Red-throated Lorikeet in the wild
Credit: © Dr. William Beckon
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The lack of records of this bird may be partly due to its ability to hide in the forest canopy.
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Status in the Wild
World Population: <50
Range: Found on Viti Levu, Ovalau, Vanua Levu and Taveuni (Fiji Islands group).
Habitat: Upland rainforest to 1000m (3280 ft); high up in the forest canopy, therefore hard to spot.
Threat Summary: Predation by introduced mammals, and, to a lesser extent, logging.
IUCN Rating: Critically endangered
Wild Diet: Lorikeets observed (Holyoak, 1973) feeding in the canopy of a tall, unknown flowering tree, hanging upside-down to get at the flowers.
CITES Rating: Appendix II
Ecology: Feeds in small groups of 5-8 birds (Holyoak, 1973) getting together to feed on flowers, nectar and pollen. Sometimes driven away by aggressive Collared Lories. Inconspicuous in behaviour, not seen often.
Clutch and Egg Size: Not available
Breeding Season: Not available
Project Status (WPT): WPT is working with the Fijian National Trust to fund studies on the five parrot species on the Fijian islands, including the Red-throated.
See:
http://www.parrots.org/index.php/ourwork/redthroatedlorikeet/
Links to Other Project(s): http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1381&m=0
http://www.pacificbirds.com/RTL_report.pdf
More Info Sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-throated_Lorikeet