Rainbow lorikeet

Description

They have a very colourful green, blue, black, red and yellow plumage, although these patterns vary among the 20 existing subspecies. Their legs are grey and their bills are red. The young birds have a darker plumage than the adults, and dark bills and legs. The sexes are similar in terms of plumage, but the female is smaller and has a shorter beak.

Ethology

They are social birds, which may form large and rather noisy flocks. In the mating season, they spread in pairs. The usual brood is made up of 1 to 3 eggs. The female incubates them for around 26 days, and both parents take charge of feeding them. They have a lifespan of 25 years. The most frequent places for nesting are in tree hollows.

Interesting facts

The rainbow lorikeet is especially adapted to a diet that consists of nectar and pollen. The tongue has numerous papillae, structures very similar to hairs, which help them to obtain the pollen and nectar from the flowers; therefore, this bird is an important pollinator