Fun Rainbow Lorikeet Facts For Kids

Rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) are found across the regions of eastern Australia and northern Australia. This species of bird is also found in Perth (western Australia) and Tasmania because of an aviary escape or release, or by natural introduction. Rainbow lorikeets satisfy the meaning of their name with bright green feathers on their heads, backs, and wings. Their bellies and faces have a blue plumage with bright red chest which bring out the highlights of orange and yellow on their sides. These parrots are one of the prettiest birds that exists in the world and to catch a glimpse of this parrot is a joy for any birdwatcher!

They are found in abundance with a total population of over five million. They are friendly and intelligent individuals, and rainbow lorikeet parrots are considered to be the largest among the family of lorikeets.

If you liked these true facts about rainbow lorikeets, then you'll surely like these facts about Nicobar pigeon and monk parakeet too!

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What type of animal is a rainbow lorikeet?

Rainbow lorikeets belong to 130 species and subspecies of Loriinae, and these species are hard to miss because of their green, red, blue, and violet color with highlights of orange and yellow plumage. Their remarkable appearance and friendly temperament make these species popular.

What class of animal does a rainbow lorikeet belong to?

Rainbow lorikeets belong to the Aves class of animals. This type of bird is a bipedal, feathered, and endothermic egg-laying animal.

How many rainbow lorikeets are there in the world?

With a population exceeding more than 5 million, this species is extremely common. In a few areas, they are considered to be pests as they destroy fruit plantations and raid maize fields. They lay the trees bare of their fruits and make loud noises and litter areas with their droppings.

Where does a rainbow lorikeet live?

Rainbow lorikeets are found mainly in places such as woodlands, rainforests, and urban areas with many trees. These species also inhabit wooded counties and lowlands such as swamp forests or vegetation near the ground.

What is a rainbow lorikeet's habitat?

A rainbow lorikeet is found in coastal regions of eastern and northern Australia, and in Perth (western Australia) and Tasmania by introduction, initiated by an aviary escape or a planned release.

Their habitat has a wide variety including coconut plantations, eucalyptus stands, savannah, mangroves, swamp forests, and human settlements in forests.

Who do rainbow lorikeets live with?

Rainbow lorikeets are monogamous and remain paired for life. They are usually seen flying together in pairs and occasionally fly as a flock but scatter again in their pairs.

How long does a rainbow lorikeet live?

A rainbow lorikeet's average lifespan is 25 years in the wild. With proper care and diet, these parrots can live up to 30 years in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

Rainbow lorikeets wander and pro-create the entire year and reach the age of sexual maturity at the age of two. This species is monogamous and they spend their life with a single partner. During the breeding season, their courtship process includes swinging up and down, fanning their tails, wing fluttering, head-bobbing, and bill fencing.

The litter size of a rainbow lorikeet is between one to three eggs, which takes 25 days for incubation. A male does not assist during the incubation period and it is solely taken care of by females.

What is their conservation status?

The total population of rainbow lorikeets is more than 5 million, making them extremely common birds in their regions. However, this species is rare in Bali.

What do rainbow lorikeets look like?

A rainbow lorikeet is a majestic and colorful bird just as its name suggests, with an orange beak and blue neck, back and wings covered in green feathers with yellow spots on its wing when opened. It is difficult to differentiate males from females as they look identical. Only a vet can check the gender of this bird by surgical testing or DNA analysis to determine the sex by their feather.

How cute are they?

Yes, these birds are very cute. They can win over anyone with their friendly, energetic, and comical behavior. With their beautiful and colorful plumage, they justify their name of being called a rainbow.

How do they communicate?

The rainbow lories are highly intelligent, smart, and superb talkers. They can easily learn numerous words and phrases to communicate with their human breeders. These birds have a high-pitched squeaky squeal which is extremely irritating to some people. During the breeding season, they are extremely noisy and a male will use its wings to display and attract a female as a part of courtship.

