Swainsons Rainbow Lorikeet Natural History
Size
The length of this species can vary from 25 to 30cm while its weight tends to be around 100g.
Habitat and Distribution
These birds live in Eastern Australia and Tasmania where they prefer the cover of dense forests.
Age
20 years is an average life span for this species.
Diet
The majority of this bird’s diet is made up of fruits, pollen and nectar.
Groups and Breeding
This species does not tend to live in large flocks, preferring smaller flocks or even pairs. Nests are made in tree hollows where they will lay 1 to 3 eggs which hatch after around 25 days.
Threats
In its natural range and habitat it is not threatened in the wild, however in some areas of Australia these birds have been released or escaped from people homes. In such areas the damage which they do to orchards they have been declared a pest.
Interesting Facts
The tongue of this species is textured at the end to help them gather nectar and pollen from flowers.
Swainson’s Rainbow Lorikeets During Your Day Out in Kent
You can see the Swainson’s Rainbow Lorikeets at Wingham Wildlife Park in the Tropical House. They share this exhibit with many other species such as Zebra Finches, a Blue Crowned Pigeon and a Speckled Pigeon.
The more you know…
Want to know more about this animal? Check out our keeper blogs about them here.