Iris Lorikeet
Trichoglossus iris
A small green parrot with a red forehead, an orange bill, a dark purple eye patch and crown, and a yellow collar. Juveniles show a brown bill. Found in small groups, mainly in the foothills, in forest and a variety of wooded areas. Confined to Wetar and Timor, where it overlaps with the larger and longer-tailed Marigold and Olive-headed Lorikeets. Iris Lorikeet shows a red forehead and pale throat, lacking the dark-hooded appearance of those lorikeets. Gives high-pitched screeches, “eeek,” similar to other lorikeets, but less harsh.
Identification
The iris lorikeet is 20 cm (8 in) long. It is mostly green with pale-green transverse striations on its underside. The head is red above the eye and there is a purple band from the eyes extending over the ears. The beak is red-orange, the iris is orange, and the legs are bluish-grey. The male and female are almost identical, but the red on the head of the female is paler and less extensive. Juveniles resemble females, but have a brownish bill, brown irises, duller purple bands and less red on the head. The extent and shade of the red and purple on the head varies between two or three subspecies.
Taxonomy
The iris lorikeet was formerly placed in the genus Psitteuteles but was moved to a newly introduced genus Saudareos based on the results of a molecular genetic analysis of the lorikeets published in 2020.There are two or three poorly differentiated subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Trichoglossus iris
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1835)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Trichoglossus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Subdesert Brush-Warbler
Nesillas lantzii
Medium-sized pale-brown bird with a long, spiky tail. Endemic to Madagascar, where it is found in southwestern spiny forest and scrub. Skulks in thick undergrowth. Incessantly given call is a Geiger counter-like ticking. Paler brown than Madagascar Brush-Warbler, with a higher-pitched call and little overlap in range. Similar to Madagascar Swamp-Warbler, but is paler, has less distinct breast streaking and a white eyebrow, and is generally found in scrub or spiny forest rather than marsh.
Giant Pitta
Hydrornis caeruleus
Extremely elusive and rarely-seen ground-dweller; listen instead for its haunting whistle. If seen, overall size and chunkiness alone should be sufficient to distinguish this species from other pittas. Male has bright blue wings and a grayish head with a thin black line curving downwards from behind the eye. Female is browner overall, with a blue rump and warm rufous-brown wings. Rare in lowland and foothill forests, particularly in swampy or riparian areas.
South American Painted-Snipe
Nycticryphes semicollaris
Distinctive and attractive, but a rarely seen denizen of fresh and brackish wetlands, especially with shallow water and low to knee-high grasses; also found on lakeshores with taller reeds and rushes. Occasionally seen feeding quietly at edge of vegetation, but mostly seen when flushed from close range. Flies up silently with stiff flicking wingbeats and brief glides, long legs trailing, and drops back to cover usually not far away. Note bold white spots on wings and droop-tipped bill. Related to jacanas, not closely related to the typical snipe.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.