Last updated on 1-Nov 2017
Rainbow Lorikeets are widespread in eastern Australia, and also around Perth. Separated from their natural range by thousands of kilometres, the feral Rainbow Lorikeets of Perth had become established by the late 1960s. In the 1980s, the population expanded. The problem with Rainbow Lorikeets in Perth is that they are aggressive around nesting hollows, preventing native birds from nesting. They have even been recorded dragging the nestlings of Australian Ringnecks from hollows and dropping them onto the ground, then occupying the hollow themselves.
The Rainbow Lorikeet is unmistakable with its bright red beak and colourful plumage. Both sexes look alike, with a blue (mauve) head and belly, green wings, tail and back, and an orange/yellow breast. They are often seen in loud and fast-moving flocks, or in communal roosts at dusk.
Frequent screeching and chattering. Bird call recorded by: Fred Van Gessel
The Rainbow Lorikeet occurs in coastal regions across eastern Australia, with a local population in Perth (Western Australia), initiated from aviary releases. They have recently become established in Tasmania, probably as a result of occasional natural introductions and/or aviary escapes and releases.
Habitat: Woodland, Forest, Rainforest, Coastal, Urban
The Rainbow Lorikeet is found in a wide range of treed habitats including rainforest and woodlands, as well as in well-treed urban areas.
Rainbow Lorikeets are often seen in loud and fast-moving flocks, or in communal roosts at dusk.
The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly forages on the flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects.
The eggs of the Rainbow Lorikeet are laid on chewed, decayed wood, usually in a hollow limb of a eucalypt tree. Both sexes prepare the nest cavity and feed the young, but only the female incubates the eggs.
