Goldie’s Lorikeet

Goldie’s Lorikeet 19 cm; 45–61 g. Black bill; crown red with a blackish line from loral area back to the hind crown, bluish under eye, deep pink hood from throat to nape with regular dark streaking which extends over yellowish-green mantle and undersides;

upper back and tail green variably washed slightly brownish, wings and lower back dark green; yellow band across the underside of flight-feathers. Goldie’s Lorikeet Female has duller, less extensive red in the crown. Immature has a green crown.

Previously placed in Trichoglossus. Monotypic.

Monotypic.

Highlands of New Guinea from Weyland Mts in W to the Huon Peninsula and Owen Stanley Range in E.

Inhabits primary montane forest at mid-elevations, but ranging to sea-level and up to 2800 m were recorded in disturbed Nothofagus- Podocarpus forest.

Apparently nomadic in relation to flowering schedules of several canopy trees and lianas; for example, absent from an upland area of C Papua New Guinea, Dec–Jan, when known to be present in large numbers in a valley well to N.

Flowers of Elaeocarpus, Poikilospermum, Eucalyptus, Grevillea, and Dimorphanthera; apparently no other certain sources, but psyllid lerps may be an important food that draws birds into casuarinas.

Not well documented. Calls include a high-pitched rising “tsleet!” and variations such as “tseet…tslew”, sounding not at all shrill or harsh.

Sept-Oct. Nest in the base of dead fronds in the lower crown of the Pandanus tree, in one case at moss forest/grassland edge. Eggs two; in captivity incubation 23 days, nestling period 2 months.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Generally fairly scarce but locally common (e.g. near Tari Gap, Papua New Guinea), presumably in response to local food availability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaqg7E88B0I

SOURCE: Love of Pets