Wildlife Info
Lorikeet
Lorikeet species include Rainbow Lorikeets, Purple Crown Lorikeets & Musk Lorikeets.
Natural Foods:
Lorikeets spend most of their time in trees, eating pollen, nectar, sap (from eucalypts and wattles), soft fruit & berries, some seeds and insects (only small amounts). They have a special brush-tipped tongue that helps them to feed on nectar, but that gets damaged if they eat too much seeds and insects.
Fuzzy Tongues:
Most parrots eat mostly nuts and seeds, using their strong beaks to break open the shells, but Lorikeets are different. While they do eat some seeds, fruits, and insects, they mostly eat nectar and pollen.
Lorikeets have a tongue that is covered with papilla (little hairs, similar to a brush) on the tip, which helps the birds dig out the pollen and nectar from flowers. Because of these papilla, some people call Lorikeets ”brush-tongued parrots”
As they gather nectar and pollen from flowers, the Lorikeets get some pollen on their throats and heads. When they go to the next flower of the same species, some of that pollen is left behind, where it helps the plant make its seeds. So, Lorikeets are actually helping the trees and flowers by carrying pollen from one plant to another.
Nesting:
Similarly to most parrots, Lorikeets, lay their eggs in tree hollows. Most often the female will lay two (2) eggs, and incubate them. The male helps the female to feed the young after hatching.
Rainbow Lorikeet
The Rainbow Lorikeet is a brightly coloured bird with orange/red beak (black when young), orange red and yellow chest, blue lower front body and head, green back and wings, red under the wings and a lime green band of colour on nape of neck. Eyes of an adult will be orange. These playful characters usually range 15cm in length, weighing 130-140 grams. Noisy in flight, with loud screeches and chattering calls, it is quieter and more subdued when feeding or at rest. The Rainbow Lorikeet searches out trees in bloom to feast on pollen and nectar.
Habitat: The Rainbow Lorikeet is found in a wide range of treed habitats including rainforest and woodlands, as well as in well-treed urban areas.
Purple Crowned Lorikeet
The Purple-crowned Lorikeet is approximately 16 cm in length. Upper parts are bright green, with a wash of bronze across the nape and mantle, while underparts are greenish-yellow with a pale blue belly. The crown is purple. Ear coverts and forehead are orange. There is a small patch of bright blue at the bend of wing, with underwing coverts in bright red.
Habitat: Although they prefer dry eucalypt forests, woodlands and shrublands, Purple-crowned Lorikeets can also be seen in parks and gardens of towns and suburbs.
Musk Lorikeet
A medium-sized, sturdy lorikeet, seen in large flocks when trees flowering. They are active and noisy and social with other parrots. This lorikeet is mostly green, with a yellow patch at the side of the breast, bright red forehead and band through the eye to the ear. The crown is blue. In flight, brown flight feathers and the golden tail are revealed.
Habitat: Musk Lorikeets are found in tall, open, dry forest and woodlands, dominated by eucalypts and are usually found in the canopy. They are also seen in suburban areas, parks and street trees. They roost or loaf in tall trees away from their feeding sites
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