Rainbow Lorikeet

This one landed in our tree by our deck at breakfast time today. I could not get very close but I did manage to catch him yawning, showing us his stubby little tongue at the same time. His colouring is extraordinary and lorikeets are one of my favourite parrots. See him in Technicolor!

Lorikeets are native birds found in coastal areas around Australia. Although there are six different native species, the two most commonly kept species are the Rainbow Lorikeet and the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet.

Lorikeets are small to medium sized parrots and range in size from 150mm (6") to 400mm (16"). The colour of the bird depends upon the species and the variation with in that species.

Most lorikeets are outgoing in nature and are highly gregarious and if not in the company of other birds will fulfill their need for company with people or other pets. Lorikeets are intelligent and can be trained, some even talk.

Lorikeets are one of the few parrots that eat mainly nectar and pollen and when really hungry they also eat seeds.