Red-collared Lorikeet
Trichoglossus rubritorquis
Large lorikeet. Very colorful, with a bright orange breast and neck, blue/black belly and head, and red bill. Very conspicuous, often observed calling loudly while flying overhead or feeding. Varied Lorikeet is much smaller and shorter-tailed; no range overlap with Rainbow Lorikeet, which has a yellow neck and red breast. Found in a wide range of habitats. In the evening and early morning can be seen roosting in very large, noisy flocks.
Identification
The red-collared lorikeet measures around 26 centimetres (10 in) long. The feathers of the head and throat are dark brown with blue shafts. There is an orange-red band on the back of the neck. The chest is orange with red. The base of the hindneck is dark blue. The wings are green. The bill is red. The legs and feet are grey-brown. The sexes are similar in plumage while the juvenile has duller plumage and a dark bill.<p>The red-collared lorikeet is distinguished from the rainbow lorikeet by the latter's green rather than red nape, the lack of a blue mantle and more yellow-green underparts. The two may both occur where their ranges abut east of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Taxonomy
Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield described the red-collared lorikeet in 1827. The species name is derived from the Latin words ruber "red" and torquis "neck".<p>Molecular analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome b showed the red-collared lorikeet is most closely related to a lineage that gave rise to the marigold lorikeet and sunset lorikeet of Indonesia. It is more distantly related to the rainbow lorikeet, the two distinct lineages colonising Australia independently. <p>No subspecies are recognised, and there is no regional variation.<p>"Red-collared lorikeet" has been designated as the official common name for the species by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). Other common names include orange-naped lorikeet and (incorrectly) blue bonnet.
- Scientific name
- Trichoglossus rubritorquis
- Authority
- Vigors & Horsfield, 1827
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Trichoglossus
Range and habitat
The red-collared lorikeet is found across northern Australia, from King Sound in Western Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It lives in woodland, open forest and rainforest, and has adapted to urban environments readily, being found in towns and cities. The species is sedentary, though follows food supply, such as banksias in flower in April and May on Groote Eylandt.
- Migration
- Nomadic
Behavior
Migration pattern: Nomadic.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pacific Koel
Eudynamys orientalis
Large cuckoo known for its loud distinctive calls. Bright red eye. Males entirely black. Females barred with varying patterns, a black crown and a strong moustache. Occurs in a variety of habitats, fairly common in suburban areas. Strong migrant, spending the middle of the year in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and migrating south into eastern Australia during the austral summer. Calls are very loud, often heard at night or pre-dawn, including a piercing ‘coo-eee’, and a longer ‘wirra-wirra-wirra’ (similar to a car alarm).
White-winged Lark
Alauda leucoptera
Handsome lark with flashing white wing patches. Note streaky gray-brown back, white underparts, and warm rufous shoulder; male also has distinct red cap and ear coverts. Forages in large flocks outside of the breeding season. Favors wide expansive dry steppelands and fields; occasionally encountered in agricultural areas. Song is a jumble of trills, chirps, harsh rasps, and twittering notes.
Orange-necked Partridge
Arborophila davidi
Small, intricately patterned forest partridge, found only in a very small area of Vietnam and an even smaller patch of far eastern Cambodia. Somewhat similar in appearance to Bar-backed Partridge; look out for a white throat, thicker black line through the eye, and finer, less prominent white “scale” markings on the side. Orange tinge on the throat is weak and not always noticeable in the gloom of the dense hill forest understory. Gives an ascending series of pleasant whistles.
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