Fun Interesting Lorikeet Facts Facts For Kids

The rainbow lorikeet, commonly called lory or rainbow bird, is native to coastal regions from northern Queensland to the southern and eastern coastline of Australia. They are also found in Perth in Western Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. The long-lived lorikeet bird nests on the trees and bushes of the rainforest and the woodlands. It is omnivorous in nature and feeds mainly on fruit, pollen, buds, nectar. Lories also consume fruits like ficus, trema, papaya, and mangoes. They also enjoy eating crops of apples and feed on maize and sorghum plants. In appearance, they are the most colorful species of birds. Rainbow lorikeets have a deep blue plumage with green color feathers on their head, back, and wings. Their bright red beak looks beautiful which is followed by blue facial feathers and dark grayish-black skin on their feet. Read on to find out quirky and quick facts about the lory birds.

You may also check out the fact files on the peahen and scrub jay from Kidadl.

 

What type of animal is a lorikeet?

The lorikeet (subfamily Loriinae) is a species of parrot belonging to the Psittaculidae family and Trichoglossus gene. Rainbow lorikeets are most commonly found in rainforest, coastal bush, and woodland areas of Australia, Tasmania, Auckland, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.

What class of animal does a lorikeet belong to?

Lorikeets or lories belong to the Animalia kingdom and Aves class.

How many lorikeets are there in the world?

It is estimated that there are 53 species of Lorikeet and 32 subspecies of rainbow lorikeets in the world. Approximately, 13 species of lories are endangered. Their loss of habitat is due to predators like rats and snakes in South Pacific Islands. Rainbow lorikeets are widespread and are commonly found native to coastal regions of the Australian continent, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Tasmania. Therefore, it is considered as the Least Concern category by BirdLife International. Unfortunately, the lorikeet diet consists of fruits like apple, pear, and mangoes therefore they are responsible for crop damage too. In Darwin, Australia, rainbow lorikeets are responsible for tropical fruit crop damage by 80-90%. In New Zealand, the Department of Conservation has encouraged the capture of rainbow lorikeets. They have been declared an Unwanted Organism by the Biosecurity Act, 1993.

Where does a lorikeet live?

Rainbow lorikeet birds are found along the eastern seaboard right from northern Queensland to the southern, eastern, and western coastline of the Australian continent. These birds live in rainforests, coastal bushes, woodlands, and urban areas. They can easily survive in tropical and temperate climate zone. The habitat varies on the availability of lorikeet food and climate changes. In southern Australia, Rainbow Lorikeets are found breeding from late winters to early summers.  

What is a lorikeet's habitat?

Lorikeets live in the trees and bushes of coastal regions, rainforest and woodland areas. They are also found in well-treed urban areas. Lories nesting sites are variable. They may build their nest in the hollows of tall trees like eucalyptus, palm trunks.

Who do lorikeets live with?

The rainbow lorikeet is known for its social, active, and noisy nature. They are often found flying in flocks generally in one or two dozen. They aggressively protect their nesting and feeding area. They strongly chase off the smaller birds and even larger birds like the Australian Magpie. Lories are considered as one of the strongest fliers amongst birds. These birds can fly up to 40 mi (64.4 km) a day for feeding and roosting purposes.

How long does a lorikeet live?

Generally, the life span of lories lies between seven to nine years. However, rainbow lorikeets can live up to 20 years. It is impossible to guess the right age of a lorikeet without seeking this information from its breeder. Lories' age can only be estimated up to the first year of their life. If the lorikeet bird is mature, you have to take the help of the veterinarian to know its exact age.

How do they reproduce?

The lorikeet reaches its sexual maturity around the age of nine months. But they breed after they are two to three years old. They search for suitable nesting by traveling long distances. To lay eggs, lories build their nests 80 ft (24.4 m) high above the ground. The male lorikeet emits a low whistle sound, stretches his neck, and bobs his head. The female lory interest in mating will depend on the closeness to the nest. Once the mating occurs the female lory lays a clutch, or group, of two or three white, oval-shaped eggs in the nest. A pair of mating lorikeets can produce up to three clutches of eggs a season. The lorikeet egg hatches after approximately 25 days incubated by both the male and female lorikeet. Both the parents feed the new hatchlings. The young lory flees from the nest after seven to eight weeks of its birth.

What is their conservation status?

