Are there records of hybrid scaly-breastedXmusk lorikeets ?
Today I saw a lorikeet in a Coast Banksia in the company of a Rainbow
Lorikeet at Ricketts Point, Beaumaris, S-E Melbourne.
About same size as a musk, reddish areas from frons to eye and on ear
coverts like a musk but with a strong orange tinge, crown green (not
blue), nape yellow/green (not bronze), some yellow flecks in green head
feathers, upper half of underparts like scaly-breasted lorikeet.
At Ricketts Point in the last 20 years or so there has been a record of
a "breeding" Rainbow/Little Lorikeet pair and several records of hybrid
young (including second generations) produced by a Rainbow/
Scaly-breasted pair.
With about 6 pairs of lorikeets nesting in this area each year the
records suggest inter-species pairing in about 10% of nests/nesting
attempts. Is this high ?
Incidentally there have been no musk lorikeet records in a wider area
around Ricketts Point for about 8 weeks.
Michael Norris
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