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Red-collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus rubritorquis) Size: 26-31 cm; wing span: ca. 47 cm Body mass: 100-140 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.27-0.44

Australia: Family Group 12 Family Group 12 Table Palm Cockatoo Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Glossy Black-Cockatoo Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Short-billed Black-Cockatoo Long-billed Black-Cockatoo Gang-gang Cockatoo Long-billed Corella Western Corella Little Corella Cockatiel Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Pink Cockatoo Galah Rainbow Lorikeet Red-collared Lorikeet Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Purple-crowned Lorikeet Varied Lorikeet Musk Lorikeet Little Lorikeet Eclectus Parrot Red-cheeked Parrot Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Australian King-Parrot Red-winged Parrot Princess Parrot Superb Parrot Regent Parrot Green Rosella Crimson Rosella Western Rosella Eastern Rosella Pale-headed Rosella Northern Rosella Red-capped Parrot Australian Ringneck Red-rumped Parrot Mulga Parrot Golden-shouldered Parrot Hooded Parrot Blue Bonnet Bourke's Parrot Budgerigar Swift Parrot Eastern Ground Parrot Night Parrot Blue-winged Parrot Scarlet-chested Parrot Rock Parrot Turquoise Parrot Elegant Parrot Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Thumbnails page Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Red-collared Lorikeets are big lorikeets. Their plumage is very colourful. The head is scalloped blue, the nape of the neck is red and scalloped red-and-black, while the breast is orange-red. The belly is black, while the vent is scalloped green and yellow and the undertail is yellow. The back (mantle, upperwings, tail) is green. The underwings have bright-red coverts and a black-yellow-black stripe pattern on the flight feathers. The bill is bright-red, the irises are orange and the legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles have duller colours than adults and a more brownish bill. Twitcher's tip Compared to Rainbow Lorikeets, Red-collared Lorikeets have a red nape of the neck and a red chest.

Taxonomy, classification See Red-collared Lorikeet at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Red-collared Lorikeets are no longer considered to be a race of the Rainbow Lorikeet, but have been given full species status.

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 Red-collared Lorikeet is available HERE . Red-collared Lorikeets are endemic to northern Australia. They populate the Top End of the NT and WA including the Kimberley, as far South as roughly a line connecting the southern tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria with the spring of the Fitzroy River in WA. Red-collared Lorikeets live in tropical forests, where flowers and/or fruit are available. They adapt very well to the presence of humans, congregating in urban parks and in gardens. Where to look? How to find this species? Flocks of Red-collared Lorikeets can usually be found quite easily in urban parks and in gardens in communities in the tropics of Australia.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We found Red-collared Lorikeets for the first time in trees along the Esplanade, Darwin, NT, in October 1997. More were found in other locations in and around Darwin at the time. Again, many were seen in the same area and elsewhere in the Top End, NT, in August 2014. S. Kirkby spotted Red-collared Lorikeets near Kununurra, WA, in June 2011. J. Greaves reports spotting 50 Red-collared Lorikeets at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014, and at Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, in December 2016. Several contributors report spotting Red-collared Lorikeets regularly in and around Darwin, NT, and in other parts of the Top End of the NT. C. Pears found Red-collared Lorikeets in Cable Beach, Broome, WA, in July 2024 and again in June 2026.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Lateral/ventral view of a pair of preening Red-collared Lorikeets (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Broome, WA, July 2024]

Lateral/ventral view of a pair of Red-collared Lorikeets preening each other; this type of behaviour is part of a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Broome, WA, July 2024]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Red-collared Lorikeet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]

Partly obscured frontal view of a Red-collared Lorikeet in a casuarina checking out the photographer
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Red-collared Lorikeet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pine Creek, NT, July 2020]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Red-collared Lorikeet
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of Red-collared Lorikeets high up in a tree; these were among a flock of birds whose calls were recorded on 18 August 2014
[Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Red-collared Lorikeets high up in a tree (photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)
[Near Kununurra, WA, June 2011]

In the process of trying to keep its balance, the upper of these two Red-collared Lorikeets is displaying its conspicuous underwing pattern (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, December 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - May

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 25 days

Fledging age: 49 - 63 days

Lorikeets are sociable creatures which often nest in loose colonies, also in conjunction with other species.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow

Material: Wood dust

Height above ground: 5 - 30 m

Close-up lateral view of a Red-collared Lorikeet on its nest hollow, looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, June 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a Red-collared Lorikeet on top of its nest hollow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, June 2023]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 27 x 22 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Flock

Red-collared Lorikeets are gregarious, often noisy birds.

Some Red-collared Lorikeet TLC; this type of behaviour is part of a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, October 2017]

This looks more like some Red-collared Lorikeet "aggro" (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]

Food, Diet

Red-collared Lorikeets feed primarily on fruit, nectar and seeds.

Red-collared Lorikeet taking nectar from Swamp Bloodwood (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2021]

Red-collared Lorikeet taking nectar and in the process pollenating the flowers (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, January 2020]

Red-collared Lorikeet taking nectar and in the process pollenating the flowers - the bill is inserted into the flower wide-open like this, then the thick tongue is used to lick up nectar (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Pine Creek, NT, January 2020]

Red-collared Lorikeet taking nectar (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, October 2019]

Red-collared Lorikeet taking nectar (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, October 2019]

Red-collared Lorikeet taking seeds out of a casuarina seed cone that is just opening; Red-collared Lorikeets do not have the power to crack those seed cones
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

This Red-collared Lorikeet appears to be taking lerps, the sugary secretions of psyllids (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tree Point Conservation Area, Shoal Bay, NT, March 2019]

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.

redclor_20140818_2.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact call	© MD
redclor_pb_20210213.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls (in flight)	© PB
redclor_pb_20180914_2.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact call (Q&A)	© PB
redclor_pb_20191023.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Contact calls (flock in flight)	© PB
redclor_20140818_4.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Annoyed/warning call	© MD
redclor_20140818_3.mp3	(Top End, NT)	Annoyed	© MD
redclor_me_20260618.m4a	(W NT)	Dawn chorus	© ME
redclor_pb_20180914.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Various (with begging young)	© PB
redclor_pb_20190802_1.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Large flock settling in on roost	© PB
redclor_pb_20230928.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Large flock settling in on roost	© PB
redclor_pb_20230929.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Small flock departing from roost	© PB
redclor_pb_20180914_3.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Various	© PB
redclor_20140818.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Various	© MD
redclor_20140818_5.m4a	(Top End, NT)	Various	© MD

More Red-collared 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.

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