There are 53 species of lorikeet or lories bird found on the planet. Some types of lorikeet are the coconut lorikeet, blue lorikeet, dusky lorikeet, Australian rainbow lorikeet, ultramarine lorikeet, scaly breasted lorikeet, green napped lorikeet, red collared lorikeet, goldie's lorikeet, and red lory. All the species are exceptionally colorful, medium-sized, and high-pitched by vocal sound. The lorikeet diet includes eating flowers, apples, and corn which often causes crop damages. Thus, they are seen as pests in some parts of their range where they are no longer protected. Lories are placed in the Least Concern category by BirdLife International.

What do lorikeets look like?

The rainbow lorikeet has green feathers on its neck. The forehead, cheeks, and crown of rainbow lorikeet are covered with violet and blue streaks. The breast is yellow interspersed with orange. Their breast is bright in color with yellow and orange highlights. The abdomen area of the lories is green in color. Similar to other parrots, lories' beak is hooked and bright red-colored. It is followed by blue facial feathers and dark grayish-black skin on their feet. Lories have a long and flexible tongue which helps them to reach delicious nectar and pollen. The tip of its tongue has a brush-like feature that helps them to sip the nectar of their favorite flowers.

How cute are they?

Lorikeet birds are brilliantly colored with dazzling color combinations. They are fond of eating sweet nectar. If you hold a small cup of nectar or any fruit of Lorikeet's favorite food choice. They will sit on your hand, arm, shoulder, or even your head to get the taste of it! So cute.

How do they communicate?

The lorikeet bird is big chatterbox! It is constantly noisy and active. Lorikeet talking can be heard as a high-pitched tone with frequent squawks. Generally, these birds are social and value interaction with humans. Lorikeet pet owners can spend the whole day long with them as they are too smart and quick to learn the tricks. For example, training a lorikeet can be fun where they are taught hand feeding.

How big is a lorikeet?

The rainbow lorikeet bird size is 12 in (30 cm). They look similar to parrots. The only difference between them is that lory has a longer tail than parrots.

How fast can a lorikeet fly?

The lorikeet bird is an excellent flier. They are swift and aerobatic in flying with a speed of 31 mph (50 kph). They fly in flocks to long distances in search of food.  

How much does a lorikeet weigh?

The rainbow lorikeet weighs somewhere between 2.6-5.5 oz (75-157 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate names for male and female lorikeets. It is difficult to differentiate between both genders and requires a veteran to identify.

What would you call a baby lorikeet?

The baby lory is called a chick. Its eyes are closed when it hatches out from the eggs. Initially, it appears gray, but by the time it turns 40-days-old its body gets covered with juvenile features.

What do they eat?

The lorikeet bird food mainly consists of a sweet diet. The diet mainly includes flower nectar and pollens. These birds also eat crops and frequently visit places where nectar, sunflower seeds, fruits such as apples, pears, corns are found. These birds' diet is considered an important source for balancing our ecosystem. It is because of their eating habits that they are found pollinating many trees.

Are they friendly?

Yes, these birds are human-friendly. They love to play with their beaks if plenty of toys are kept around them. They are easy to socialize with and value human interactions.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, Australians love to keep rainbow lorikeets as a pet. Like young puppies, they also love to play with their family member. The red lory is the second most loved species after the rainbow lorikeet that is kept as a pet. If anybody wants to purchase them for pet purposes, they are available in the market. Lorikeet prices will significantly differ according to the species, quantity, color, rarity, and age.

Did you know...

Lorikeets are one of the most intelligent bird species and display a wide range of emotions such as sadness, boredom, and more. The lory is also prone to feather plucking when it feels neglected. Lorikeet health is also adversely affected if it does not get sufficient mental and physical exercise. As it displays a wide range of emotions, this may be the reason it forms a strong bond with humans. Apart from this, as a pet, lories need a lot of attention. It is because of their semi-liquid and fruit diet, their cage can end up messy. Lorikeet mites can attack them and, may prone to bacterial growth. So, therefore, pet owners should clean the cage regularly.

How is a lorikeet's tongue adapted?

The lorikeet tongue is specialized in feeding nectar. There are 'papillae', a special tiny hair-like structure at the end of the lory tongue, which is brush-like. It helps to extract nectar and pollen that gets soaked up in the tongue of the lorikeets. Due to this unique trait, they have earned the name of brush-tongued parrots.

How much of a lorikeet's day is spent feeding?

Lorikeets love to eat food all day long! These food maniacs spend 70% of their time feeding. These birds can consume 30-40 eucalyptus flowers per minute. In search of food, lory birds can travel a distance ranging from 25-31 mi (40-50 km).

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our Radjah shelduck facts and Muscovy duck facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable red collared lorikeet coloring pages.