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Musk LorikeetAlternate name(s): "Green Keet*", "Green Leek*" Size: 21-23 cm Weight: 60-90 g |
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
Race "concinna"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a Musk Lorikeet feeding in a Mugga Ironbark
eucalypt;
the strong blue hues on crown and cheeks and also the pronounced
bronze-coloured mantle indicate that this is a male
[Narrabri, NSW, August 2007]
Close-up near-frontal portrait of a male Musk Lorikeet
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Close-up near-lateral portrait of a male Musk Lorikeet with
pollen all over its forehead
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Narrabri, NSW, October 2020]
Male Musk Lorikeet hanging off a branch
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Near-lateral view of a male Musk Lorikeet approaching a bird bath
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, SA, April 2022]
Lateral portrait of a male Musk Lorikeet
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Close-up lateral view of a male Musk Lorikeet
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a male Musk Lorikeet
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, SA, April 2022]
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FEMALE |
Frontal/ventral view of a female Musk Lorikeet, with its
head turned, exhibiting the characteristic facial pattern
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2009]
Female Musk Lorikeet feeding on the nectar of a Mugga Ironbark
eucalypt
(photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[Ashburton, Melbourne, VIC, February 2012]
Dorsal view of a snoozing female Musk Lorikeet (photo courtesy of
I. Duncan)
[Ashburton, Melbourne, VIC, February 2012]
Ventral view of a Musk Lorikeet seen hanging off a branch; the
absence of blue on its cheeks suggests that this is a female
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]
Sex unknown |
Dorsal view of a Musk Lorikeet responding to a challenge by
opening its bill in a threatening gesture
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2014]
Ventral view of a Musk Lorikeet, showing the colour pattern
of the underside of the tail feathers
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2014]
This Musk Lorikeet clearly has an issue with its right wing
- when spotted it was under attack from both
Pied Currawongs and
Australian Ravens;
this is the bird whose
distress
calls were recorded on 27 April 2018
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2018]
Flock of 15 Musk Lorikeets in flight
[Narrabri, NSW, February 2009]
Ventral view of a Musk Lorikeet in flight
[Narrabri, NSW, February 2009]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral portrait of a juvenile Musk Lorikeet feeding on the nectar of a
bottlebrush;
note the all-dark grey-brown bill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2016]
Frontal view of a begging dependent juvenile Musk Lorikeet;
note the horn-coloured cere, pinkish feet and all-dark bill
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a begging dependent juvenile Musk Lorikeet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Adult feeding a dependent juvenile Musk Lorikeet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Race "didimus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Lateral view of a male Musk Lorikeet; note the blue on cheek and crown
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]
Dorsal view of a male Musk Lorikeet feeding on nectar
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]
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FEMALE |
Close-up frontal view of a female Musk Lorikeet
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]
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PAIR |
Two Musk Lorikeets, probably a pair; the bird on the right is
most likely a male, the one on the left a female - note the
absence of blue from its cap (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]
Hybrid
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
In June 2011 a hybrid lorikeet was reported at Chain Valley Bay South, a bay of Lake Macquarie on the NSW Central Coast. We subsequently spotted a second hybrid, most likely between a Musk Lorikeet and a Scaly-breasted Lorikeet.
Hybrid lorikeet feeding; one can see clearly the orange scaling
typical of a Scaly-breasted
Lorikeet and the red forehead of a Musk Lorikeet
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]
Different perspective
[Chain Valley Bay South, NSW, June 2011]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Sep - Dec | Eggs: 2 | Incubation period: 22 days | Fledging age: 35 - 42 days |
Nest building: ? | Incubation: Female | Dependent care: Female |
The male feeds the female while she is incubating the eggs.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: Wood dust | Height above ground: >10(?) m |
Pair of Musk Lorikeets inspecting a potential nest hollow
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[July 2013]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 24 x 20 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Rounded |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Dispersive | Elementary unit: Flock |
Like other species of parrots, Musk Lorikeets are very sociable birds. There is a separate page describing Musk Lorikeets socializing and mating at the end of the day.
Musk Lorikeets like close companionship
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]
In some respects birds are like humans: Male Musk Lorikeet enjoying
licking the sweetness of nectar with eyes closed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2016]
And like other species of parrots, they like taking regular baths. The ones shown below have found a bathtub inside a eucalypt trunk.
Lateral view of a male Musk Lorikeet in a bird bath
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, SA, April 2022]
Getting out of a bathtub when all your feathers are wet is not always
easy
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]
Here a comparison - Musk Lorikeet coming out of the tub, left, vs.
going in, right
[November 2010]
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Food, Diet |
Musk Lorikeets feed on nectar, as also shown in various photos above.
Frontal view of a Musk Lorikeet feeding on the nectar
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Musk Lorikeet, race "didimus", feeding on nectar in an
eucalypt
tree; note the absence of blue from its cap
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Hobart, TAS, March 2016]
Musk Lorikeet feeding on nectar
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]
This lateral view of a Musk Lorikeet clearly shows the feeding
technique - the bill is wide open and the bird uses its tongue
to lick the nectar at the base of the eucalypt flower
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2014]
Musk Lorikeet taking psyllids/lerps from the underside of an
eucalypt leaf
[Near Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Musk Lorikeets feeding on buds and shoots
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Musk Lorikeets feeding on buds and shoots
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Musk Lorikeets feeding on buds and shoots
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]
Musk Lorikeets approaching a water bowl in our garden at a time of drought
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2013]
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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.
musklor_20180921.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (group in flight) | © MD | |
musklor_20200919.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (group in flight) | © MD | |
musklor_20220722_2.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Arrival & feeding (small mob) | © MD | |
musklor_20161026_3.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Arrival (small group) | © MD | |
musklor_20180427.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Distress calls (attacked by Pied Currawong & Australian Raven) | © MD | |
musklor_20220722.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Squabbling (food competition) | © MD | |
musklor_20220722_3.mp3 |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Various (+ Swift Parrot) | © MD | |
musklor_20161026_2.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Begging/feeding call (immature) | © MD | |
musklor_20161026.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Begging/feeding calls (immature) | © MD | |
musklor_20211213.m4a |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Begging calls (juvenile) | © MD | |
musklor_20221110.mp3 |
concinna (NW NSW) |
Begging call (juvenile) | © MD |
More Musk Lorikeet sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.