Musk Lorikeet

The Musk Lorikeet is a small parrot found in southeastern Australia. It is predominantly green, with a yellowish tinge on the underparts and a blue-tinged band across the crown.

Its most distinctive feature is a red patch covering the forehead and lores that extends into a red spot on the ear coverts. In flight, a yellow patch is visible on the wing. The species is named for a musky odor that has traditionally been noted around roosting and nesting birds.

Key field marks

• Small, compact lorikeet, mostly green
• Red forehead and lores plus a separate red ear-covert patch
• Blue-tinged band across the top of the crown
• Yellow patch on the wing, visible in flight

Similar species

The Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla) is smaller and has red confined mainly to the face around the bill, without the isolated red ear patch or blue crown band shown by the Musk Lorikeet. Both species can occur in mixed nomadic flocks at flowering trees.

Range

Occurs across southeastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, southern Queensland, southeastern South Australia and Tasmania.

Habitat

Inhabits dry eucalypt forest and woodland, as well as orchards, farmland with remnant trees, and urban parks and gardens where suitable flowering trees occur.

Movement

Nomadic, moving locally and sometimes over longer distances in response to the flowering patterns of eucalypts and other nectar sources.

Voice

A noisy species, giving shrill, high-pitched chattering calls in flight and while feeding, often in flocks with other lorikeets.

Feeding

Forages acrobatically in the canopy, using a brush-tipped tongue to extract nectar and pollen from eucalypt blossom; also eats fruit and some seed, and occasionally insects.

Breeding

Nests in tree hollows, usually laying two eggs. The musky odor for which the species is named is most noticeable near nest and roost sites.