King Parrot Australian Bird Earrings

King Parrot Earrings.

Made in Australia from our original hand painted design, these earrings are printed with eco-friendly inks onto light weight, sustainably grown hoop pine and paired with stainless steel hoops, perfect for sensitive ears!

Alisterus scapularis, the Australian or green-winged king parrot is a large, colourful bird found in the rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests of eastern Australia from north Queensland to southern Victoria. The male is the only Australian parrot with a red head, neck and chest. Females have a green head and both have a red belly, green back, green wings and a blue black tail. When their feathers are seen under ultraviolet light, they have a yellow glow. Live in pairs or small family groups and are frequently seen with various species of rosellas. Have strong, curved bills and feed on a variety of seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, insects, nectar and pollen. Prefer to fly below tree level, weaving in and out of the canopy, making a loud, high-pitched whistle, with a rolling 'carr-ack' call and if alarmed they make a harsh, metallic shrieking.

King parrots can live for 30 years in the wild, are monogamous and may mate for life. Breeding season is from August until January and courtship begins with various male displays, harsh calls and feeding. They nest high in the trees in a deep hollow lined with decayed wood dust. The female lays 4-6 white eggs, incubates them alone for about 20 days and is partly fed by the male. The chicks hatch blind and helpless, are fed by both parents and fledge at about 6 weeks old.

They are protected by law and are not currently threatened. In their native range they suffer from continuous habitat destruction but have moved into the nearby well-treed urban areas, so their numbers have been steadily increasing. Seen as a symbol of beauty, positive energy, joy, vitality, creative expression, clear communication, liberation from old patterns and the start of a new direction.