What is a rainbow lorikeet?
Rainbow lorikeets are brightly coloured medium sized parrots commonly found around bushland, leafy gardens, parks and school playgrounds along the coastal areas of eastern and northern Australia. They are often in flocks, feeding and roosting together. Rainbow lorikeets are called warin by the Darug Peoples of the Sydney Basin. Their scientific name is Trichoglossus haematodus.
Feeding mainly on nectar, the presence of rainbow lorikeets is indicated by their noisy chatter and their acrobatic antics in obtaining nectar from gum blossoms and other flowers. In the 2024 Australian bird count rainbow lorikeets were Australia’s most spotted bird.
What do rainbow lorikeets look like?
Males and female rainbow lorikeets look the same. They have a bright orange-red curved beak, yellow-orange chest, blue head and underbelly and a green back, wings and tail.
What do rainbow lorikeets sound like?
Rainbow lorikeets have a variety of calls including loud whistles whilst flying, noisy chatter whilst feeding and a gentle chittering when sitting in pairs preening each other.
Where do rainbow lorikeets live?
Rainbow lorikeets are found along the coastal areas of eastern and northern Australia in urban and bushland areas with eucalypt trees and other flowering plants. In tall trees, their presence is usually signified by their calls from above and an array of small leafy twigs with blossoms lying on the ground. They have adapted well to urban areas, feeding in garden shrubs with nectar-rich flowers.
What do rainbow lorikeets eat?
Rainbow lorikeets are mainly nectar feeders. In bushland and urban areas they feed mainly on gum blossoms but also feed on the flowers of tall shrubs such as camelias. They have a thick round tongue with a feathered tip used to gather the sweet honey-like nectar from flowers. They will also eat soft berries and fruits and occasionally insects.
In school playgrounds rainbow lorikeets have learnt to find and eat fruit and food scraps such as sandwich crusts and apple cores. These foods are bad for lorikeets and can make them sick. An artificial diet can cause deformities in their beaks and feathers, affecting their ability to survive.
How are rainbow lorikeets adapted to their environment?
Rainbow lorikeets have a thick rounded tongue with a brush at the end for licking out nectar from flower blossoms. As with all parrots, lorikeets have a curved beak which is used for gripping onto branches whilst climbing through branches and for tearing fruits and berries. The pointed curved beak is also used for preparing a nesting hollow.
The feet of rainbow lorikeets have sharp claws and two pairs of opposable toes that act as a ‘hand’ for gripping branches and food. Together with their strong legs, this enables them to hang upside down to reach their food.
Within a bush or tree the colours and markings of rainbow lorikeets’ feathers enable them to blend in and be camouflaged. They travel in flocks or pairs, providing protection for each other.
How do rainbow lorikeets reproduce and what is their life-cycle?
The breeding season for rainbow lorikeets is from June to January. Both the male and female prepare the nest, usually a tree hollow high in a gum tree. Preparation includes chipping the wooden sides and base of the hollow to prepare a bed of wood chips on which to lay the eggs.
Usually two eggs are laid which the female incubates. The male feeds her regurgitated food while she’s on the nest. The eggs hatch after 23 days. Both parents feed the young birds which remain in the nest until they are feathered and can fly – usually 45 days.
What is the role of rainbow lorikeets in the environment?
When collecting nectar from a flower, rainbow lorikeets also collect pollen around their beaks. As they move from flower to flower they pollinate the flowers.
Rainbow lorikeet feathers have been found in powerful owl scats indicating that they can be prey of powerful owls. Powerful owls hunt at night and so are likely to snatch a sleeping rainbow lorikeet from its night roost.
What threats do rainbow lorikeets face and how can we help them?
Human feeding of rainbow lorikeets is one of their main threats. It can lead to diseases causing sickness, deformities, feather loss and death. The two main diseases associated with artificial feeding are Necrotizing enteritis and Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD). The diseases occur when lorikeets do not eat their natural diet or through contact with contaminated feeding areas. PBFD is spread through contact with faeces from infected birds.
People should never feed rainbow lorikeets intentionally, or accidentally by leaving food scraps. In the school playground, students should ensure fruit and food scraps are put into the bin or well-secured in lunch boxes.
Clearing of native forests, particularly old eucalypts and angophoras with tree hollows, destroys the habitat of rainbow lorikeets. Planting native flowering shrubs and trees can provide natural food and shelter for rainbow lorikeets.
