Blue Lorikeet
A species of Polynesian Lorikeets Scientific name : Vini peruviana Genus : Polynesian Lorikeets
Blue Lorikeet, A species of Polynesian Lorikeets
Botanical name: Vini peruviana
Genus: Polynesian Lorikeets
Content
Description General Info
Description
The blue lorikeet is 18 cm long with a short rounded tail. Its plumage is mainly dark blue and it has a white area over its upper chest, throat and lower face. Erectile feathers on the top of its head show light blue streaks. Its beak is orange and its irises are yellow-brown. It has orange legs. Adult males and females have identical external appearance. The juvenile lacks the white plumage of the adult and has a dark grey-blue face and lower parts. The juvenile also has a black bill, dark brown irises, and its legs are orange brown. Blue plumage, which is shares with the related ultramarine lorikeet, is very unusual in the parrot order. 
Size
18 cm
Nest Placement
Cavity
Feeding Habits
Blue Lorikeet predominantly consume nectar and pollen from a variety of plants including coconut palms and Guettarda speciosa. They forage quietly in groups, employing their specialized brush-like tongues. Occasionally, blue Lorikeet also eat insects, soft fruits, and leaf shoots. They exhibit the unique behavior of prying open unopened flowers to access food.
Habitat
The blue Lorikeet typically inhabits wooded areas, showing a seasonal preference for coconut and banana plantations. They thrive in environments where native and cultivated trees coexist. Additionally, blue Lorikeet can be found on the sandy islets of atolls, particularly among flowering plants like Scaevola.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Fruit
Behavior
They roost in coconut palm trees, rising at dawn and calling and preening before feeding. They are usually found in small flocks of less than ten birds. They rest during the heat of the day in shade before resuming feeding in the afternoon. At dusk groups fly around calling until dark, when they retreat to spaces between palm leaves to roost for the night.
Distribution Area
The blue lorikeet was originally endemic to the islands of French Polynesia. It is also present in the Cook Islands, where it is one of a small number of landbirds on the island of Aitutaki. Dean Amadon, writing in 1942 after the Whitney South Seas Expedition, thought that it might have been introduced to the Cooks. David Steadman, who studied the extinct species of the areas, wrote in 1991 that it might have been but that he could find no evidence of this. Had it been native there it would have coexisted with Kuhl's lorikeet; today no Vini lorikeets are sympatric. He later concluded that it was probably introduced, as extensive excavations of fossils had found remains of Kuhl's lorikeet as well as two other species of extinct Vini lorikeet, but no fossils of the blue lorikeet. The blue lorikeet will live in any wooded habitat within its range, including cultivated areas. It is most abundant in mixed stands of coconuts and Heliotropium foertherianum.
Species Status
They are endangered primarily by invasive species, including cats, rats, swamp harriers, and mosquitoes carrying avian malaria.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Parrots Family
Parrots Genus
Polynesian Lorikeets Species
Blue Lorikeet 
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