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LORIKEETS SLEEPING/NESTING TUNNELS UNDER TREES

To: "desley williams" <>,
Subject: LORIKEETS SLEEPING/NESTING TUNNELS UNDER TREES
From: Michael Todd <>
Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 20:04:12 +1000
Hello Desley and other lorikeet watchers,

Others are sure to know more about this but I have more than a couple of times seen captive Rainbow Lorikeets digging tunnels in the earthen floors of aviaries. At least in one case that I can remember there were apparently sufficient nest logs and boxes in the aviary so I am a little doubtful that the lorikeets only do it because there is a shortage of natural hollows in the wild.

I had always wondered whether it was a case of aviary bred rainbows going a bit bonkers but your observations of wild rainbows doing it suggets that it might be a natural behaviour.

Someone with HANZAB might care to take a quick look to see if the behaviour is mentioned there.

Cheers

Mick Todd
Griffith, NSW


At 05:19 AM 29/09/02 +0000, desley williams wrote:
Hello Birding-Aus members From Desley Williams, I am still at the Sunshine Coast.

Does anyone have any records or information on R. Lorikeets roosing/nesting in tunnels under trees? Last night whilst my brother Norris and I were walking our dogs (Dalmation Pongo and Daschund Larry) along the Maroochy River path (corner Minti and Bradman Ave.), Pongo began digging into a burrow under the base of a eucalypt when a Lorikeet called out. We restrained the anxious dogs and checked the site by torch light, finding Rainbow Lorikeet feathers and the sounds of 1-2 birds at the end of the tunnel. The dogs then sniffed into tunnels under two other nearby eucalpyts, as there were no bird calls we presume these sites were vacant. Norris had previously informed me about Pongo flushing Lorikeets out from under trees during my last visit in April, on one occasion, his head came out of the tunnel with a Lorikeet latched onto his nose!!!. Norris thought the birds might be breeding under the trees because they were there during daylight hours. During this visit I could not find any evidence of Lorikeets under trees, hundreds were roosting in the tree branches. Today I checked the three tunnels: the first had lorikeet feathers and a tunnel longer than my arm. I did not want to use a stick for fear of hurting any chicks, if present. The 2nd and 3rd trees had very long tunnels, no feathers found, I could find the end of the tunnel with a stick. I ask the following questions: 1. Why would Lorikeets roost under the trees when there are lots of branches above. 2. Do they prefer the privacy and warmth of the tunnel; evenings are still cool. 3. If nesting, is this because habitat loss has resulted in fewer hollows; there may be a couple of hollows on nearby Chambers Island where there is a resident population of kookaburras. If the chicks did survive in a long tunnel (similar to a hollow log); they would have to be able to fly when they left the tunnel because dogs like Pongo, would kill them.

I look forward to hearing from subscribers of bird-aus with comments and answers.

Regards   Desley


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