Australian King-Parrot

Alisterus scapularis

Martin Heinrich Karl Lichtenstein was the first to describe the species, in 1816.

Alisterus is named for Alister William Mathews, son of Australian ornithologist Gregory Mathews; the Latin scapularis (shoulder) is a reference to the bird’s pale green shoulder (scapular) patches.

William T. Cooper, Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis scapularis) 1970 (adult male, left; adult female, right)

Author’s note: Cooper’s trinomial, Alisterus scapularis scapularis, refers to the nominate, or first named, subspecies of the Australian King-Parrot. That is, the subspecies that occurs where the type specimen was collected, in this case probably around Parramatta. The type specimen is the skin (or, occasionally, painting) on which the first description was based.

A smaller, northern subspecies Alisterus scapularis minor has also been proposed. However, the size difference may only be a geographic variation within the species, with small birds in warmer northern parts of their range gradually becoming larger the further south the species occurs.

Sarah Stone, Tabuan Parrot 1790 (adult female)

Author’s note: This is the first published illustration of the species.

Édouard Traviès, La Perruche à Scapilaire (Psittacus scapularis), Nouvelle Hollande 1810s (adult male)