| Rainbow Lorikeet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Genus: | Trichoglossus |
| Species: | Trichoglossus moluccanus |
Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) are birds similar to Rosellas and the Swift Parrots. They are very popular and easy to breed in captivity.
Description[]
It is about 26 cm long (the tail makes up for about half of its body length), making it fairly small for a parrot, and has a characteristic multicoloured plumage: bright green back, blue head, red irises, orange beak, yellow nape collar, red chest, and the blue belly are all traits that most of the subspecies share.
Behaviour[]
They are excellent flyers, and have a distinct set of brush-like barbs on their tongue. They use these abilities for collecting nectar from wattles flowers, eucalypti. They are swift and acrobatic, often flying at speeds of over 50 kilometers per hour. At dusk they nest in large congregations sometimes there are 30 or more in one large tree making the sound pervasive with the hectic comings and going on.
Distribution and Habitat[]
It occurs from Bali to Indonesia, New Guinea, the Salomon Islands, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia and the coasts of north, east and south-east Australia. It is found in a variety of habitats, including woodland, both in the lowlands and in the mountains, in coastal shrub, savannahs and urban gardens.
Gallery[]
