Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus - Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Photo: Copyright © by Murray Hubbard – see more of his photos at Instagram @birdsofaussie
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet – Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus (Kuhl, 1820) – is a medium-sized parrot endemic to Australia.
Next to the Rainbow Lorikeet it is probably the most common lorikeet in aviaries. Like other lorikeets they make great pets as they are very funny and love to play.
Description
The Scaly-breasted Lorikeet has an overall green colour with yellow “scales” on the breast and the neck. The underwings are red-orange. The beak is red. The eyes are orange-red.
Both male and female look similar.
Size: 23-24 cm
Subspecies
None.
Habitat
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet is native to eastern Australia from northern Queensland to central New South Wales.
It lives in lowland eucalypt forests and woodlands but also occurs in urban areas with trees like gardens and parks, especially where there are flowering eucalypts and umbrella trees.
Diet
The diet consist of fruit and nectar; the lorikeets use their special brush like tongue to drink nectar from flowers. They mostly feed on eucalypts but also from shrubs like banksia, melaleuca and callistemon.
They feed in flocks and are sometimes accompanied by Rainbow Lorikeets.
Provide some nectar (either commercial or home made) as the main part of the daily diet; also give plenty of fruit and vegetables and add some spray millet and sprouted seeds.
Aviculture
The nest is build 3-25m above the ground in a hollow limb or where branch has broken from a eucalypt tree. Both the male and female build the nest by chewing of pieces of wood.
They are relatively easy to breed in captivity; they can breed in pairs or in a small colony. Use a box or log with a size of 20 x 20 and 30 cm tall as nest box.
The eggs are laid on a bed of decayed wood. The clutch contains 1-3 eggs – usually 2 eggs. The female incubates the eggs for 22-23 days while the male provide food for her. Both adults feed the chicks.
Taxonomy
- Order: Psittaciformes
- Family: Psittaculidae
- Genus: Trichoglossus
Synonyms
- Danish: Skælbrystet Lori
- English: Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
- French: Loriquet à poitrine squameuse, Loriquet écaillé, Loriquet vert
- German: Schuppenlori
- Portuguese: Lóris-verde-de-peito-escamosos
- Spanish: Lori Escuamiverde, Tricogloso de Pecho Escamos
- Scientific: Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
IUCN Red List
BirdLife International 2018. Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22684567A132055702.
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22684567A132055702.en
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Photo: Copyright © by Murray Hubbard @birdsofaussie