Lorikeet - An Australian Marigold

Marigold Lorikeet

The rainbow lorikeet is one of the most beautiful species of parrot. They're widespread in the coastal bush lands and rain forests of Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Lorikeets have specialized, brush-tipped tongues used for feeding on nectar and soft fruits. They're cute but they can be aggressive and are considered pests in some places because of the damage they inflict on the fruit orchards.

The lory pictured above is a marigold lorikeet, a subspecies of the rainbow. Lorikeets are hyperactive and have gregarious personalities. They are delighted to clown around in exchange for treats from an attentive audience and they'll happily pose for the camera. Sadly, lories have become popular pets even though their moodiness, messiness and loudness are not very compatible with confinement.

Comments

  1. Lovely photo of a beautiful creature. How interesting about their specialized tongues!

    ~Tui, from #AtoZchallenge



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    1. Thanks, seems like most species have some distinguishable characteristic that enables them to fill a niche in the environment.

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  2. My dear son Robert, who is one of the reasons I am who I am, adored parrots, the more colorful the better. He loved when I made parrot noises while we were waiting for the bus every morning.He was brilliant. He had autism. He passed away last summer at the age of 18 1/2.
    I try not to mention it too much in this challenge, but he is the reason I do everything that I do, these days. Robert was a gift to us, and I celebrate him every day by my work and by my creations.
    Best Wishes,
    jean

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    1. I'm so sorry about your son Robert. I can't imagine suffering a tragedy like that, it hurts my heart. I will pray for your family. I think it's incredibly courageous and admirable that you're honoring him through your creations.

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  3. Beautiful bird - I had never heard of a Lorikeet before!

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    1. Thanks, we have seen them at a bird sanctuary out here. They're comical birds that pose for the camera.

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  4. AhHa! An animal I recognise! We have lots of rainbow lorikeets around here. Not specifically at our place, but certainly nearby. They like to travel in big flocks, and in the evening, they all pick a few trees to roost in. They make a LOT Of noise, but it's cheerful, happy noise. I love them.

    Beautiful photo. I haven't seen one with a yellow breast like that before.

    Rinelle Grey

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    1. I thought you might recognize the lorikeet, being from Australia. The one I have pictured is actually a subspecies of the rainbow called a marigold lorikeet. Maybe they're not as common in Australia.

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  5. I've really enjoyed reading your blog, so I've nominated you for the Liebster Blogging Award.

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    1. Thank you so much for the nomination, I'm truly honored. I've met so many great people during this challenge and your blog is one of my favorites.

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  6. I'm one of the members of the A-Z team just checking in. Glad to see that everything is going smoothly for you during the Challenge!

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    1. It's going smoothly here, we're having a lot of fun. It's definitely been more difficult than I thought.

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  7. Beautiful bird. Thanks for sharing. We had parakeets once. However, I much prefer the wild birds and hearing them throughout the day as they move around and looking to see which bird is singing. I don't think we have anything as colorful as the Lorikeet though.

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    1. I'm with you, I think it would be difficult to have a bird as a pet. I enjoy observing and listening to them in the wild.

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  8. I had friends who had Maluccan (sp?) cockatoos and they were amazing but also super destructive. Ate soda cans, chewed wires, destroyed VHS tapes. And then looked so innocent afterwards.

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    1. The lorikeets are cute and they have so much personality but I don't think they were meant to be confined pets.

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  9. You always know evolution is pulling double duty when a creature is both considered beautiful and a pest.

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    1. I guess so, I don't think there's an animal on earth that can please all of the people all of the time.

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  10. Replies
    1. Thanks Stefani, they are pretty birds and they really ham it up for the camera.

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