Rainbow lorikeets are one of the best known birds in eastern and northern Australia.
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My grandchildren readily identify them and they were nominated as the number one favourite bird in the poll conducted by Hunter Bird Observers Club at the Tocal Field Days earlier this year.
They are noisy, acrobatic and gregarious, easily tamed and, in some parts of Australia, have become a tourist attraction. They have also attracted attention in Northern Australia by getting “drunk”, unable to fly and at risk from predators. This condition is thought to be caused from eating fermented fruit and nectar.
Rainbow lorikeets are unmistakable with a bright red beak, bluish/mauve head and belly, green wings tail and back and an orange/yellow breast. They are widespread in coastal regions, rainforests, woodlands and trees in urban areas.
These birds spend 70% of their time foraging for food, and travel up to 35 kilometres from the roost tree each day searching for suitable food. Pollen is probably the major food source, but they also eat insects and larvae in the foliage and buds and blossom. Lorikeets have an incredible ‘brush’-tipped tongue, an adaptation for feeding on pollen and nectar.
They nest from June to January in hollows in gum trees and lay one to three eggs. Both parents build the nest but only the female incubates the eggs. They aggressively defend their nest hollows, and successfully compete with common mynas and starlings for suitable real estate.
A few years ago the Office of Environment and Heritage investigated the deaths of large numbers of lorikeets, and found they had died from a bacterial gut infection. This condition is associated with poor hygiene and inadequate diet, and may be caused by eating food from unclean bird feeders.
The best way to attract birds to your garden is to plant a variety of flowering shrubs such as grevilleas, bottlebrush and banksias, which provide safe healthy food for lorikeets and honeyeaters.
Rainbow lorikeets with their multi-coloured feathers are a stunning and enjoyable addition to our native environment and urban gardens.
Hunter Bird Observers Club website: http://www.hboc.org.au/