Dwarf musk lory
| Dwarf musk lory | ||||||||||||
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Dwarf Musk Lorikeet ( Glossopsitta pusilla ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Glossopsitta pusilla | ||||||||||||
| ( Shaw , 1790) |
The dwarf musk lory ( Glossopsitta pusilla ) is a parrot native to Australia. It is a very small Lori art belonging to the genus of glossopsitta belongs. No subspecies are distinguished. The species is not very common and is regularly the rarest Lori species in its range. They are nomadic birds: the number of individuals in the individual areas of their range varies depending on the food resources in the course of the year. Dwarf musk loris are a legally protected species in Australia.
Dwarf musk loris are birds of the upper canopy region. As they are difficult to observe in the wild due to their plumage and their small size, little is known about their way of life. They occur in larger swarms, especially during the flowering period of the eucalyptus trees.
Appearance
The dwarf musk lory reaches a body length of 15 centimeters and is thus the smallest of the musk loris. It weighs between 30 and 53 grams.
The males have green plumage; on the top of the body it is bright green, on the underside of the body the yellow-green is a little lighter and more yellowish. The face mask of the dwarf musk loris is striking. The forehead, reins, throat, and front cheek feathers are bright red. The rear cheek feathers have light green shaft lines. The neck and front back are bronze-colored with a tinge of green , like the musk lory. The under wing-coverts are yellow-green. The tail is green and has reddish markings at the base. The beak is black. The wax skin and the bare eye ring are dark gray. The iris is orange-yellow. The legs are greenish-gray.
The females are very similar to the males, but the red on the head is a little less extensive and a little paler. The entire plumage of young birds is slightly paler than that of adults. The color of the face mask is lighter and more orange-red. The eye ring and wax skin are pale gray. The beak is dark olive brown, the iris brown.
The flight of the dwarf musk loris is quick and straightforward. If they cover long distances, they sometimes fly at great heights. The contact sound during the flight is a high-pitched, rolling screeching sound. They make chattering noises while they are eating.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the dwarf musk loris is the eastern and southeastern Australia. The Lori occurs from north Queensland to the southeast of South Wales. They are found on a number of offshore islands such as Magnetic Island , Curtis Island , Fraser Island, and South Stradbroke Island . Possibly the dwarf musk lory also belongs to the avifauna of Tasmania.
The dwarf musk lory avoids the alpine habitats of the Southern Highlands in New South Wales , but is otherwise found both in the mountains and in the lowlands. You can find them in all habitats with trees, as the Loris depend on flowering and fruit-bearing trees for their food. Dwarf musk loris are also more likely to be in open terrain, especially if there are trees nearby along watercourses or on farmland.
food
Dwarf musk loris feed on pollen, nectar, flowers, native and imported fruits and berries. Presumably, like many other species of Lori, they also eat insects and their larvae. Eucalyptus trees are of great importance in the diet of the dwarf musk loris. A study in New South Wales found, among other things, that they vigorously defend their food trees against other bird species, such as the white-eyed honeyeater.
Reproduction
Dwarf musk loris are cave breeders that prefer to breed in knotholes or stem hollows of eucalyptus trees that are near bodies of water. The breeding season falls from June to December. The clutch usually comprises two to four eggs. There are clutches of five eggs, but they are rare. The eggs are round and have a shiny surface. The breeding season is about 23 days. Around the 53rd day of life, the young birds are fully fledged and leave the tree cavity.
Keeping in human care
Dwarf musk loris are rarely kept outside of Australia. However, they are considered pleasant and peaceful aviary inhabitants who can be socialized with other species such as finches , small pigeon species and soft beak. Since they are very agile birds, the aviaries must be big enough.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ Forshaw, pp. 284-285.
- ↑ Robiller, p. 102.
- ↑ Forshaw, pp. 284-285.
- ^ Forshaw, p. 285.
- ^ Forshaw, p. 285.
- ↑ Sindel and Gill, p. 202.
- ^ Forshaw, p. 285.
- ^ Forshaw, p. 290.
- ↑ Robiller, p. 103.
literature
- Joseph M. Forshaw , illustrated by William T. Cooper: Australian Parrots. 1st German-language edition. Volume 1: Cockatoos and Lories. Arndt-Verlag, Bretten 2003, ISBN 978-3-9808245-1-4 .
- Franz Robiller: Loris. Urania-Verlagsgesellschaft, Leipzig 1993, ISBN 3-332-00530-8 .
- Stan Sindel, James Gill: Australian Lorikeets. Singil Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9587727-8-5 .
Web links
- Glossopsitta pusilla inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2013.