Spreading the word about discovered food resources, finding potential mates, and teaching feeding techniques to inexperienced fledglings are possible “topics of conversation.” Roost sizes vary seasonally, some having as many as 50,000 birds! The lorikeets’ roost is a centralized location where, it is thought, the birds congregate to share information. For harder fruits found in rainforest trees, the birds scrape the fruit on the inside of their open bill and then removing the sweet juice with their specialized tongue. Designed to easily extract hard-to-reach seeds from cones, the birds’ upper mandible has a pointed tip and is much narrower than that of their parrot relatives. Unique to lorikeets, these papillae have earned them the name “brush-tongued parrots.”Īnother characteristic unique to lorikeets is their beak structure. When the tongue is extended, these papillae become erect, like bristles on a brush, expanding the tongue’s surface area and allowing the birds to easily soak up nectar and collect pollen from the blossoms. Tiny hair-like appendages called papillae form a U shape on the end of the lorikeet’s tongue. Thus, they have a specialized tongue that allows them to easily consume their soft food and liquid diet. Their diet is limited to soft food because these birds have weak gizzards, which break up harder foods like seeds. The lorikeet’s diet is comprised of nectar, pollen flowers, fruits, berries, and unripe grain. They can feed on thirty to forty eucalyptus flowers per minute! While searching for food, the birds can travel more than thirty miles daily, stopping in ten-second intervals to scan the area in search of food. Lorikeets spend approximately 70 percent of their time feeding. The Aquarium’s Lorikeet Forest features green-naped, Edward’s, and Swainson’s lorikeets. When seen in full sunlight, these beautifully colored birds almost radiate an iridescent glow-a bright contrast to the thick, dark trees of their natural habitat. Measuring approximately 10 inches in length, lorikeets exhibit a dazzling color combination, ranging from brilliant blues and greens to exquisite reds, yellows, and deep purples. They will land on your hand, arm, shoulder or even your head to get a sip of sweet nectar! Purchase a small cup of nectar, the lorikeets’ favorite food, to feed the birds as you walk through the exhibit. More than 100 lively lorikeets fill the trees. Transport yourself to the coastal lowlands of Australia when you enter Lorikeet Forest, a 5,400-square-foot outdoor aviary. At last they find the perfect spot: your arm or even your head! It grows louder and louder until you spot them-brilliantly colored lorikeets fill the air looking for a resting place. Imagine walking down a winding path lined with a waterfall and trees.

Escape the pacific walkthrough