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CAVS: 8882

Subspecies Trichoglossus moluccanus moluccanus (Gmelin, 1788)

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria


Extra Distribution Information

Coastal and subcoastal E Australia, north to the middle Norman-Burdekin River drainages (Croydon-Cairns), QLD—south to southern region of Port Phillip Bay, VIC—and inland to the summit ridges of the Great Dividing Range and its inner western watersheds (Carnarvon and Warrumbungle Ranges), becoming rare and erratic in such uplands southwards into NSW (Southern Tablelands) and central Gippsland, VIC—also larger in-shore islands off east coast, e.g., Hinchinbrook-Palm, Whitsunday group, Fraser, Bribie, Moreton, and North Stradbroke Ils, QLD, but rare and erratic non-breeding visitor to TAS and Bass Strait islands. Introduced and successfully established in metropolitan Perth north to Moore River in 1960s–1970s (presumably this subspecies). Intergrades with T. h. septentrionalis Robinson, 1900 at northern limits between south-east head of Gulf of Carpentaria across foot of Cape York Peninsula to Cairns-Cooktown, QLD, and probably with T. h. eyrei Mathews, 1912 at south-west limits in region of Port Phillip Bay and westwards to Grampians, VIC.

Australian Endemic.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gawler (GAW), Gulf Plains (GUP), Kanmantoo (KAN), King (KIN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Arboreal, closed forest, diurnal, frugivorous, gregarious, mellivore, nomadic, open forest, tall forest, volant, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

Seasonal breeder, feeds on nectar, pollen, fruit-flesh and (accidentally?) seeds and insects in tree crowns in eucalypt and paperbark (Melaleuca) woodlands and forests and on edges of rainforest and mangroves, flocks and roosts in communal groups, flies directly on swiftly beating wings, nests on bed of wood dust in tree hollows, incubation by female, both sexes rear whitish-downed, dark-billed chicks, wanders locally and regionally to seasonal food sources.

 

General References

Bell, H.L. 1966. Some feeding habits of the Rainbow Lorikeet. The Emu 66: 71-22 [Mathews, G.M. 1919. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 7 pt 5 pp. 385–499 + xii pls 363–370 Appendixes A & B (Appendix B)] (behaviour)

Cannon, C.E. 1979. Observations on the food and energy requirements of Rainbow Lorikeets, Trichoglossus haematodus (Aves: Psittacidae). Australian Wildlife Research 6: 337-346 (diet, energy budget)

Cannon, C.E. 1984. Movements of lorikeets with an artificially supplemented diet. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 173-179 (movements)

Cannon, C.E. 1984. The diet of lorikeets Trichoglossus spp. in the Queensland - New South Wales border region. The Emu 84: 16-22 (diet)

Coyle, P. 1988. Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) released on Rottnest Island in 1960. Western Australian Naturalist 17: 109-110 (introductions)

Griffiths, R. 1985. Courtship display of the Rainbow Lorikeet. Australian Birds 19: 47-48 (behaviour)

Lea, A.M. & Gray, J.T. 1935. The food of Australian birds. An analysis of the stomach contents. The Emu 34: 275-292 (diet)

Leggett, R. & Woodall, P.F. 1987. Hybrid Scaly-breasted x Rainbow Lorikeets. Australian Bird Watcher 12: 122-126 (morphology, genetics)

Long, J.L. 1981. Introduced Birds of the World. The worldwide history, distribution and influence of birds introduced to new environments. Illustrated by Susan Tingay. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reed 528 pp. (introductions)

Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1999. The Directory of Australian Birds : Passerines. A Taxonomic and Zoogeographic Atlas of the Biodiversity of Birds in Australia and its Territories. Collingwood, Australia : CSIRO Publishing x 851 pp. [135] (supporting arguments for choice of 'moluccanus' rather than other Gmelin (1788) names, and notes on types)

Storr, G.M. 1973. The Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) in Perth, Western Australia. Western Australian Naturalist 12: 116 (distribution)

Walters, I.N. 1979. Transit party size in Trichoglossus (Aves: Loriidae) at Corinda, Queensland. Sunbird 10: 41-43 (behaviour, social organisation)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
14-Sep-2023 AVES 14-Sep-2023 MOVED
14-Sep-2023 AVES 14-Sep-2023 MOVED
26-Oct-2015 01-Mar-2012 MOVED
12-Feb-2010 (import)