Alexandra Park Zoo is home to the brightly coloured king parrots, Alisterus scapularis, which are the only Australian parrots where the males have a completely red head.
These beautiful birds were first discovered by the German naturalist, Martin Lichtenstein, in 1818.
King parrots are usually found in rainforests and eucalypt forests along the east coast and ranges of Australia and feature striking red and green feathers.
The king parrot forages in trees for seeds and fruit and will lay its eggs in hollow tree trunks near the ground.
Last month, Alexandra Park Zoo partnered with Australia Zoo for an ambassador program which saw three king parrots transferred from Bundaberg to the Sunshine Coast facility.
Born and raised by their parents at the local zoo, the birds were old enough to be weaned and transferred for the purpose of conservation and education.
Find out more here.
More on the home of the king parrot, Alexandra Park Zoo
Alexandra Park Zoo was established in 1911 and is one of Queensland’s oldest continuously running zoological facilities.
It is fully accredited with the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) providing positive welfare conditions and operating to high standards.
Find out more about the zoo animals here.
