What does it look like?
Rainbow lorikeets are brightly coloured parrots measuring about 30 centimetres long, with long tails. They have a bright red beak and eyes, a blue head and belly, green wings, back and tail, and an orange/yellow breast. Their blue head is the easiest way to tell them apart from eastern rosellas, which have a red head. Rainbow lorikeets are noisy birds, known for their loud screeching and chattering calls, and are usually seen in pairs or small flocks.
The species was originally brought to New Zealand from Australia as cage birds and was illegally released in the Auckland area in the 1990s. In New Zealand, rainbow lorikeets are most likely to be found in suburban parks and gardens, horticultural areas, and along forest edges.
Rainbow lorikeets are classed as an Unwanted Organism. They may be kept legally as caged birds, but it’s illegal to release them into the wild.
Why is it a problem?
Rainbow lorikeets breed quickly and feed mainly on pollen, nectar and fruit. This puts them in direct competition with native nectar feeding birds like tūī, bellbird and hihi, which rely on the same food sources.
They can also compete with native cavity nesting species, including kākā, kākāriki, and short tailed and long tailed bats, by taking over nesting and roosting sites. Rainbow lorikeets can carry diseases that may threaten the health of native birds, and they also pose a risk to commercial fruit growing industries.
Control methods
The Rainbow Lorikeet is an Unwanted Organism under the Biosecurity Act. Please report any sightings of these birds to us as soon as possible to reduce the risk of breeding populations re-establishing. If you suspect a population has established, contact us with photographs and as much detail as possible on 06 835 9200.
Exemption: Rainbow lorikeets may be held in captivity in secure aviaries and cages, be bred and sold, but it’s illegal to release them into the wild.
More information
Any control operation is subject to funding which is yet to be secured. We are currently collating exotic parrot population data to enable plan creation in the interim.
Related links
Notify Council
If you think you've found this pest, please get in touch with our Biosecurity Team at biosecurity@hbrc.govt.nz or call us on 0800 108 838.
Management Programme
Unwanted Organism
An unwanted organism is any organism that's capable of causing harm to natural or physical resources (like forests and waterways) or human health. A number of introduced pests in New Zealand are classed as unwanted.
Rules
Sections 52 and 53
Sections 52 and 53 of the Biosecurity Act 1993, which prevent the communication, release, spread, sale and propagation of pests, must be complied with.
Taxonomies
FamilyPsittaculidae
TypeAnimals
GroupBird
HabitatLand
Management ProgrammeUnwanted Organism
RulesSections 52 and 53
