Painted Lorikeets Part B: Painted Pests

Welcome back, everyone!  Last post, I introduced you to the Rainbow Lorikeet. If for some absurd reason you have forgotten what this charmer looks like, here's a reminder in "natural lighting".

DoI look mysterious?

Since my previous late-night post was a little ADD, here's the quick and dirty facts about the Rainbow Lorikeet:
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Trichoglossus="hairy tongue"

Name: Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodas)
Size: 25-30 cm (9.8-11.8 in)
Diet: fruit, nectar, blossoms, seeds, berries, orchard fruit
Habitat: all kinds of forests and woodland, farmland, mangroves

Breeding: large deep nests shaped out of hollows in trunks or major limbs. Lay 1-3 white soft-glossy eggs. Chicks are covered in yellow down until fledging when 7-8 wks old.

Distinguishing features: Their blue head is unique and helps differentiate them from other brightly coloured parrots. In flight, they have a vibrant yellow band bordered by red.
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For dramatic purposes, I left out a crucial piece of "Habitat": the natural range of the Rainbow Lorikeet.  You see, here in Sydney, we only dislike Rainbow Lorikeets if they're loud, some inconvinence like bird poop or our previously mentioned raining of flowers into pools, or if you have fruit trees.  But they don't really cause many real problems.

However, Rainbow Lorikeets are supposed to be here. Their natural range is north and east Australia, starting in the northern tip of Western Australia and around down the coast about until Melbourne, in Victoria.  As you can see, that is a fairly large range, but it's still not "All of Australia" by any means.

You'll also note the small red zone I note along the Western Coast. Now, You're probably thinking "boy she was clumsy with her paintbrush. Where are these Mad Paint Skillz, like we see in that kick ass picture of the creepy lorikeet tongue?!" Don't worry, admirers, there's plenty to feast your eyes upon. And that dot is entirely intentional.

That little dot is Perth, Australia, where some charming humans released aviary Lorikeets into the "wild".

Any of you versed in animal ecology are already cringing. For the rest of my readers, this is bad. Introducing a non-native animal to a region is going to go one of two ways. The best way is for that introduction to fail. The animals die without breeding (either premature deaths or do not successfully breed) and there's no lasting impact. The other way--all too common--is flourishing success. And what have we learned so far about Lorikeets??

FLOURISH!!

So how does this success impact the invaded region? After all, aren't more animals a good thing?

NO. Ecosystems are fairly delicate constructs and species balances can be rapidly moved from "precarious" to "disaster".  There are limited resources to be shared, and invading species are usually not polite about it.  Additionally, the system of limits and controls is often not equipped to deal with a new factor. If a "prey" species is introduced without an analogue for its predator, it will run rampant.  Introduced predator species can decimate the unsuspecting prey species in its new home. There are islands of Hawaii where snakes have destroyed the native bird population. Why? The birds just didn't have an adaption for these new snakes.  It's like taking a small rural town and filling it with angry ninjas. NINJAS EVERYWHERE. There's just no way townsfolk are going to continue to thrive.

This...this is just Prize Wining County Jam. Right?

So how have Rainbow Lorikeets impacted western Australia? Well, luckily, the situation hasn't quite reached apocalyptic ninja levels.  Other species are still O.K. and habitats are being maintained. But they have successfully established themselves. They're smart, they have adaptable eating preferences, and fairly aggressive. If they aren't controlled, they are going to more profoundly affect the populations of the birds they compete with (eg. Western Ringneck parrots and Carnaby's Black cockatoo). Tasmania and New Zealand are also threatened with invading Rainbow Lorikeet populations (also released). Threatened native species there include the Green Rosella and protected Musk Parrot.

Disease spread is also a particular concern.Rainbow lorikeets are healthy carriers of Psittacine Beak and Feather disease. Even if they find a feeding/living balance in the ecosystem, the wrong bird could wipe out entire populations of a susceptible species. And, of course, any introduced bird (even of a native species) could be carrying a disease that could do serious damage to a naive population.

And now some of you are thinking "yah, but these aren't MY birds. And I like these cheeky rainbow buggers. Why should I care?"  An excellent question and one with a most excellent answer.

Remember what I said earlier about people with fruit trees?  If you weren't, pay attention. If you were, you get a cookie. You'll just have to get it yourself, sorry.  Anyway, by "fruit trees" I meant "fruit trees and grape varietals".  Lorikeets love fruit and nectar. These are kind of crucial fruit and wine industries, as you can imagine. So if you love Shiraz (one of Australia's biggest and most popular wine varietals), you probably won't love Rainbow Lorikeets very much any more.  It's okay, they forgive you.

The good news is that Australia is totally on top of invasive species issues. Their unique flora and fauna are considered part of the nation's image. As such, Customs in the airport is a massive pain in the pitard, but governments are more aware. They've had a lot of practice (rabbits, dear, foxes...). Fairly effective control and eradication programs are in place in the affected states and New Zealand. It's also been made illegal to release pet Rainbow Lorikeets into the wild.  From what I can see reading about this issue, they've managed to maintain a modicum of control of the situation. I expect it will only improve or stabilize with time.

That or we'll be seeing a lot more of the cheeky bastards! Hopefully not in those poor defenseless towns...

