User talk:Cocolo~enwiki

ORDER: Psittaciformes FAMILY: Loriidae GENUS & SPECIES: Trichoglossus haematodus

HABITAT

The rainbow lorikeet is found mainly in eastern Australia and on islands in the South Pacific. It lives in woodlands or at the edges of forests, where vegetation is not very dense. The lorikeet is also seen in gardens and parks. The city of Sydney has a flourishing population.

In northern Australia the birds stay in the same area all year round. Farther south, where vegetation changes with the seasons, they are nomadic, constantly on the move in search of flowers and fruit.

CHARACTERISTICS

The rainbow lorikeet spends most of its life in trees. It usually comes down to the ground only to drink. Like all parrots, its feet are adapted for perching in trees. It curls its four toes around a branch-- two in front and two behind.

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Above: The rainbow lorikeet's plumage is a familiar sight in Australian gardens.

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Above: Once fledged, the young lorikeet roosts at the nest for a few days.

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The rainbow lorikeet is one of Australia's most colorful birds. With its large curved bill and bright plumage, it is easily recognized as a member of the parrot order.

BREEDING

The rainbow lorikeet usually breeds between August and January. The nest site is well above the ground, usually in the hollow of a tree. The mating pair does little to the nest site except to line it with a cushion of decayed wood dust. Rainbow lorikeets live in noisy flocks. The size of a flock can vary from a few birds to several hundred if food is plentiful. At night the birds settle down in communal roosts, and their loud voices subside to a twitter.

The female lays two white eggs, which she incubates for about 25 days. The male does not help to incubate the eggs, but he takes part in feeding the chicks. Approximately seven or eight weeks after hatching, the chicks are able to fly.

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   Above: Lorikeets often perch in eucalyptus trees.

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FOOD & FEEDING

The rainbow lorikeet has a varied diet. It eats berries, seeds, leaf buds, insects, and larvae, but its favorite foods are pollen, nectar, and fruit. The bird crushes flowers or fruit in its beak and then laps up the juices with its tongue, which has a brushlike tip.

Because large flocks of rainbow lorikeets can cause great damage to orchards, the birds are sometimes hunted and killed by farmers. A flock of rainbow lorikeets can often be found feeding beside other parrots as well as honeyeaters and flowerpeckers. The flock may travel long distances in search of food, landing when one of the birds spots a good food supply.

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The rainbow lorikeet leaves its nighttime roosting site at sunrise to set off in search of food. When the sun becomes too hot, it rests in the shade of a tree. Then the lorikeet feeds until sunset, when it returns to its roost.

KEY FACTS

Length: 10-11 in.

Weight: 3 1/2-5 1/2 oz.

Breeding season: Mainly August to January in Australia but also in most other months.

Eggs: Usually 2, white. Incubation: 3 1/2 weeks.

Fledging period: 7-8 weeks.

Habit: Sociable. Lives in flocks.

Diet: Mainly pollen, nectar, and fruits but also seeds, berries, leaf buds, insects, and larvae,

Call: Sharp screech in flight, chatters while feeding.

--Cocolo 18:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)Lifespan: 10 years in the wild. *[reply]

Did You Know?

The rainbow lorikeet has become a tourist attraction in South Queensland, Australia. Visitors feed the birds a diluted honey mixture.

When feeding from flowers, the rainbow lorikeet transmits pollen from one flower to the next. In doing so, it helps to pollinate shrubs and trees such as coconut palms and eucalyptus trees.

The rainbow lorikeet is very agile. It can hang upside down from a branch to reach the nectar and pollen of flower

                                      --Cocolo 18:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)proto zoa--Cocolo 18:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

23:05, 19 March 2015 (UTC)

11:41, 22 April 2015 (UTC)