by Jennifer Bioche

Created on: December 27, 2009

Well known in Australia, this stunningly colorful parrot is a favorite among bird lovers and is a popular pet in this country.  Their beautiful colors include patches of dark blue, red, yellow, purple, and green. There are different variations of the Rainbow Lorikeet. The South Queensland Rainbows have a red chest, whereas the North Queensland variation is more orange-chested.

Found mostly in the eastern part of the country, they dwell in rain forests, coastal bushes, woodland areas and cities that have the desired trees.  They are also found in other parts of Asia, such as Indonesia, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands.

This exotic bird is small in size, only weighing about 130 grams, with a height around 10 inches, and a wingspan near 7 inches. However, they have a hearty appetite and feed regularly, finding most of their food in trees including pollen, nectar, and blossoms, mostly from fruit and berries. They can also be found around man made feeders and have been known to eat sunflower seeds and fruits such as apples, grapes and pears. This can be a problem for orchard growers, and recently the Rainbow Lorikeet was classified as a pest by the Australian government. Pretty as they are, Rainbows have been known to ruin up to 90 percent of a fruit crop, and there is now a penalty for releasing pet Lorikeets into the wild.

They are rather well known for making excellent pets as they tame easily and are quick to engage, often being very entertaining for owners and spectators. Since they are so active, they require a large cage, and clean up can be busy as they stool regularly. They require plenty of toys, and will even roll on their backs for you, hoping you’ll play with them. For feeding, you can try homemade recipes using baby cereal, breadcrumbs and pollen mixture, or purchase commercial food for them.

Rainbow Lorikeets like to travel in flocks, and when in trees can range up to the thousands. They also like to travel in pairs, can be very active and some may even say a nuisance for noise. They tend to quiet down during mating season.

A lorikeet will reach breeding age by two years; a nest will be built for two eggs which will take around 25 days to hatch. Lorikeets have both parents feed the newborn until around day 55.

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