General Information

Lorikeets travel in flocks of 15 to 20 birds.  Sometimes they will fly together, and there will be hundreds of birds combing the countryside for food. They are amusing pets whose behavior at times is more reminiscent of a kitten than a bird.  One of their favorite tricks is to go to sleep lying on their back with feet up in the air, looking quite dead, until the scream of horror wakes them up, and they bound to their feet!

Physical Description

Rainbow lorikeets have brightly colored, glossy feathers in rainbow hues and coral-red beaks.  They are slender birds, with long tails that taper off.  Each is about 11 inches in length, with a wingspan of up to 7 inches, and weighs approximately 5 to 6 ounces.

Diet

In the wild, they eat nectar and pollen mainly from eucalyptus and melaleuca trees, and fruits, especially apples, pears, berries, seeds, and small insects and grubs.  They also enjoy the unripe, milky grain of corn and sorghum crops.

Habitat

The ornate Lorikeet is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. Rainbow lorikeets are wandering birds and go wherever they can find food.  They are also very fast and are capable of traveling long distances. Lorikeets have even been seen flying out over the oceans.

Reproduction

Lorikeets nest in the hollow of a tree trunk or in a cavity at the end of a broken branch.  Breeding season is from May to December.  Females lay two eggs.  Incubation takes 24 days and is usually done only by the female although the male roosts in the hollow at night.  Both parents feed and take care of the young once they are hatched.  At 7 to 8 weeks, the young fly away from the nest during the day but return each evening to roost.  By 9 to 10 weeks, they leave the nest and are completely independent.