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Little LorikeetAlternate name(s): "Little Keet", "Jerryang", "Green Parakeet" ![]() Size: 15-16 cm Weight: 30-50 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Little Lorikeet
[Timmallallie NP,
NSW, October 2015]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a Little Lorikeet
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Samsonvale, QLD, May 2020]
Near-lateral view of a Little Lorikeet
[Timmallallie NP,
NSW, October 2015]
Lateral view of a Little Lorikeet
[Timmallallie NP,
NSW, October 2015]
Lateral/ventral view of a Little Lorikeet
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, September 2023]
Dorsal view of a Little Lorikeet
casuarina
[Timmallallie NP,
NSW, October 2015]
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PAIR |
Pair of Little Lorikeets exploring a potential nest hollow
(photo courtesy of P. Spark)
[Near Barraba, NSW, October 2014]
Pair of Little Lorikeets in a eucalypt tree; probably
the male is on the left (the bird "showing" the hollow), the
female on the right (the bird sent in to "inspect" the hollow)
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2013]
Pair of Little Lorikeets in a eucalypt tree
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2013]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Nov | Eggs: 3 - 5 | Incubation period: 20 days | Fledging age: 35 - 42 days |
Lorikeets are sociable creatures which often nest in loose colonies, also in conjunction with other species.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: Scraped wood | Height above ground: 5 - 20 m |
Surprisingly, Little Lorikeets choose nesting hollows with openings from above, not necessarily sideways.
The entrance to the nesting hollow chosen by this pair of Little Lorikeets
is so narrow that the birds must squeeze their bodies through the
opening; this ensures that bigger, more powerful, competitors cannot
use this hollow in a
eucalypt tree
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2013]
This Little Lorikeet was observed nibbling on the bark at the
base of a hollow in a
casuarina;
it is not known to us whether is was removing bark to smoothe
the entrance to a potential nest hollow or whether there may
have been sap to feed on
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, September 2023]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 21 x 17 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Rounded |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Dispersive | Elementary unit: Flock |
Like other species of parrots, Little Lorikeets are very sociable birds.
One peculiarity of their behaviour is that they, contrary to the habits of many other parrot species, usually fly high - above the canopy of forest, not in between trees, i.e. under the cover of the tree crowns.
Since, as is the case for many other parrot species, female Little Lorikeets take on the incubation duties, they rely on the males to feed them. Therefore, males prove their mettle in a bonding ritual, by feeding their partners before they start the incubation process.
Bonding ritual:
Male Little Lorikeet feeding its partner in a
bonding ritual
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2013]
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Food, Diet |
Little Lorikeets feed primarily on nectar, but we have seen them take lerps as well.
Little Lorikeet taking nectar from an Angophora
eucalypt
(photo courtesy of M. Fleming)
[Near Baradine, NSW, January 2021]
Little Lorikeet taking nectar
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, February 2020]
Little Lorikeet taking nectar
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, February 2020]
Little Lorikeet taking nectar
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, February 2020]
This Little Lorikeet appears to be licking sap from the bark of a
casuarina
[Timmallallie NP,
NSW, October 2015]
Distant view of a Little Lorikeet taking
lerps
from the underside of an eucalypt leaf
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, August 2019]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
litlori_20190804_5.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact call | © MD | |
litlori_20221003.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Contact calls (in-flight) | © MD | |
litlori_20190804.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact calls (in-flight) | © MD | |
litlori_20150905.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact calls (in-flight) | © MD | |
litlori_20190804_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Warning/departure (pair) | © MD | |
litlori_20190101.m4a | (NW NSW) | Group feeding in eucalypt | © MD | |
litlori_20170903_3.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various (feeding in eucalypt) | © MD | |
litlori_20190804_4.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various (in-flight) | © MD | |
litlori_20210409.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various (mob flying over) | © MD |
More Little Lorikeet sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.