Facts about this animal
The rainbow lorikeet has a total length from tip of the bill to the tip of the tail of about 26 cm. The sexes are similar in plumage but the female is smaller and has a shorter bill. The general plumage is very colourful (see pictures), with green, blue, black, red and yellow, but there is a lot of variation between the different sub-species (20 sub-species). The legs are grey. It has a red bill and iris. Immature birds have a duller plumage than the adults, a black-brown bill and brown iris.
T.h. michelli: Bali Lombok.
T.h. forsteni: Sumbawa.
T.h. djampeanus: Tanajampea.
T.h. stresemanni: Kalaotoa.
T.h. fortis: Sumba.
T.h. weberi: Flores.
T.h. capistratus: Timor.
T.h. flavotectus: Wetar and Romang.
T.h. rosenbergii: Biak I, off N Irian Jaya.
T.h. intermedius: N New Guinea and Manam I, from River Sepik E to Astrolabe Bay.
T.h. haematodus: S Moluccas and W Papuan Is, E to NW New Guinea (Humboldt Bay) and S New Guinea (upper River Fly).
T.h. nigrogularis: E Kai Is, Aru Is (except Spirit I) and S New Guinea (from lower river Fly to Princess Marianne Straits).
T.h. brooki: Spirit I, Aru Is.
T.h. micropteryx: E New Guinea, E from Huon Peninsula in N, including Bagabag I and Hall Sound in S.
T.h. nesophilus: Ninigo and Hermit Groups, W of Manus.
T.h. flavicans: Admiralty Is and New Hanover.
T.h. massena: Karka I, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Is and Vanuatu.
T.h. deplanchii: New Caledonia and Loyalty Is.
T.h. moluccanus: Torres Strait Is, E and SE Australia and Tasmania.
T.h. rubritorquis: N Australia. Lowland to lower montane wooded areas of many types. From sea level up to 2400 m.
Did you know?
that these colourful parrots often frequent coastal houses with bird-feeding platforms, or window and balcony rails adorned with honey-soaked bread, and even may mob people by screeching and biting when trying to get food from them?
|Name (Scientific)||Trichoglossus haematodus|
|Name (English)||Rainbow Lorikeet|
|Name (French)||Loriquet à tête bleue|
|Name (Spanish)||Lori arcoiris|
|CITES Status||Appendix II|
|CMS Status||Not listed|
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|Range||Australia, South-eastern Asia|
|Habitat||Different types of habitat, from tropical rainforest to savannah and cultivated land|
|Wild population||Unknown, but common in parts of its range (Red List IUCN 2011)|
|Zoo population||2069 reported to ISIS|
In the Zoo
How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 11C of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
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Why do zoos keep this animal
Being very active, social, vocal and colourful birds, rainbow lorikeets are an ideal ambassador species for Australian and south-east Asian habitats, some of which are threatened, and the fauna of the region.
Rainboiw lorikeets may be displayed in "walk-thru" exhibits allowing for close encounters between the birds and the public. Feeding should, however, be allowed under supervision only.