Rainbow lorikeet

The rainbow lorikeet is a small, dazzling parrot from Australia, and it looks just like its name. It has a blue head and belly, green wings, back, and tail, and a bright orange-and-yellow chest, all topped off with a cheerful red beak. Both males and females wear the same bright colours.

Rainbow lorikeets live along the eastern side of Australia, from the warm north all the way down the coast. You can find them in rainforests, in leafy woodlands, in bushy areas near the sea, and even in gardens and parks in the middle of busy towns.

These little parrots have an unusual favourite food. Instead of cracking seeds, they drink sweet nectar and gather powdery pollen from flowers, using a tongue with a tiny brush on the tip to soak it up. They also enjoy fruit, some seeds, and the occasional insect.

Rainbow lorikeets are lively and loud. They flash through the trees in fast-moving flocks, screeching and chattering to one another, and at dusk they gather in big groups to sleep together in the same trees. When it is time to nest, a pair finds a hollow high in a gum tree and lays its eggs on soft, chewed wood inside.

Rainbow lorikeets are doing well in the wild. They have happily settled into towns and suburbs alongside people, feeding on garden flowers and fruiting trees, so today there are plenty of these colourful parrots brightening up the Australian sky.