Biak Lorikeet
Also known as:
Rosenberg's Lorikeet, Shawl-collared Lorikeet
Also known as:
Rosenberg's Lorikeet, Shawl-collared Lorikeet
DID YOU KNOW?
The Biak Lorikeet was once conspecific (a subspecies of) with the Rainbow Lorikeet.
Size:
26 cm (10 in)
Weight:
100-157 g (3.5-5.5 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Both adults red band bordering the broad yellow collar; head more evidently streaked lilac/blue; wide purple/blue barring on breast; dark purple abdomen; underwing stripe orange. Orange beak.
Colour Juvenile:
As in adults.
Call:
Repeated notes, sharp, rolling while in flight. Shrill chattering while feeding. Soft notes at rest.
More Information:
Content Sources:
Wikipedia
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Captive Status:
Uncommon
Longevity:
20 yrs in the wild, 15-25 yrs in captivity.
Housing:
Enclosure with drain in floor, or suspended cage over tiled or concrete floor.
Diet:
Nectar – a commercial type specially formulated for small species or a mix of baby cereal (lactose-free) and honey, malt extract or molasses, mixed with filtered water, made fresh once or twice daily, making up at least 40 percent of the diet; vegetables and fruit especially apple, pear, orange, cactus fruits and bananas, and one or more daily of: carrot, fresh corn, green leaves; plus dried figs soaked in water for a few hours, spray millet and a small amount of soaked or sprouted sunflower seed and small amount of canary seed.
Enrichment:
Loves bathing, hanging toys, puzzle/foraging toys, foot toys, ladders, swings, socialising; noisy toys (bells, squeakers), bird-safe chewables (vegetable-tanned leather, safe woods).
Nest Box Size:
L-shaped box, 51 cm x 36 cm (20 x 14 in).
Clutch Size:
2 to 3
Fledging Age:
8-9 weeks
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
2500-10,000 mature individuals, rapidly decreasing.
IUCN Red List Status:
Vulnerable
CITES Listing:
Not Listed
Threat Summary:
Loss of forest from logging and agriculture, and likely capture for the wild bird trade. Recent reports suggest that the species is undergoing a rapid population decline. Visiting birdwatchers have noted that the species was difficult to locate in 2019, while it was common five years previously.
Range:
Occurs on Biak Island, Geelvink Bay, West Papua.
Habitat:
Most common in lowlands but found up to 2400 m (7872 ft). Wide variety of areas including settlements, forest, coconut plantations, savanna, Eucalyptus stands and mangroves.
Wild Diet:
Feeds mainly on nectar but will also take figs, insects and can be found around man-made feeding stations.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Found in mixed flocks with other parrots; in small noisy groups. Nomadic, as they are dependent on flowering trees. Roosts communally in groups of hundreds of birds. Will also roost and nest on the ground on some of the predator-free islands. Displays frequently.
Clutch and Egg Size:
2 to 3 ovate eggs, 27.0 x 22.5 mm (1 x 0.9 in).
Breeding Season:
Breeding recorded most months in Indonesia.
Related Links:
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