పొలుసుల ఛాతీ లోరికీట్
పొలుసుల ఛాతీ లోరికీట్ (ట్రైకోగ్లోసస్ క్లోరోలెపిడోటస్) తూర్పు ఆస్ట్రేలియాలోని చిట్టడవుల్లో కనిపిస్తుంది. దీని ఛాతీ వద్ద ఉండే పసుపు రంగు రెక్కలు, ఆకుపచ్చ అంచులతో దాని పేరుకు తగ్గట్టు పొలుసుల లాగే ఉంటాయి.
ఈ పొలుసుల ఛాతీ లోరికీట్‌ను మొదటగా 1820 లో జర్మను జీవశాత్రవేత్త హీన్రిచ్ కూల్ వివరించాడు. దీని ఇతర పేర్లు బంగారు, పచ్చ లోరికీట్, గ్రీనీ, పచ్చ లోరికీట్, పచ్చ, పసుపు లోరికీట్, పచ్చ కీట్, పచ్చ ఆకు. దీని శాస్త్రీయ నామం ప్రాచీన గ్రీకు పదం క్లోరో (పచ్చ), లాటిన్ పేరు లెపిడోటస్ (పొలుసులు కల) నుండి వచింది.
పొలుసుల ఛాతీ లోరికీట్ 23 సెం.మీ. పొడవుంటుంది. తలపైని పింఛము, తల రెండు వైపులా నీలం కలిసిన ఎమరాల్డ్ గ్రీన్‌ రంగులో ఉంటాయి. మెడ వెనక, గొంతుపైన, ఛాతీపైన ఉండే ఈకలు అకుపచ్చ అంచుతో పసుపు రంగులో ఉంటాయి. దీంతో ఇవి పొలుసుల రూపంలో కనిపిస్తాయి. తోక ఆకుపచ్చ రంగులో ఉంటుంది. The tail is green with the base of the outer tail-feathers marked with orange-red. The lower flanks, thighs and undertail-coverts green are strongly marked with yellow, wh లుక్కుile the underwing-coverts are orange-red. They have orange-red eyes, and their bills (beaks) are dark coral-red. Their legs are generally grey-brown.
ఆడ, మగ చిలుకలు రెండూ చూట్టానికి ఒకేలా ఉంటాయి. పిల్లలు కూడా పెద్ద చిలుకల్లానే ఉంటాయి, కానీ వీటి తోకలు పొట్టిగా ఉంటాయి. కళ్ళు గోధుమ లేదా నలుపు రంగులో ఉంటాయి. ముక్కులు గోధుమ రంగులో ఉండి, పసుపు రంగు చుక్కలు లేదా ఆరెంజి రంగుపై గోధుమ చుక్కలతోనూ ఉంటాయి.
This lorikeet is common in mక్కలుost timbered areas of Eastern Australia from Bamaga, the tip of North Queensland, south to Illawarra district on the New South Wales south coast; also on some offshore islands. They are generally confined to coastal plains and adjacent tablelands; occasionally found along watercourses west of the Great Dividing Range. They are abundant and mostly sedentary in north; less numerous and nomadic in the south. They favour open, lightly-timbered areas and "melaleuca" thickets.
The lorikeet's predominantly green plumage blends so well with foliage that the bird is hard to detect. An observer beneath a tree where scaly-breasted lorikeets are feeding may take some time to spot the birds. Their dark coral beak is often the first indications to their whereabouts. They seem to favour open, lightly timbered areas, but may be seen in "melaleuca" thickets when the trees are flowering.
The Scaly-breasted lorikeet is usually seen in small flocks, flying overhead, or feeding among the outermost branches of flowering trees. They frequent most timbered areas and are often seen in gardens and parklands – even in large cities.
Scaly-breasted lorikeets fly swiftly and in a straight path. As they pass overhead the sound of their rapid wing-beats can be heard along with their high-pitched call.
Scaly-breasted lorikeets are extremely noisy birds and attract attention by their screeching and chattering. The contact call of these birds is a metallic, rolling, continuous screech in flight. They have a shrill chatter when feeding. While resting, they have a soft, gentle twitter. Although, these birds can be quite noisy as mating season draws nearer. These birds are often making loud tweets/squawks when looking for their food.
Scaly-breasted lorikeets have similar habits to the related Rainbow Lorikeet, and the two species often group together in mixed flocks. Both species feed mainly on nectar, such as that from the Broad-leaved Paperbark "(Melaleuca quinquenervia)", and pollen, but they also eat blossoms, berries, other fruit, icecream, seeds, and insects and their larvae. They are very fond of cultivated fruits and often cause damage in orchards; they also raid sorghum and maize crops to feed on unripe milky grain.
Breeding occurs in all months except March and April though usually August-January in the southern part of its range. These birds nest in hollow trees, usually high above the ground, with a layer of wood dust serving as a mattress at the bottom. They usually lay two eggs, rarely three; they are white, oval, and about 26 X 20 mm. Incubation lasts about 25 days. Males spend time in the nest hollow, but apparently do not share in the incubation. Both parents feed the young, which leave the nest six to eight weeks after hatching.
The Scaly-breasted Lorikeet adapts fairly well to captivity, and is playful and quiet, although it can be aggressive. A blue mutation, with dark blue plumage and white breast markings, has been bred in Australia.