However most reports since 1950 have been from further south. The bird's last stronghold appears to be the western side of the Lamington Plateau in Northern New South Wales. Sub-tropical rainforests and vineforests are home to the Coxen's Fig Parrot with it favouring the once extensive lowland forests. They are most active around dawn and dusk and seldom fly higher than treetop level. It feeds mainly on the fruits of several species of large fig, in particular the moreton bay fig Ficus macrophylla and the green-leaved strangler fig F. watkinsonia.
Individual trees tend to be visited in successive years, presumably by the same individuals.
It has occasionally been known to feed on the nectar of the silky oak Grevillea robusta and also eats exotic fruit from trees present on farmlands and in gardens. Pairs of birds tend to be present in the ranges near presumed breeding areas from August - February, with breeding from October to January. Nests are made in hollow branches and birds lay about two eggs. Often solitary during the breeding season, they once formed small flocks which moved to the lowlands in search of food. It is believed that birds one migrated according to the seasonal ripening of figs form the lowlands to to higher country.