The Musk Lorikeet is April's Bird of the Month.
Name:
Musk Lorikeet
Genus:
Glossopsitta concinna
Description:
The Musk Lorikeet is an autumn visitor to Centennial Parklands, flocks being drawn into the park in response to flowering Eucalypts.
They are a little smaller and shorter-tailed than the Rainbow Lorikeets, and not as boldly coloured. They are generally green over the body, with the bright green underside separated from a darker green upper body by a patch of yellow at the shoulder of the wing.
The head has a blue crown and a distinctive red band across the forehead. running back from behind the eyes. A bronze-brown mantle sits across the shoulders and back of the neck. The bill has a black base becoming bright red toward the tip.
When moving in the canopy they can be very difficult to see until a little red, green and blue face appears between the leaves.
Distribution:
Musk Lorikeets are found in Eucalypt woodlands from south-eastern Queensland, through eastern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and across to south-eastern South Australia. They have a nomadic lifestyle, following the various eucalypt species as they flower throughout the year.
Feeding:
Like all Lorikeets the Musk Lorikeet is a specialist nectar and pollen feeder, with a brush tipped tongue to soak up the energy and nutrient rich food stored in the flowers. In doing this they play an important role in eucalypt pollination. While moving through the canopy they are also known to take parasitic insects found on the leaves.
They will also feed in Banksias and Grevilleas, as well as nibbling on fruits and berries, which have expanded their options for moving onto settled areas. Like all Lorikeets the Musk Lorikeet is a specialist nectar and pollen feeder, with a brush tipped tongue to soak up the energy and nutrient rich food stored in the flowers. In doing this they play an important role in eucalypt pollination. While moving through the canopy they are also known to take parasitic insects found on the leaves.
They will also feed in Banksias and Grevilleas, as well as nibbling on fruits and berries, which have expanded their options for moving onto settled areas.
Breeding:
Musk Lorikeets nest from early spring to late summer, the male approaching the female with a display of hopping and head bobbing, leading to mutual preening and feeding to establish a pair bond, and finally breeding. The preferred nesting site is a hollow branch in the upper canopy of eucalypts.
The hollow entrance is usually as small as the bird can squeeze into, possibly to deter competitors or predators. A nest of chewed timber is laid on the floor of the hollow and two eggs are laid and incubated by the female for about three weeks. The chicks remain in the nest for about six weeks, and after fledging only rely on parental care for another two weeks before becoming fully independent.
In the Park:
The Musk Lorikeet is only a short-term visitor to the Parklands, and there have been no records of their nesting in the park. They come in response to flowering eucalypts, particularly the Swamp Mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta) in Frog Hollow, and the Flooded Gums (Eucalyptus grandis) on the Sandstone Ridge.
They will be among the flocks of Rainbow Lorikeets drawn to the flowering trees, and it is a challenge to find them in amongst the other Lorikeets, but a rewarding challenge when the little red-masked, green face appears between the leaves.
Photo Credit: Tony Spira