Distribution Map
Purple-crowned Lorikeet
Psitteuteles porphyrocephalus
EndemicStatus
UncommonRarity
Bird Gallery
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Species Description
The Purple-crowned Lorikeet is a tiny, brilliantly coloured parrot native to southern Australia’s woodlands, mallee, and coastal scrub. About the length of a pencil, this lorikeet dazzles with its vivid purple crown, rainbow-hued face, and agile movements as it forages among flowering eucalypts. Despite its small size, it’s an important pollinator and a lively presence in the canopy, often moving in small, noisy flocks that follow the flowering of native trees.
Fun Facts
These lorikeets are highly social, often joining mixed flocks with Little and Musk Lorikeets, and sometimes gathering in large numbers when food is abundant.
1. Deep purple crown with yellow-orange forehead and red patches in front of the eyes
2. Orange-yellow cheek patch against pale blue underparts
3. Small size, swift direct flight, and high-pitched “tsit-tsit” or “zit-zit” calls in flight
Purple-crowned Lorikeets are nectar and pollen specialists, using their brush-tipped tongues to feed from blossoms. They also consume fruit and occasionally insects. Their breeding season runs from late autumn to early summer (typically August to December), with pairs nesting in tree hollows, often forming loose colonies when nest sites are plentiful. Clutches usually contain two to four eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Their calls are sharp and high-pitched, and they are generally more often heard than seen as they move quickly through the canopy.
Purple-crowned Lorikeets are found from southwest Western Australia to southeastern South Australia and Victoria, including Kangaroo Island. They inhabit dry eucalypt forests, mallee, open woodlands, and coastal scrub, and are sometimes seen in suburban parks with flowering trees. These birds are nomadic, following the flowering of eucalypts and other nectar sources, and may appear in large flocks where food is abundant.
Physical Attributes
Height
16 cm
Size Relative to Other Birds25%
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