The plumage of the nominate race, as with all subspecies, is very bright. The head is deep blue with a greenish-yellow nuchal collar, and the rest of the upper parts (wings, back and tail) are deep green. The chest is red with blue-black barring. The belly is deep green, and the thighs and rump are yellow with deep green barring. In flight a yellow wing-bar contrasts clearly with the red underwing coverts.

General Description

Name:	Rainbow Lory
Latin Name:
Life Span:
Length:	25 – 30 cm
Weight:	75 – 157 g
Wingspan:
Sexual Maturity:
Breeding Season:	In southern Australia, breeding usually occurs from late winter to early summer (August to January). Elsewhere in Australia, breeding has been recorded in every month except March, varying from region to region due to changes in food availability and climate.
Clutch:
Nesting:	Nesting sites are variable and can include hollows of tall trees such as eucalypts, palm trunks, or overhanging rock.
Natural Diet:	Rainbow lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to gathering pollen and nectar from flowers. Nectar from eucalyptus is important in Australia, other important nectar sources are Pittosporum, Grevillea, Spathodea campanulata (African tulip-tree), and Metroxylon sagu (sago palm). In Melanesia coconuts are very important food sources, and rainbow lorikeets are important pollinators of these. They also consume the fruits of Ficus, Trema, Mutingia, as well as papaya and mangoes already opened by fruit bats. They also eat crops such as apples, and will raid maize and sorghum. They are also frequent visitors at bird feeders placed in gardens, which supply store-bought nectar, sunflower seeds, and fruits such as apples, grapes and pears.
Gender Difference:	DNA testing is required

Sub-Species

Habitat

Status

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and is listed on Appendix II of Cites.

IUCN Red List – Least Concern Species