What is a rainbow lorikeet?
The rainbow lorikeet is a brightly coloured parrot of eastern and northern Australia, with a blue head, green back, orange chest and red beak. It feeds mainly on nectar and pollen.
Rainbow lorikeets are about 30 centimetres long. Their tongue has a brush-like tip that helps them collect nectar and pollen from flowers such as eucalypts, grevilleas and bottlebrushes.
They travel in fast, noisy flocks and gather in huge numbers at evening roosts in city trees. Their screeching calls are a familiar sound in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Feeding lorikeets
Wildlife parks such as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast have famous lorikeet feeding sessions. Experts warn against feeding them bread, honey or seed at home, as this can make them sick.
Rainbow lorikeets have been introduced to Perth and New Zealand, where they compete with native birds.
Pairs nest in tree hollows and usually raise two chicks. Lorikeets also play an important role as pollinators, carrying pollen between flowers as they feed. They can be aggressive toward other birds at feeding trees and nest sites, chasing away smaller honeyeaters and parrots. In some areas, they are now among the most numerous birds in the suburbs.
Did You Know?
Lorikeets sometimes appear drunk when feeding on fermented nectar or affected by a condition causing paralysis.