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Here are our two Rainbow Lorikeets Chubby and Paris tapping out Morse Code.
Chubby and Paris were both rescued from different locations when they were juveniles. For some reason, Paris can't fly and Chubby can just about stay airborne. So they are non-releasables.
Rainbow Lorikeets are a constant source of amusement. They are constantly playing, with behaviour at times more like a kitten than a bird. One of their favourite tricks is to go to sleep lying on their back with feet up in the air, looking rather dead, until the sceam of horror wakes them up and they bound to their feet!
The Rainbow Lorikeet is a medium sized parrot, with the length ranging from 25--30 cm (9.8-11.8 in) in size, and has a wingspan of about 17 cm (6.7 in). The weight varies from 75--157 g (2.6--5.5 oz). The plumage of the nominate race, as with all subspecies, is very bright. The head is deep blue with a greenish-yellow nuchal collar, and the rest of the upperparts (wings, back and tail) are deep green. The chest is red with blue-black barring. The belly is deep green, and the thighs and rump are yellow with deep green barring. In flight a yellow wing-bar contrasts clearly with the red underwing coverts.
There is little to visually distinguish between the sexes, however to a keen observer of their colouring and behaviour, their dimorphism is readily apparent.
Juveniles have a black beak which gradually brightens to orange in the adults.
Rainbow Lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to gathering pollen and nectar from flowers. Nectar from eucalyptus is important in Australia, other important nectar sources are Pittosporum, Grevillea, Spathodea campanulata (African Tulip-tree), and sago palm. In Melanesia coconuts are very important food sources, and Rainbow Lorikeets are important pollinators of these. They also consume the fruits of Ficus, Trema, Mutingia, as well as papaya and mangoes already opened by fruit bats. They also eat crops such as apples, and will raid maize and sorghum. They are also frequent visitors at bird feeders placed in gardens, which supply store-bought nectar, sunflower seeds, and fruits such as apples, grapes and pears.
If you find an injured or sick native animal please contact your local wildlife rescue group. These volunteers are trained to care for native species.
Anybody can become a wildlife carer. For more information go to www.fnpw.org.au/resources/wild...
For more information about native birds and animals go to www.faunarescue.org.au which is an excellent organisation.