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Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna) Alternate name(s): "Green Keet*", "Green Leek*" Size: 20-23 cm; wing span: 32-38 cm Body mass: 52-90 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.25-0.40

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Musk Lorikeets are small to medium-sized lorikeets. They have a scarlet frons, lores and ear stripes and a turquoise cap (in race "didimus" the cap is green). The mantle is olive-brown and the sides of the chest are yellow. Otherwise their plumage is green. The underwings show green coverts and dark-brown flight feathers. The bill is grey with a red tip, the irises are orange, the legs and feet are dark-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Musk Lorikeet at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Musk Lorikeet is available HERE . Musk Lorikeets are endemic to Australia. Musk Lorikeets, nominate race "concinna", are most common along a narrow coastal strip from the NSW Central Coast to about Adelaide, SA. They are occasionally found much farther inland, into the catchment of the Murray River (i.e. most of VIC). There is a firmly established population in the North-West Slopes and Plains in inland NSW (around Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri and towards Moree). Occasionally they are found as far North as Brisbane, QLD. Race "didimus" is found only in the South-East quarter of Tasmania, sometimes also extending it range towards the North of Tasmania. Musk Lorikeets have a preference for open forest, often with flowering eucalypts. They also increasingly frequent urban environments, such as parks and gardens. Where to look? How to find this species? The easiest way to find Musk Lorikeets, certainly in inland areas, is to look for them in flowering shrubs and trees in parks and gardens. They are particularly fond of flowering bottlebrushes.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "concinna" Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", were first spotted by us in August 2007, in the township of Narrabri, NSW, where they were feasting on nectar from the blossoms of Mugga Ironbark eucalypts. They are seen by us in the Narrabri area semi-regularly, mostly when various species of eucalypts or bottlebrushes are flowering (which usually happens a few weeks/months after significant rainfall). Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", were also spotted in Gunnedah, NSW, in October 2008; there tens of birds were taking advantage of the availability of bottlebrush blossoms at the time. In April 2011 hundreds of Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", were observed by us in flowering eucalypts about 25 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, near Curlewis. C. Hayne reports that Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", are found occasionally in the area of Moree, NSW. I. Duncan reports spotting Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", in suburban Melbourne, e.g. in February 2012. R. Plumtree reports spotting Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", near Murray Bridge, SA, in October 2016, and in Great Otway NP, VIC, in May 2019. M. Eaton found Musk Lorikeets, race "concinna", at the Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, SA, in April 2022. Race "didimus" B. Hensen reports spotting Musk Lorikeets, race "didimus", in Hobart, TAS, in March 2016. M. Eaton found Musk Lorikeets, race "didimus", at Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, in April 2021. Twitcher's tip Similar to other lorikeets, in particular Little Lorikeets, Musk Lorikeets are often hard to spot, because so quick. But one can always hear their calls when they are around. Once spotted, they are relatively easy to approach.

Photos

Race "concinna"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Musk Lorikeets, left, have more turquoise on their caps and cheeks than females.

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Musk Lorikeet feeding on buds and shoots
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]

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]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Musk Lorikeet
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Musk Lorikeet hanging off a branch
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]

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]

Near-lateral view of a female Musk Lorikeet approaching a bird bath (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, SA, April 2022]

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Musk Lorikeet feeding in a Bottlebrush
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a female(?) 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]

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 on the underside of the tail
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2014]

Partly obscured lateral view of a Musk Lorikeet with a drooping 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]

Distant near-dorsal/ventral view of a Musk Lorikeet in flight
[Narrabri, NSW, February 2009]

PBFD - Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease

The bird shown below may just be old; if not, it is possibly suffering from this debilitating disease, which leads to loss of feathers and beak deformations.

Near-frontal/ventral view of a sick and/or old Musk Lorikeet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2023]

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]

Close-up view of an adult Musk Lorikeet, left, feeding a dependent juvenile
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]

Race "didimus"

ADULT

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]

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]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Musk Lorikeet (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]

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.

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]

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

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Mob/flock

Additional information

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 these two juveniles, like close companionship; this behaviour is part of a bonding ritual
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]

Near-frontal view of a male Musk Lorikeet in its land of plenty; in some respects birds are like humans - in this case enjoying licking the sweetness of nectar with its eyes closed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2016]

Like other species of parrots, Musk Lorikeets like taking regular baths.

Lateral view of a male Musk Lorikeet in a bird bath (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Adelaide, SA, April 2022]

The Musk Lorikeets shown below found a bathtub inside a eucalypt trunk.

Dorsal view of a Musk Lorikeet - getting out of a (natural) bathtub when all your feathers are soaking wet is not always easy; note how the bird is using its tail as a prop
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]

Comparison between two Musk Lorikeets - one coming out of the tub, all wet, vs. the other heading in, still dry
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]

Lateral view of a Musk Lorikeet that has just had a bath in an ornamental pond
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2023]

Here its mates that are still awaiting their turn
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2023]

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]

Lateral view of a Musk Lorikeet feeding on nectar
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a female(?) Musk Lorikeet showing 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]

Close-up view of a Musk Lorikeet taking psyllids/lerps from the underside of a eucalypt leaf
[Near Coolah, NSW, September 2018]

Close-up view of two Musk Lorikeets feeding on buds and shoots
[Coolah, NSW, September 2018]

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 flock)	© MD
musklor_20161026_3.m4a	concinna (NW NSW)	Arrival (small group)	© MD
musklor_20230918.mp3	concinna (NW NSW)	Resting (small flock)	© 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 .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.