Backyard Buddies: Priceless Entertainment

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01 Feb 2010

Clowns of the bird world set the stage.

Many young Rainbow Lorikeets in Wingham are learning to fly. Their single piping call for attention is a chance for hours of entertainment by the playful antics of our coloured feathered friends. These clowns of the bird world can amuse us while they feed, take a bath, learn to fly or with their courtship displays.

Australia’s Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife’s Backyard Buddies program is all about getting more enjoyment from native animals in your backyard. It provides tips and advice on how to make your backyard a haven for Rainbow Lorikeets to visit.

“Rainbow Lorikeets thrive on nectar.” said Ms Leonie Gale, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, which runs the Backyard Buddies program. “They use their bristle brush tongue to get sweet gooey nectar and pollen from deep down in the bottom of native flowers. Like a young child with a messy ice-cream cone, they get the nectar and pollen all over their heads!”

“The best thing you can do for Rainbow Lorikeets is grow native plants such as banksias, grevilleas and bottlebrushes in your backyard. One of the great joys of doing this is being able to watch and listen to rainbow lorikeets as they eat. They often feed at the same time each day so you can learn when to look out for their acrobatic behaviour as they hang upside down to reach the pollen and nectar.”

“Nectar from the flowers gives the birds energy and the pollen provides them with protein.” explains Ms Gale. “Don’t give Rainbow Lorikeets other kinds of food, such as biscuits, bread or seeds. They may become dependent upon these sources of food and become less inclined to forage in the wild. The birds can die from fits induced after eating seeds and grain, so it’s important to let them eat food on native plants.”

“Putting a bird bath in your yard is a good idea, because lorikeets love to splash around and clean the sticky nectar from their feathers.”

Rainbow Lorikeets are such colourful parrots that it is hard to mistake them for other species. Surprisingly, for such a colourful bird they can often be difficult to see when they're in a tree, and it's their raucous screeching, squeaking and chattering rather than their plumage that lets you know they're around. When in groups, Rainbow Lorikeets participate in continual chattering and fluttering about creating an excited party atmosphere. You will also hear shrill shrieking notes as they fly swiftly overhead.

The behaviour of Rainbow Lorikeets can be quite comical at times, especially at mating time from August to January, when the male tries to impress the female with a display of bobbing, bowing and prancing like a true showman!

A few more things about Rainbow Lorikeets

Rainbow lorikeet mating pairs stay together for life
Chicks can fly about seven or eight weeks after hatching
They're eaten by falcons and pythons
They can live for about 20 years
Though males and females behave differently, it's very hard to tell them apart just by their appearance.

So what else can you do to be a Backyard Buddy to our feathered clowns?

Plant native trees in your neighbourhood – they will eventually grow to provide more habitat.
Keep your pets away from areas in your garden that lorikeets prefer.
Avoid removing trees that have hollows suitable for nest sites.

Backyard Buddies: Priceless Entertainment

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