Rainbow Lorikeet
Trichoglossus moluccanus
Familiar, large lorikeet. Very colorful, with a bright red breast, blue/black belly and head, as well as a red bill. Very conspicuous, often observed calling loudly while flying overhead or feeding. Note the much longer tail than Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. No range overlap with Red-collared Lorikeet, which has an orange breast and neck. Found in a wide range of habitats, including urban areas. In the evening and early morning can be seen roosting in very large, noisy flocks.
Identification
The rainbow lorikeet is a medium-sized parrot, with the length ranging from 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) including the tail, and the weight varies from 75 to 157 g (2.6–5.5 oz). The plumage of the nominate race, as with all subspecies, is very bright and colorful. The head is deep blue with a greenish-yellow nuchal collar, and the rest of the upper parts (wings, back and tail) are green. The chest is orange/yellow. The belly is deep blue, and the thighs and rump are green. In flight a yellow wing-bar contrasts clearly with the red underwing coverts. There is little to visually distinguish between the sexes.<p>Juveniles have a black beak, which gradually brightens to orange in the adults.<p>The markings of Trichoglossus moluccanus resemble those of the coconut lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus), but with a blue belly and a more orange breast with little or no blue-black barring.
Taxonomy
The rainbow lorikeet was formally listed in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin under the binomial name Psittacus moluccanus. Gmelin cited the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon who in 1779 had published a description of "La Perruche à Face Bleu" in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The species was illustrated as the "Peluche des Moluques" and as the "Perruche d'Amboine". Gmelin was misled and coined the specific epithet moluccanus as he believed the specimens had come from the Moluccas. The type locality was changed to Botany Bay in Australia by Gregory Mathews in 1916. The rainbow lorikeet is now placed in the genus Trichoglossus that was introduced in 1826 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:<p>The rainbow lorikeet has often included the red-collared lorikeet (T. rubritorquis) as a subspecies, but today most major authorities consider it separate. Additionally, a review in 1997 led to the recommendation of splitting off some of the most distinctive taxa from the Lesser Sundas as separate species, these being the scarlet-breasted lorikeet (T. forsteni), the marigold lorikeet (T. capistratus) and the Flores lorikeet (T. weberi). This is increasingly followed by major authorities. In 2019 The rainbow lorikeet in Australia was split into three: rainbow, coconut (Trichoglossus haematodus) and red-collared lorikeets (Trichoglossus rubritorquis).<p>Three syntypes of Trichoglossus novaehollandiae septentrionalis Robinson (Bull. Liverpool Mus., 2, 1900, p.115) are held in the vertebrate zoology collection of National Museums Liverpool at World Museum, with accession numbers NML-VZ 23.7.1900.4, NML-VZ 23.7.1900.4a, and NML-VZ 23.7.1900.4b. The specimens were collected in Cooktown, Queensland, Australia by E. Olive. The specimens came to the Liverpool national collection via purchase from H. C. Robinson.
- Scientific name
- Trichoglossus moluccanus
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Trichoglossus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Nomadic
Behavior
Migration pattern: Nomadic.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-tufted Sunbeam
Aglaeactis castelnaudii
Large, dark hummingbird that inhabits a restricted range in the high Peruvian Andes. Dark orangey brown, with a rich golden tail, an iridescent purple back, and a bold white tuft on the breast. Compared to the similar Shining Sunbeam, has a darker brown head and body and a much brighter white chest patch. Found in semi-humid scrub at high elevations, especially around intermontane valleys.
Bahama Oriole
Icterus northropi
A sleek inhabitant of wooded areas that will venture into gardens and parks in search of flowers and fruit; prefers areas with palms. The adult is distinctive with a black back, head, and chest contrasting with a bright yellow to yellow-orange belly, rump, and shoulders. Immatures are yellow-green to yellow-orange, sometimes with a scraggly black beard, but note the bright yellowish shoulders. Female and immature Orchard Orioles are similar, but are smaller, and lack the bright shoulders. Song consists of lilting whistled notes rising up and down in patch. Calls include a whistled “suh-wee-eee, a quick “pwi” or “pwit-pwit,” and a scratchy “weet.”
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Phylloscopus coronatus
A boldly marked songbird, rather large for a leaf warbler, usually seen foraging in the canopy. From below, a bright yellow vent and broad orange-based bill distinguish it from most other local leaf- warblers. Crisp yellow-tinged olive above, with very weak thin wingbars and black-bordered white eyebrow. Pale crown stripe is often not visible. Similar to Claudia's, Blyth's, and Hartert's Leaf- Warblers but head pattern is more powerfully contrasting in Eastern Crowned. Song is a burst of two or three “wi-tcher” calls, followed by a wheezy and tuneless “reee.” Unlike other leaf-warblers, seldom calls on wintering grounds but sometimes gives a brief “fit” or sweeter “chi” (the latter sounding like Ijima’s common call). Breeds in openings, edges, and cuts in well-forested areas; can be found in a wide range of wooded habitats when not breeding.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.