Taxonomy
Classified in the subfamily Psittacinae within the true parrot family, the genus Alisterus was described by Australian amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews in 1911. They were previously considered part of the genus Aprosmictus, which contains the Red-winged and Olive-shouldered Parrots.
The king parrots appear to be most closely related to the genera Aprosmictus and the long-tailed parrots of the genus Polytelis, united by similarities in food begging and contact calls by chicks, and by more recent molecular analysis in 2005. The molecular work placed this group in turn as sister to a group containing Eclectus, Tanygnathus, and Psittacula.
There are three species and several subspecies of King parrots:
- Alisterus amboinensis - Moluccan King Parrot
- Alisterus amboinensis amboinensis
- Alisterus amboinensis buruensis
- Alisterus amboinensis dorsalis
- Alisterus amboinensis hypophonius
- Alisterus amboinensis sulaensis
- Alisterus amboinensis versicolor
- Alisterus chloropterus - Papuan King Parrot
- Alisterus chloropterus callopterus
- Alisterus chloropterus chloropterus
- Alisterus chloropterus moszkowskii
- Alisterus scapularis - Australian King Parrot
- Alisterus scapularis minor
- Alisterus scapularis scapularis
| Species | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Common and binomial names | Image | Description | Range |
| Moluccan King Parrot (Alisterus amboinensis) |
|
35 cm (14 in) long. Male is similar to female in all six subspecies. Wings do not have a scapular band. Five subspecies have green wings and one subspecies has blue wings. Orange irises. Dark grey legs. | Numerous islands and western New Guinea of Indonesia. |
| Papuan King Parrot (Alisterus chloropterus) |
|
36 cm (14 in) long. Three subspecies all showing sexual dimorphism. The differences in the females between subspecies are more marked than the differences in the males. The pale green band on wing is much more marked in the males. Orange irises. Dark grey legs. | New Guinea |
| Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) |
|
43 cm (17 in) long. Male is mainly red and green and the female is mainly green. A band of pale green feathers on each wing is prominent in the male and small or absent in the female. Blue back and rump. Yellow irises. Grey legs. Its two subspecies are similar except in size, the northern subspecies being the smaller. | Eastern Australia |
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