World Parrot Day 2026
Australian King-parrot enjoying some seeds
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Zoom [ISO 2500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500])
Today is World Parrot Day 2026. A day to help raise awareness about a colourful and intelligent group of birds, the parrots. They bring beauty to our world and many of their members have been recorded as some of the most intelligent birds. This is a male Australian King-parrot (Alisterus scapularis), with its magnificent red plumage, which may be a sign to perspective partners about his suitability and health. They are yet another animal that relies on a hollow in an old-growth tree to breed, and so clearing of the land and other forms of destruction of trees increases competition for the available hollows. So, we aren’t just trying to protect the bird itself, we also have to protect our bush to ensure that hollow breeders continue to have places to nest. Australia is fortunate to have about 56 species of parrots, including the wonderful cockatoos. Hopefully these wonderful birds continue to thrive and Australia can preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
