The King Parrot is one of the most beautiful birds of Australia. The male has the most brilliant scarlet head, neck and underparts together with prominent yellow eyes. Its back has green and blue feathers with a bluish black tail. The female has mostly light green feathers throughout with some scarlet on the underbelly.

The King Parrot can often be seen high up on gum trees eating seeds and nuts. They feed on a variety of seeds especially sunflower seeds. They also love fruit. These parrots are territorial and will defend their territory when others are near especially when there is food involved. The male also uses a loud high-pitch whistle to mark its territory.

Left: A male King Parrot scaling the side of the tree to get to some seeds. Right: A female King Parrot has less scarlet plumage than the male.

King Parrots inhabit most areas of the Blue Mountains and usually visit gardens where there are plenty of fruit and gum trees.