Blue-crowned Lorikeet
A species of Polynesian Lorikeets Scientific name : Vini australis Genus : Polynesian Lorikeets
Blue-crowned Lorikeet, A species of Polynesian Lorikeets
Botanical name: Vini australis
Genus: Polynesian Lorikeets
Content
Description
Photo By Lars Petersson
Description
The blue-crowned lorikeet (Vini australis), also known as the blue-crowned lory, blue-crested lory, Solomon lory or Samoan lory, is a parrot found throughout the Lau Islands (Fiji), Tonga, Samoa, Niue and adjacent islands, including: ʻAlofi, Fotuhaʻa, Fulago, Futuna, Haʻafeva, Niuafoʻou, Moce, Niue, Ofu, Olosega, Samoa, Savaiʻi, Tafahi, Taʻu, Tofua, Tonga, Tungua, ʻUiha, ʻUpolu, Varoa, Vavaʻu, and Voleva. It is a 19 cm green lorikeet with a red throat, blue crown, and belly patch shading from red at the top to purple at the bottom. It is still common, but declining on some islands, apparently from predation by rats. They frequent areas with flowering trees, including coconut plantations and gardens, usually in small flocks of less than about 15 individuals or in pairs during breeding season. It eats nectar, pollen and soft fruits, especially wild hibiscus and coconut. The blue-crowned lory nests in holes in trees, but may also dig burrows in earth banks. Segavao, (Samoa) Henga, (Tonga)
Size
19 cm
Feeding Habits
Blue-crowned Lorikeet feed primarily on nectar, pollen, and soft fruits, favoring coconut and mango. They adapt to available food sources, seen in their varied diet across different locales, and exhibit opportunistic feeding on unripe mangoes and certain flowers after natural disruptions like hurricanes.
Habitat
Blue-crowned Lorikeet typically inhabits regions where there is an abundance of flowering trees, which can include forests, scrubs, gardens, and plantations. They are more frequently observed or detected in areas of cultivation compared to dense forests, and their presence significantly diminishes in regions where forests have been cleared or in heavily urbanized areas.
Dite type
Frugivorous
Photo By Lars Petersson
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Parrots Family
Parrots Genus
Polynesian Lorikeets Species
Blue-crowned Lorikeet