Rainbow Lorikeets

[David Rees <>]

Rainbows can be found in good numbers in Griffith, NSW, these days, not part of their 'traditional range" I think.  Canberra winters and shortage of food for rainbows at that time may trim them a bit here relative to Perth (climate change not withstanding). From experience I have also found Ringnecks to be hard to find in Perth now relative to the now abundant rainbows.

NZ authorities bump off the odd one in the Auckland area so I am given to understand - somehow they make it there - probably smuggled in.

David

On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 3:33 PM, Nick Payne <> wrote:

I don't think you really want the Lorikeets breeding. I grew up in Perth, where half a dozen Rainbow Lorikeets were released in the 1960s, and their population there is now so large that they have almost completely displaced the native Port Lincoln Ringneck Parrots, as they out-compete them for nesting hollows. When I visit Perth these days I rarely see the Ringneck Parrots which were quite common in my youth. If the Rainbow Lorikeet population in the ACT continues to expand, the same will probably happen to our smaller native parrots here.

Lorikeets in WA are now a declared pest, and are regularly culled in large numbers to control their population. As of 2012, about 40,000 had been culled (see http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/agriculture/item/1267-rainbow-lorikeet-population-under-control).

On 16/11/2016 1:12 PM, Julie Clark wrote:

Hi All,

I realise that Rainbow Lorikeets are common sightings in many parts of Canberra, but for those of us in Gungahlin (... Amaroo) they are a rare sighting... (second time in 5 years for us).

Yesterday afternoon a pair visited our garden and then headed nextdoor to an appealing callistemon. I followed and managed a few shots...

Our nextdoor neighbour (well known bird authority) observed them again this morning with the male displaying. Dare we hope for a breeding pair somewhere close to home??

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Cheers

Julie

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Julie Clark