Striated Lorikeet
Charmosyna multistriata
A rare, medium-sized lorikeet of foothill and lower montane forest. Green body with yellow-green striations on the face and underparts, and a gray band from the eye around the back of the head. Bicolored bill is blue-gray above and orange-yellow below. In flight, lacks the yellow bar in the wing or any red. Travels in pairs or small groups, but gathers in larger groups at flowering trees. Similar to Goldie’s Lorikeet but Striated has light streaks and lacks the pink face. Sounds like other closely-related species.
Taxonomy
The striated lorikeet was formally described in 1911 by the English zoologist Walter Rothschild under the binomial name Charmosynopsis multistriata. The species was formerly placed in the genus Charmosyna but was moved to a new monotypic genus Synorhacma based on phylogenetic studies of the lorikeets published in 2020. The name Synorhacma is an anagram of Charmosyna.
- Scientific name
- Charmosyna multistriata
- Authority
- (Rothschild, 1911)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Charmosyna
Range and habitat
The species is native to mountain forests of the central mountain ranges in West Papua (province), Indonesia and central Papua New Guinea (particularly the Ok Tedi River region). It is believed to be possibly nomadic.
- Migration
- Nomadic movement
Conservation
The striated lorikeet's habitat is threatened by deforestation to make way for farms and mines (especially copper and gold), and is also believed to be under pressure from recent severe weather events.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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