Australian King Parrot Species of Bird:

The Australian King Parrot is common in eastern Australia, particularly in heavily forested and humid upland regions which include large numbers of eucalyptus trees.



Their diet in the wild consists of fruits, berries, seeds, blossoms (native Australian flowers such as wattles and banksia) and small insects. The king parrot is raised as a household pet and is bred in aviaries as well. If hand raised they are quiet and relatively calm household pets although unlike several other parrot species are not ‘talkers’.



They usually display a bright and cheerful disposition. Although they can be extremely devoted to their owner and bond easily with people, they prefer not to be handled. Domesticated king parrots have been known to live for up to twenty five years but there is no data as to their longevity in the wild.



King parrots are a hardy species but they can undergo extreme stress when exposed to new surroundings or if they are moved around too much. The variety is highly susceptible to the toxic bacillus infection which is in most cases fatal despite prompt veterinary intervention. Hence, it is essential to take every preventive measures to protect them from it.

Australian king parrots can be fed a mix of safflower, sunflower seed and plain canary seed. Fruits and vegetables are essential for a well balanced diet and they can be given a wide variety of seasonally available fruits and vegetables. Almonds, corn on the cob, sprouted or soaked seeds, seeding grasses and soaked mung beans are popular food items. Spinach, silver beet and endives need to be part of their regular intake of vegetables. While pets occasionally nibble on junk food from their respective owners, these offer no nutritional value to them and need to be kept to a minimum. The birds require an aviary that is large and airy and nest boxes that are at least 120 cms deep. This is because their nesting holes are fairly deep in the wild. Providing eucalyptus branches for them to perch on would be ideal as it will resemble the dense forest environment they are used to in the wild. These branches are also huge boredom relievers. A water cleanser is necessary to clean the bird’s water and food bowl every week and to prevent the growth of harmful germs that thrive in food and water. Seed and water have to be put in afresh every day to keep the pet hale and healthy.