Female King Parrots (Male vs Female Identification Guide)

There are three king parrots inside Alistrus genus of Australian parrots; Australian king parrot, Papuan king parrot, and Molucca king parrot. The Australian King Parrot is by far the most common, while the other two species are less common.

Like many parrots, male and female king parrots possess different colored plumage, a form of sexual dimorphism known as sexual dichromacy.

Male Australian king parrots have a red head and chest, a blue stripe on the back of the neck, and gray shoulder straps. Females have a green head and neck without blue stripes and shoulder straps. Other than that, males and females are almost identical.

Sexual dimorphism in parrots and other birds is often associated with mating and reproduction, but this is not always the case for other birds. For example, many female raptors are larger than males, which may help them protect their young and hunt larger prey than males.

In parrots, however, the brighter, bolder plumage of males may help them compete for mates.

Read on to learn more about female emperor parrots and how to tell them apart from male parrots.

Closeup of a female king parrot perched on a fence in Sarsfield, Victoria

How to tell if a king parrot is male or female?

Male Australian king parrots have a bright red head, chest and underside, a blue stripe on the back of the neck, and a gray patch or strap on each side above the wings. In contrast, female Australian king parrots have green heads and backs, light green breasts, and red bellies.

Females have no blue stripes and gray epaulettes on the neck. You can tell the difference between male and female Australian king parrots by the red head and breasts of the males and the green head and breasts of the females.

Another major difference is the beak, which is black on the female, while the upper beak on the male is half orange-red with a black tip.

Aside from the difference in color, males and females look alike, with similar sizes and proportions.

Male and female Papuan king parrots also differ, but the difference is only in their blue neck stripes, which the females do not. Female Papuan king parrots are colored red and green like the males.

female king parrot

male emperor parrot

What do female king parrots look like?

Female Australian king parrots have an olive green head and chest that gradually changes from olive green to light green and then red.

Their underbelly and bellies are red, extending to a green tail with a blue rump. Their backs are also olive green, the same color as their heads. Additionally, female king parrots have dark beaks, unlike males, which have an orange-red upper beak and a darker lower beak.

The Papuan king parrot is more similar to the male, with a red chest and head, olive green back and wings, and a yellow-green band across the wing that is less prominent than the male. Female Papuan king parrots also don’t have blue patches on the back of their necks.

Female Australian King Parrot perched on a branch

Are female king parrots bigger than males?

Male and female parrots do not differ in size and proportion. Male and female emperor parrots are almost identical except for their feathers.

Differences between male and female king parrots

Juvenile male and female king parrots look more like adult females, with an olive-green head, chest, back, and tail. Juveniles have brown irises and a yellow-orange beak.

Males do not molt for about 1 to 1.5 years. Molting is a slow process that can take up to a year.

Pair of male (foreground) and female king parrots feeding on sunflower seeds

behavioral difference

There aren’t many significant differences in behavior between male and female king parrots.

Male king parrots display courtship behavior, including puffing out their red feathers to attract a mate. Like most parrots, king parrots are thought to mate for life – but there is little evidence that this is the case.

Female king parrots lay a clutch of about 5 eggs, which hatch without the help of a male.

call and voice

King parrots are fairly quiet compared to other parrots.Their voices are sharp and metallic, most often a high-pitched whistle cough cough cough. In addition, they make guttural and raspy sounds when feeding wreckage The sound of flying.

King parrots are not known for imitation, nor do they “learn to talk” like other parrots. When kept in captivity, they are usually fairly quiet.

Close up portrait of Australian King Parrot female

nesting and feeding

The Australian King Parrot nests in its eastern Australian range between September and January. They choose a deep tree cavity to build a simple nest.

Clutches range from 3 to 6 eggs, and the female incubates the eggs alone for about 20 years. The chicks stay in the nest for about five weeks before fledging.

Most parrot couples cooperate and jointly raise offspring, so it wouldn’t be surprising if king parrots were the same. However, there are very few studies or observations on the behavior of Australian king parrots.

Female king parrot eating camellia buds

Can female emperor parrots raise offspring alone?

Female king parrots have been reported to incubate their young without the help of males. However, there is little evidence on whether the males feed the young or care for them after hatching.

The female may be able to incubate the eggs herself, but whether she can raise the chicks to fledgling without the help of a male is unknown.

Can female king parrots sing?

There is no evidence that female king parrots sing differently to males, but males may use more singing to attract mates during the breeding season. Many species of parrots are loud and talkative, but emperor parrots are relatively quiet.

A female (left) and male (right) king parrot sitting in a wisteria bush

What color are female emperor parrots?

Female Australian king parrots are predominantly olive green, with green heads, chests, backs and tails. They have blue rump and red bellies and bellies.

The male’s head and breast are red rather than olive green. Females also lack the blue neck stripes and gray epaulets that males have.