Red Lory
Trichoglossus borneus
A spectacular red parrot with an orange bill, scattered dark purple-blue wing markings, a blue base to the undertail, and a dark tail. Juveniles are duller, with less blue. Found in pairs or small groups in the upper levels of forests, mangroves, and plantations within lowlands and foothills. Differs from Blue-eared Lory in the less extensive dark color to the base of the undertail and the absence of blue cheek markings. Noisy, giving harsh shrieks mostly in flight: “EEK” notes and two-tone “kirup” calls.
Identification
The red lory is about 31 cm (12 in) long. They weigh 30-300 grams. It is mostly red and all the plumage of the upper body is red. There are red, blue, and black marks on the back and wings, and the tail is reddish-brown with blue under-tail coverts. The beak is orange and the legs are grey. The irises are red except in E. b. bernsteini, which has brown irises. There is no bare skin at the base of the lower mandible. The male and female have identical external appearance. Juveniles are duller and have brown irises and a brownish beak. Their bills are narrower and less powerful than other types of parrots and their gizzards are generally thin-walled and weak. A defining characteristic of a Lory is their brush tongues with papillae at the tips to help them feed on pollen and nectar.
Taxonomy
In 1751 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the red lory in the fourth volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The long-tailed scarlet lory". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a stuffed specimen that he had purchased from a toyshop in London. He was uncertain of its origin. Edward gave his specimen to the collector Hans Sloane and subsequently a visitor to Sloane's house suggested that the bird may have come from Borneo. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the red lory with the other parrots in the genus Psittacus. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Psittacus borneus and cited Edwards' work. The red lory is now one of six species placed in the genus Eos that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek eōs meaning "dawn". The specific epithet borneus, bornea is a toponym from Borneo. This is an error as the species does not occur on the island.<p>There is some uncertainty as to whether Edwards' plate actually depicts a red lory and the binomial name Eos rubra (Gmelin, 1788) has sometimes been used for this species.<p>The word "lory" comes from the Malay lūri, a name used for a number of species of colourful parrots. The name was used by the Dutch writer Johan Nieuhof in 1682 in a book describing his travels in the East Indies. The spelling "laurey" was used by English naturalist Eleazar Albin in 1731 for a species of parrot from Brazil, and then in 1751 Edwards used the spelling "lory" for five species of parrot from the East Indies. Edwards credited Nieuhof for the name.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Trichoglossus borneus
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Trichoglossus
Range and habitat
Lories and lorikeets live in Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific. The red lory in particular is endemic to the Moluccas and surrounding islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests.It also was introduced to Taiwan.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Blue-headed Coucal
Centropus monachus
Huge coucal with a hefty bill. The head often looks black, but can show a blue sheen. Found close to water in marshes, swamps, and wet scrub. Fairly skulking, though occasionally seen in the open. Massive size is obvious in flight. The call is a slow, deep version of the typical coucal descending and accelerating series of “boop” notes. Very similar to Coppery-tailed Coucal, but there is virtually no overlap in range, and Blue-headed is smaller, with a blue sheen to the head. Similar coloration to Senegal Coucal, but much larger.
Rota White-eye
Zosterops rotensis
A small bird, olive-green above and yellow below, with a bold white eye-ring and a yellow bill. Yellow in front of eye and on throat gives a yellow-faced appearance. Found in tall wet native forest above about 400 meters of elevation, but occasionally down to 200 meters. Voice consists mostly of high-pitched chirping.
Rachel's Malimbe
Malimbus racheliae
A beautiful malimbe locally distributed in Central Africa and restricted to lowland primary forest and its edges, where it is often found high above the ground in small groups or with mixed-species flocks, sometimes with other species of malimbe. Both males and females are wholly black with yellow vents and orange chests that fade to yellow at the edges. Males also have an orange crown and neck, giving them a collared appearance. Overlaps with several other species of malimbe, but distinguished by the yellow vent and orange chest with yellow edges. Calls are short, mechanical squeaks, while the song is a longer series of notes that incorporates dry rasps, similar to the songs of other weavers and malimbes. Rachel’s Malimbe appears to be particularly fond of musanga trees, also known as corkwood or umbrella trees.
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