Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet
Place to admire: Tropical Paradise
Scientific name: Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus
IUCN-status: Least concern
General information
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet has several enemies, or predators. Birds of prey in general are predators of the Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet. Because they can live together in large groups, they are less likely to be in danger from predators. The predators are quickly spotted when they invade. The group then makes a loud beeping sound, after which the entire group flies away together. In addition, the Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet also use “sentinels” during feeding when they live together in groups.
Habitat
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet lives on the Torre Islands, in eastern and southeastern Australia, and in Tasmania. In these areas, this bird species prefers forested habitat or savanna in tropical climates.
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet prefers many types of vegetation, such as forested areas, mangroves, monsoon forests, forests riparian forests, secondary forests and heathlands. This bird species is also found in street trees of parks and suburban gardens. The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet prefers edges and disturbed vegetation rather than dense and closed vegetation.
Diet
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet eats nectar and pollen from tree and shrub species native to the Torre Islands Strait, Australia and Tasmania. Some examples include: Eucalyptus trees, Coral trees, Lampshades and Palms. In addition, this magnificent bird species also eats fruits, such as Ficus, Trema, Citrus, Papaya and Mango.
During the breeding season, the Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet may also occasionally eat invertebrates. These invertebrates contain carbohydrates and proteins that promote chick growth.
Appearance
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet has a size of 25 to 30 centimeters. Its weight is 75 to 157 grams. The animal has an orange to red bill. The head colors blue to deep brown with light violet spots. The neck collar is yellow in color. The rest of the upper body and tail color green with a dusky yellow. The breast has an even orange color and the belly is blue. The thighs and undertail coverts are yellow with dark green streaks. The underwing feathers color orange with a broad yellow underwing stripe.
There is no difference between the appearance of a male and a female.
Social behavior
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet typically does not live alone. This species of bird lives in pairs and in large groups. The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet also lives monogamous. This means that they have the same partner for a long time (including a lifetime).
The male starts mating behavior. As the male sits alongside the female, he fully extends himself vertically. He extends his neck feathers fully upward. Then the male hangs upside down, hops sideways off the perch and turns from side to side. This is often accompanied by a low single whistle.
If the female is interested, she will respond in the same way. The pair then displays this behavior for several minutes before copulation occurs. If the female is not interested in the male, she will avoid or even peck the male.
Natural behavior
The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet nests in burrows of old trees. In addition, this species also nests in native eucalyptus trees or on platforms formed by leaves of Date and Cotton palms. In the suburbs, the Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet also nests in Palms. This is because cavities are scarce.
This species does not exhibit hostile behavior toward others unless they come too close to the nest. In some cases, they also nest colonially, with several pairs inhabiting a single tree. In addition, other bird species also nest in the same tree without hostility.
This bird species flies 50 kilometers between roosting and feeding grounds to find food. The Swainson’s Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet mainly eats nectar and pollen. This this species collects with its long, narrow tongue with brush tips. The feeding session is done in groups (if they live in groups) or as pairs. During the feeding session, you can hear the Loris bicker loudly. They do this to “fight” for the best piece of nectar, pollen or fruit. These disruptions within the feeding session is completely normal and natural. In this way, they try to intimidate each other. So don’t be alarmed if you hear them bickering at Mondo Verde!