Rainbow Lorikeets at Wittunga Botanic Gardens
On our visit to the Wittunga Botanic Gardens last week I was very aware of the large number of Rainbow Lorikeets present. Being aware of this species of parrot is easy – just listen. Their screeching is the most obvious thing about them. Next to that is their arrow-like flying in twos and threes from tree to tree. Even if they settle to eat of the nectar in the flowers of the eucalypt trees they are noisy, their contact screeches can be heard from a distance, especially when ten or twenty are feeding in the same tree.
Rainbow Lorikeets
To get them to sit and pose for the camera is not easy. They are constantly on the move amongst the foliage, often very high up in the tree. Then they are on the move from tree to tree as I’ve already mentioned. Consequently, I was rather pleased to managed the photo above. I watched these two for a few minutes. I think that they were recently fledged young. They did not seem to be feeding and just sat there. I didn’t see any adult actually feeding them, but two other birds did approach nearby several times.
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[…] The most conspicuous species was the Rock Dove. Groups of three to five flew overhead or around the nearby buildings every minute or so. The next common species was the Rainbow Lorikeet. Small flocks of up to six or eight went screeching from tree to tree at least every five minutes. Noisy Miners squabbled and carried on in nearby trees all day. I was surprised none came down to the lawn to search for dropped food. Perhaps the large crowd was too intimidating even for them. I also observed two Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos over the Torrens River, several Adelaide Rosellas (a sub-species of the Crimson Rosella) flying nearby and a single Magpie Lark. Surprisingly, I also saw only one Crested Pigeon all day. They are a very common species in the parklands. […]
[…] in the Clare Valley the Musk Lorikeet seems to be the dominant species, but I have also recorded Rainbow Lorikeets from time to time. The Purple Crowned Lorikeet may also be found in this area. In Murray Bridge […]
[…] Rainbow Lorikeets at Wittunga Botanic Gardens – this is one of Australia’s most colourful birds. […]