Swainson's Lorikeet

scientific name

Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus

size

Length. 12 in
Wing: 5.3- 5.9in
Tail: 3.6 - 4.6 in
Beak: 0.75-0.9 in
Weight: about 4.5oz

characteristics

Head: bright blue with light blue streaking
Breast: orange with yellow
Belly: violet-blue
Wings and Tail: green
Undertail: yellow tipped with green nape narrow yellow-green band
Underwing: orange-red with yellow
Beak: orange-red
Eye: iris orange-red
Legs: gray

Behaviour: Form small noisy groups that feed acrobatically in the canopy • Frequently in mixed flocks with other parrots • Form communal roost at night with hundreds of birds • Vocalization: sharp rolling screech at regular intervals in flight, shrill chattering while feeding, soft twittering at rest, loud clear musical call.

reproduction/life span

Nest in isolated pairs in high, unlined tree hollow • Courtship display includes wing fluttering to reveal under wing pattern, swing upside-down, head-bobbing, tail-fanning and bill-fencing • 2-3 eggs laid • incubation 25 days • fledging 7-8 weeks • Breeding recorded in most months.

diet

Wild: Mainly nectar and pollen but also fruit such as figs and mangos opened by fruit bats, berries, beetles and small grubs • Will attack grain and sorgrum crops before ripe for milky seeds and orchard crops such as apples and pears
Zoo: 30% nectar, 30% fruit & vegetables (kale, grapes, apples, cantaloupe etc…), 30% bird of paradise pellets, 10% plants flowers and other novelty items.

habitat/range

Habitat: Most common in lowlands although found up to 2643 ft. • Found in wide variety of habitats including settlements to forest, coconut plantations, savanna, eucalyptus stands and mangroves
Range: Islands in Torres Strait and East Australia from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north around the eastern coastal districts and south around the Cape York Peninsula to the Eyre Peninsula.

status

CITES App. II

other

Previously referred to as rainbow lorikeets – actually a distinct sub-species • Also called Blue Mountain Lorikeet.

oregon zoo exhibit

Lorikeet Landing