Close views of Musk Lorikeets
A few days ago we travelled from home in Murray Bridge down to the south coast of South Australia. My wife wanted to attend the native plant sale in Victor Harbor. This was one plant sale we had never attended. After talking to the various people there that I knew I went out to the car to wait for my wife to finish talking and buying.
While sitting in the car my attention was attracted to the many Musk Lorikeets feeding on the flowers of the street trees. These trees were mainly bottlebrushes (Callistemon spp) in full flower. It was a delight to get so close to these beautiful little birds.
Distribution:
Musk Lorikeets are found in many parts of south-eastern Australia. They are found along coastal NSW and inland to the western slopes and plains, throughout much of Victoria, parts of Tasmania and southern South Australia. They are slightly larger than the well-known Budgerigar but with a shorter tail.
Habitat:
Musk Lorikeets prefer eucalypt woodlands and dry forests, roadside vegetation and timbered watercourses. They are also happy to raid orchards and are becoming common in parks and gardens were suitable flowering trees and bushes are present. Those that I saw in the street trees in Victor Harbor must have numbered in the dozens; their constant “zzitt-zzitt” calls as they fed was quite noisy.
Related articles:
- Great birding moments #17: Musk Lorikeets
- Victor Harbor – more articles from my archives about this delightful town.
POSTSCRIPT: This is the 500th posting on this blog. If you liked this article, why not visit some of the many other articles I have written? You can click on the Contents section on the side bar or you can choose a category that interests you lower down on the side bar. These will take you to listings of articles from the archives. Choosing the Archives in the Contents will give you a complete listing of all articles. Many of the articles have photos I have taken of birds.
This article was updated on 1st March 2017.
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