Rainbow Lorikeet
(Trichoglossus haematodus)
Description: Sociable, noisy, unmistakable, acrobatic. Head purplish-blue, which is separated from bright green upperparts by a narrow yellow-green collar, underparts are various degrees of orange breast and blue belly, sexes are similar. Strong flyer usually found in pairs.
Also known as the Blue Mountain parrot and bluey.
Gathers in flocks to roost, from which point flocks may travel vast distances seeking blossom-laden trees.
Size: 30 cm
Voice: Strong “screet, screet” noisy chattering.
Feeding: Mostly forages on flowers of shrubs and trees, particularly eucalypts. Highly aggressive species that has thrived on improved urban habitats with high yielding native trees.
Location: East coast of Australia into the tropics, inland NSW and Victoria, North-eastern Tasmania. 2 subspecies one Northern Australia the other East coast to Eyre Peninsula.
Habitat: Woodland, heath, garden, urban parks. Uses a wide variety of tree habitats, including rainforests and woodlands and is a common site in urban areas.
Nests: The eggs of the Rainbow Lorikeet are laid in chewed, decayed wood, usually in a hollow limb of a eucalypt tree. Both sexes prepare the nest cavity and feed the young, but only the female incubates the eggs.
Eggs: 2, White
Breeding Season: Usually September to January
Acknowledgements: www.Birdlife.org.au Field Guide to the Birds of Australia: Simpson and Day, A Naturalists Guide to the Birds of Australia: Dean Ingwersen National Geographic, What Bird is that?: Neville W Cayleys, www.birdsinbackyards.net