Alisterus scapularis
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is a species of parrot endemic to eastern Australia ranging from Cooktown in Queensland to Port Campbell in Victoria. Found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent, including eucalyptus wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest. They feed on fruits and seeds gathered from trees or on the ground.
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.
Two subspecies are recognised, which are differentiated by size: Naturally occurring hybrids with the red-winged parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus) have been recorded from Bell in southeastern Queensland. "Australian king parrot" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).
Adults of both sexes are about 43 cm (17 in) in length, including the long... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian King-Parrot sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 1,294 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 96th most-seen of the 237 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian King-Parrot in Brisbane on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian King-Parrot sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Australian King-Parrot sightings, Brisbane ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Melbourne (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Psittacidae
The closest relatives of the Australian King-Parrot that you can see in Brisbane (family Psittacidae, New World and African Parrots) are Coconut Lorikeet (about 80%), Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (about 40%) and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian King-Parrot is recorded against all the birds logged in Brisbane (1,294 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
