Rainbow lorikeet

Rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus, feeding at Adelaide Airport

In Brisbane, Queensland.

Rainbow lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to gathering pollen and nectar from flowers.[14] Nectar from eucalyptus is important in Australia, other important nectar sources are Pittosporum, Grevillea, Spathodea campanulata (African tulip-tree), and Metroxylon sagu (sago palm).[11] In Melanesia coconuts are very important food sources, and rainbow lorikeets are important pollinators of these.[15] They also consume the fruits of Ficus, Trema, Mutingia, as well as papaya and mangoes already opened by fruit bats. They also eat crops such as apples, and will raid maize and sorghum.[11] They are also frequent visitors at bird feeders placed in gardens, which supply store-bought nectar, sunflower seeds, and fruits such as apples, grapes and pears.

In many places, including campsites and suburban gardens, wild lorikeets are so used to humans that they can be hand-fed. The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, Australia, is noted for its thousands of lorikeets. Around 8am and 4pm each day the birds gather in a huge, noisy flock in the park's main area. Visitors are encouraged to feed them a specially prepared nectar, and the birds will happily settle on people's arms and heads to consume it. Wild rainbow lorikeets can also be hand-fed by visitors at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Semi-tame lorikeets are common daily visitors in many Sydney backyards, though many people, ignorant of their dietary requirements, feed them bread or bread coated with honey. This is an inadequate source of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that the rainbow lorikeet requires and can lead to health and feather formation issues in young lorikeets.[16] Packet mixes with a nutritional mix suitable for feeding lorikeets are generally available from vets and pet stores.[17]

In southern Australia, breeding usually occurs from late winter to early summer (August to January). Elsewhere in Australia, breeding has been recorded in every month except March, varying from region to region due to changes in food availability and climate.[18] Nesting sites are variable and can include hollows of tall trees such as eucalypts, palm trunks, or overhanging rock.[18] One population in the Admiralty Islands nests in holes in the ground on predator-free islets.[19] Pairs sometimes nest in the same tree with other rainbow lorikeet pairs, or other bird species.[18] The clutch size is between one and three eggs, which are incubated for around 25 days.[11] Incubation duties are carried out by the female alone.[15]

Rainbow lorikeets are mostly monogamous and remain paired for long periods, if not for life.[20]

A 12-week-old female rainbow lorikeet in a back yard in Sydney

Introduced to Western Australia

The rainbow lorikeet was accidentally released into the southwest of Western Australia near the University of Western Australia in the 1960s and they have since been classified as a pest.[2]

A feral population of rainbow lorikeets was established in New Zealand after a North Shore, Auckland, resident illegally[23] released significant numbers of captive-reared birds in the area in the 1990s, which started breeding in the wild. By 1999, a self-sustaining feral population of 150–200 birds had been established in the region, proving that they could survive and adapt to the New Zealand environment.[24] The Department of Conservation, concerned that rainbow lorikeets would outcompete native honeyeaters and by the possible threat to pristine island habitats such as Little Barrier Island, began eradicating the feral population in 2000. MPI (the Ministry of Primary Industries) Bio-security, in partnership with DOC and regional councils, now manages rainbow lorikeets under the National Interest Pest Response initiative. The aim of the response is to prevent rainbow lorikeets from becoming established in the wild.[24] Late in 2010, five of these birds were discovered living in the Mount Maunganui area. They were fed for a few days before being trapped by a Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries contractor.[25]

Many fruit orchard owners consider them a pest, as they often fly in groups and strip trees containing fresh fruit. In urban areas, the birds create nuisance noise and foul outdoor areas and vehicles with droppings.[18]

In Western Australia, a major impact of the rainbow lorikeet is competition with indigenous bird species. This includes domination of food sources and competition for increasingly scarce nesting hollows.[18] Bird species such as the purple-crowned lorikeet, the Carnaby's black cockatoo,[18] and the Australian ringneck are adversely affected or displaced.