Rainbow Lorikeets Species of Bird:

Rainbow lorikeets are truly like rainbows.



These are very colorful birds and they belong to the parrot family. However, since these birds peck into fruits and damage the trees, this species of birds have been listed as an unwanted creature. It is believed that rainbow lorikeets can damage about 70-90 percent of fruit produce. An aggressive bird, these lorikeets are known to take over feeding grounds that belong to other birds.



In Australia, people who let their lorikeets go free, have to pay a penalty.

Physical attributes:

Pests or not, lorikeets truly look beautiful with their rainbow-hued feathers. Their plumage consists of feathers dipped in rainbow colors. Red, orange, purple, blue and yellow, the birds are multi-colored. These birds have tiny hairs on the tip of their tongue, so that they can drink the nectar.





These lorikeets are about 30 cm or 12 inches in size and are swift fliers. They live and roost on trees in huge groups of hundred, and feed in groups of twenty or less. While mating, the couple leaves the tree and builds a nest in a tree hollow or a hole. The female bird lays two white eggs and sits on them for about 25 days along with the male bird. They take care of the chicks together till the babies fly out when they are eight weeks old. The young birds join a group of birds and roost on the tree. It takes about two years for birds to reach sexual maturity. An average lifespan in the wild is 20 years.

Food:

Rainbow Lorikeets generally feed on nectar and water on leaves. They can fly up to 31 miles or 50 kilometers every day in search of food. When food is scarce during the winters, they eat fruits. In a wildlife sanctuary in Australia, these birds are hand fed by visitors. The people visiting the sanctuary hold out fruits as the birds arrive in huge flocks in the evening.

Rainbow Lorikeets as Pets:

Rainbow lorikeets make for good pets and have a fun and sociable nature. They can be tamed easily too.

Reproduction:

The breeding season for these lorikeets is in the spring, from September to December. However, the breeding season can differ and vary according to the availability of food and changes in climate. Nesting sites vary and birds can lay their eggs in the hollows of trees like eucalyptus. They also lay their eggs under overhanging rocks and palm trunks.