by the male who will also assist in feeding the young once they are about half grown. In captivity King Parrots will accept either a nesting box or a log. Provide a very deep log or grandfather type nesting box to a depth of at least 1.5 (5ft) or 2m (6ft 8in) sitting or in the ground. The internal diameter needs to be around 25 to 30 cm (10-12in). If the log or nest box is slightly angled it will aid the parents in entering and departing the nest but may also prevent them from damaging the eggs. Our preferred nesting material is coarse wood shavings mixed with peat moss and is readily accepted by the hens. Courtship Display: The male stretches to his full height, tightens the body plumage and ruffs the feathers on the head. With this, he shakes or flicks his wings to display the light green barring. In accompaniment, he utters his harsh call and contracts the pupils to accentuate the (yellow) iris. The hen responds in much the same way and bobs her head in addition to solicit food. Courtship feeding (by regurgitation) usually follows. Sexual Maturity: Young hens can be eager to breed even when only twelve months old, as a rule cocks are rarely able to fertilise eggs until they are into their third year. When approaching 6 months of age the mandibles of the young cocks start to turn red. He begin to acquire adult plumage at about 16 months and continue to colour for another 14 months or so. Clutch: 3-5 rounded to broad-elliptical white eggs (33mm x 26mm) with a slightly glossy surface are laid in a clutch. The hen is solely responsible for the incubation which lasts for around 19-20 days and the young usually fledge at around 35 days. Mutations and Hybrids: King Parrots are known to have hybridised with the Regent Parrot, Crimson-winged Parrot and the Superb Parrot. Suitable Aviaries and Compatible Birds As a minimum, a single tame bird could be housed in a "small" cage provided it measures around 600mm x 600mm x 800mm (approximately). Birds kept in this way should be provided with the opportunity for exercise every day. However, King parrots do not take well to confined cages and perform much better in aviaries. These need be no larger than around 1.5m wide x 5-6m long x 1.8m high and lined with a medium to heavy grade mesh. In addition, the aviary should offer plenty of shelter with part of the roof covered in and the back and sides at least partially covered. For breeding purposes, these birds are best kept to themselves. However, they are quite amicable and can be placed in a colony with other birds such as Superb, Regent, crimson-winged and Eclectus Parrots, Alexandrines and Indian Ringnecks as well as pheasants. *** The Australian King Parrot, a wild bird who is often kept as a sweet, tame pet, is a common sight in parks or gardens in suburban Australia. In the wild, Australian King Parrots prefer to feed in treetops, but sometimes are found on the ground. They are seen in pairs or small flocks and frequent wooded areas, parks, gardens and rainforests. Wild Australian King Parrots build their nests in eucalyptus trees and line them with chewed wood shavings. Australian King Parrots encountered in the wild are often quite shy. Generally, Australian King Parrots eat nuts and seeds, fruits and berries, nectar and buds. If you wish to keep an Australian King Parrot but are pressed for space, you may house them in cages with dimensions of about 600 millimeters x 600 millimeters x 800 millimeters. If you do this you MUST exercise your bird frequently and well. Australian King Parrots will thrive in outdoor, sheltered aviaries of about one and a half meters by five and a half meters by one and four fifths meters. As with all birds, a private nest box is essential for sleeping or hiding under moments of stress. They need fresh water at all times and shelter from cold and wet weather. Because of their social, active nature, Australian King Parrots do well when kept in pairs and will tolerate Pheasants; Indian Ringnecks; Alexandrines; and Superb, Regent, Crimson-winged and Eclectus Parrots. Australian King Parrots should be offered a variety of fruits, legumes, and vegetables in addition to a basic seed mix and a variety of treats like nuts. They make adorable, playful friends who have eye-catching coloration. Generally, growing to a length of about 425 millimeters, Australian King Parrots are colored by sex. Both sexes have striking coloration with many bright colors. Males have a bright red and orange coloration over their head, neck, and undersides. Their back and wings are a lovely bright green. The rump, tail, and lower back are all a contrasting blue and the nape sports a narrow blue band. The eyes are yellow. Male Australian King Parrots have scarlet mandibles with black tips. Their legs and feet are gray, as they are in females also. The mandible in females matches the gray leg coloration. Female Australian King Parrots are much like the male in coloration except for their heads and upper tails, which are a dark green color. The throat and chest are a bit different as well. These are green in females and have red hints all along the upper throat area. The central tail feathers of both sexes are black. Australian King Parrots are native to eastern Australia. They were first officially recognized by Lichtenstein in 1818. Today, their natural habitat has been largely replaced with farmland and townships. Australian King Parrots are a fixture in suburban greenswards. They will, however, destroy crops like corn in addition to orchards and are often considered by farmers to be a pest. Australian King Parrots are also called Green Parrots, Eastern King Parrots, Queensland King Parrots, King Lories or Scarlet Parrots. As always, captive-bred birds make much better pets than wild-caught birds.