DUN DUHN DUHHHNNNNN

Introductions and our First Guest

Hello, everyone, and Welcome to this new venture of mine.  Prepare to be amazed by all the beautiful and vibrant life I am discovering here in Australia! Hold on to your brainhats, because not only will your eyes be bulging from your face in awe, but I will blow your minds with facts and random trivia about all these delightful specimens!
You will all regret my present unemployment, until you realize how much you desperately wanted to know the airspeed velocity of a coconut-laden Australian spar---wait. Sorry, I probably should warn you now. I'm a dork. I like to think it makes me lovable. If you're the sort of person who's accepting of that sort of thing. If not well...It's okay, because sometimes I irritate me too!

Also, there's no such thing as an Australian sparrow. That was a blatant abuse of an over-used reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I should probably apologize for that too but I'm not sorry.

This is not real.

ANYWAY. Enough of these ADD introductory shenanigans! You came here for something to feast your starving eyes with! Something to satiate your desperate need to cast away your drab existence for the exotic and exemplary! Since we're on the topic of birds, let's start with a colourful local resident. For you Australians, our guest needs no introduction. For the rest of you...

*eh eh ehm* <ANNOUNCER VOICE>
And now, entering the arena! Weighing in at a measly 2.6-5.5 oz! Measuring only 25-30cm in length! They're loud! They're proud! They're so rainbow they look like a kindergartner with a Pride Parade Crayon Set...

Theyyyyy're RAINBOW LORIKEETS!!!  *raucous screams and applause*

Awwwww yeah!

Okay, settle down, settle DOWN. You'll scare them away!! Goodness, didn't anyone ever teach you basic nature etiquette? Were you raised in a BARN?! Okay, much better, thank you. Moving forward.Rainbow lorikeets are one of my favorite birds here in Sydney. Why? Time for some introduction-post-worthy BACK STORY:

I grew up in Tempe, Arizona, which is part of the greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.  For those of you unfamiliar with Southwestern U.S. Geography, this means I grew up in a city in the Sonoran Desert. Also, within easy day trip distance of a plethora of ecosystems such as Coniferous mountain forests, juniper foothills, brushy nasty plateau-land near the great Grand Canyon, and still others. It's beautiful and never boring.

Magnificent

 For the last 7 years, I lived in Kansas until I graduated Veterinary School. Yes, I am already aware of the hilarious coincidence that I, like another dog-loving pigtail-toting Kansan, have moved from Kansas to "Oz".

Make this joke again, and I'll get you! And your little dog too!

I'm also not from the "flatlands" that many Americans complain about and everyone seems to think encompasses the whole of the midwest. I lived in the Flint Hills Grassland, in the Konza Prairie. This is rolling (but flat-topped) hill country, folks. From the top of a hill, I could coast my old F-250 almost an entire mile in neutral.  It's also absolutely breathtaking. At the height of the growing season, it's truly Amber Waves.
 

My photography does not do this justice.

But you know what my flora and fauna have always been lacking?

EXUBERANCE

You see, Desert Animals are designed to blend in with the desert (which is mostly brown/light-green). Grassland birds often have flashes of color, or subtle colouration, but most of the truly resplendent avians are shy, uncommon or outright endangered. The only common bright bird was the Cardinal, and even they were fairly boring once you got used to them. They're just Red.

And Rainbow Lorikeets? Well...

I'm SUPER FABULOUS

Best of all, they are everywhere. Even if I were to get bored of ours, there's a handful subspecies that all look just a little different. For example, the Swainson's Lorikeet has a blue belly and no chest bars (pictured just above), and the Rosenburg's Lorikeet is darker with very strong black barring on the chest, as well as a wider yellow patch on the neck.

Rainbow Lorikeets are enthralling to watch. They are parrots, after all. They're clever, acrobatic, and they play with each other (and their food!). Some people have them as pets and--as intelligent fellows--they can learn tricks and speech, as well as how to effectively train their owners to behave according to their parroty guidelines. In the wild, they'll group together, but they're less "flocking birds" like geese and more "neighborly" like us (it's only polite!).  You can ahead and picture them with little twig-picket fences, a missus and 1.5 chicklets.  They're monogamous like humans, and mate for life. Probably lack the stereotypical Labrador/Golden Retriver, though.

Lorikeets in our Foxglove tree

I am incredibly lucky, in that we have a beautiful Foxglove tree in our backyard. My fiance (who will hereafter be referred to as The Love) dislikes the tree, as it rains flowers in the pool. I love the tree. It's elegant, incredibly fragrant (reminiscent of Jasmine) and the lorikeets LOVE IT. You see, Rainbow lorikeets eat fruits, pollen and nectar. They have special tongues designed to help them draw the nectar from the flowers. So this tree is pretty much the All You Can Drink Buffet, but it's also a party where the birds have flowerhats, chatter away and hang upside down to eat (probably just because they can). Cheeky bastards!

I have yet to tire of watching them, and they are pure delight. I'll always have a special place in my heart for my Cactus Wrens and Medowlarks...but now I live somewhere that has more freakin' parrots than sparrows.

And that is why I started this blog.

Next Episode: "Rainbow Lorikeet: Part B" or "Technicolor Trickster or Painted Pest?!"

Links:
Wikipedia Entry
"Birds in Backyards" Link
Pet Information from Burke's Backyard