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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
If you don't see them - you hear them!
From Wikipedia:
The Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) is a bird common to the eastern seaboard of Australia, ranging from Queensland though to South Australia. It is also found around Perth in Western Australia and north west Tasmania. It is habitat is rainforests, coastal bush and woodland areas.
It feeds mainly on nectar and pollen year round, but will also eat fruit. Breeding is mainly during the Australian spring (September-November), and mated pairs nest in eucalypt tree hollows. During the winter when there is a certain shortage of food, these birds will flock to a house that has put out fruit for them. Rainbow lorikeets are known to be very friendly and will usually eat apple, grapes or pear. Many fruit orchard owners know them as a pest, as they often fly in groups and strip trees containing fresh fruit.
These birds form large flocks, often making a cacophony of loud screeching sounds, especially when feeding. Members of the parrot family, they have the familiar strong hooked beak of this family. Rainbow lorikeets grow to 25-30cm in size, with stocky bodies that support their fast, agile flight. There are 21 different subspecies.
Rainbow lorikeets have strikingly bright colours, with a red beak and eyes, blue head, a light green stripe at the rear of the head and primarily a green body. The stomach is crimson, turning to orange and yellow towards the wings, and violet and dark blue towards the lower body.
Rainbow Lorikeet in Sydney, AustraliaThe birds are a common sight in Australia's leafy urban areas, and will happily eat fruit and other treats left out for them. (A nectar mix is the best to give; bread is bad for them, especially when smothered in jam.)
Hand-reared rainbow lorikeets may be bought from a pet store. They make good pets, having a playful, "larrikin" temperament. They may not be appropriate pets for everyone due to their finicky dietary needs. Note that birds should never be taken from the wild as they are a protected species, and these do not make good pets anyway. |
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