How big is a rainbow lorikeet?

An adult rainbow lorikeet can grow up to 9.8-11.8 in (25-30 cm) in length from the head to the tip of its tail. This species is considered to be the largest among the other species of lorikeets. Compared to Glossopsitta pusilla (little lorikeets) which is the smallest of the species and grows a total length of 5.5-6.2 in (14-16 cm), rainbow lorikeets are double their size.

How fast can a rainbow lorikeet fly?

The speed of rainbow lorikeets is 31 mph (50 kph) and can fly up to 40 mi (64 km) in search of food and it is often found that they fly in a group of more than 10.

How much does a rainbow lorikeet weigh?

An adult rainbow lorikeet weighs up to 2.6–5.5 oz (75-157 g), while males are slightly larger than females. Compared to the smallest lorikeet weighing up to 1.4 oz (40 g), rainbow lories are almost triple in weight.

What are their male and female names of the species?

At present, no particular names have been assigned to the specific gender of this species but the males and females can be called a cock and hen respectively.

What would you call a baby rainbow lorikeet?

Baby rainbow lorikeets are called 'chicks' and only females will incubate the eggs while males provide the food.

What do they eat?

A rainbow lorikeet's diet consists of fruits, nectar, and pollen. They are key pollinators of coconuts. Rainbow lorikeets also eat mangoes and papaya that are already opened by bats, apples, and maize. A rainbow lorikeet tongue possesses a unique brushed tip that allows it to brush it into flowers to collect nectars and pollens. They are also found near human habitats, visiting gardens to feed on fruits.

Are they dangerous?

Rainbow lorikeets are a species of bird known for affection and their caring, friendly, and comical nature. They are easy to socialize with and friendly but when it comes to their territory they tend to become jealous. This species can become aggressive towards other birds.

Would they make a good pet?

Rainbow lorikeets will make excellent pets as they are highly intelligent, smart, beautiful, attractive, and active birds. This species require a lot of exercise to maintain their health. This bird can easily learn tricks and is an extremely smart escape artist. They require a large cage and lots of toys to keep themselves busy.

A rainbow lorikeet pet is an excellent choice for people who have lots of free time to spend with their pets. These birds need a large cage, made out of metal because they can tear apart the wooden cage with their beaks. You can easily find a rainbow lorikeet price from $600-1000 USD. While purchasing or adopting these birds, you should choose bright and active lorikeets with smooth feathers indicating that they are in good health.

Did you know...

A newborn lorikeet is not born with an orange beak. They usually have a black beak which turns orange after they grow. It is very difficult to determine the gender of this species as they are identical.

Lories share spaces with other lories and they build nests in the same trees along with others. They only become aggressive when it comes to territory disputes. They are seen chasing off smaller birds such as little wattlebirds and the noisy miners.

Lories are extremely active birds and they need a lot of physical exercise and activities to keep them busy and prevent them from becoming depressed.

Lories are considered to be helpful in pollinating flowers as they move from one flower to another in search of nectar and pollen.

Two unique features of rainbow lorikeets are that they possess a tongue with brush-type tissues helping them to collect nectar and pollen. The other unique feature is their agile legs which help them to hang upside-down and feed on bottlebrush flowers.

Can rainbow lorikeets talk?

Rainbow lorikeets are intelligent and superb talkers. They can easily learn to say numerous words and phrases. However, these birds are considered to be extremely noisy with their high-pitched frequent squeals.

How should you care for a rainbow lorikeet?

A rainbow lorikeet's diet consists of fruit, nectar, and pollen. They can be fed fruits such as pears, apples, melons, grapes, and oranges. You should avoid feeding them avocado, chocolate, or processed food as they cannot digest these types of foods.

Also, the diet of a rainbow lorikeet consists of sugary nectars which are vulnerable to the growth of bacteria. You should always clean the food cups after feeding them.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including horned lark, or green parakeet.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our parakeet coloring pages.‍