About 3 weeks ago, after months of trying to attract rainbow lorikeets and corellas to my backyard, they finally noticed my bird seed. The rainbow lorikeets used to come at 6:30 am sharp to feed before the corellas, that would all come to feed at 7:00. Now, the correllas come at 6:30 to feed, and because they are bigger, they have ended up scaring away all the rainbow lorikeets. They also end up finishing the bird seed I put out. How do I "re-attract" the rainbow lorikeets to come back at 6:30 and the corellas to come at 7:00? Please put detail in your answers as I feel disappointed about this. Thank you all! :D
I think the Corellas will just take over permanently and increase in numbers as you continue to feed them. It is my understanding that corellas are seed eaters, while lorikeets go for nectar and fruit. If you particularly want lorikeets, perhaps just give up the seed and instead grow some native trees and plants that bear the nectar and fruit that lorikeets survive on. Grow the trees and nature will take care of its own.
Maybe if you try planting native food producing plants that would provide food equally for both species, this wouldn't be a problem?
Corellas are fond of digging around in grass for roots, bulbs and seeds, while one of the Rainbow Lorikeet's favorite foods is nectar.
Putting store-bought seeds may seem like a good idea by helping the birds, but it is actually doing some damage to them, as it is not part of their natural diet.
Haha, good job Night Parrot, you beat me by one minute
Hi Intrigue. There's lots of debate about artificially feeding birds & you can take a look at postings on the topic by using the Search box near the top of this page.
Personally, I believe the best way to attract Rainbow Lorikeets is to plant their natural habitat, i.e., the plant species which are indigenous to your area, & to encourage your neighbours & local council etc. to do likewise. This will ensure that the Rainbow Lorikeets are provided their natural food & will therefore receive the healthiest possible diet. It will also minimise the chances they'll be subjected to beak & feather disease which is passed between birds at artificial feeding spots.
In addition, a natural habitat will disperse the food supply so that both Rainbow Lorikeets & Corellas will feed at times of their choosing which may well be close to sunrise & thus go close to meeting your time-specific need. However, I doubt that birds in the wild can be manipulated to feed at specific times, even if this was desirable. While giving humans a buzz such manipulations so often are damaging to the birds.
Hi,
Thanks guys. Is there anything I can give to them instead of having to wait for trees to grow, haha? Also, regarding artificially feeding them, there are nectar solutions that I buy from the pet shop, but the correllas seem to take interest in them as well! I'm actually looking for any insight to how I could perhaps train them to coming at separate times..
Yes, I agree. I get about 40 correllas coming at 6:30 am, and the problem is I really want the rainbow lorikeets to also come to my backyard (they used to come at that time!).. any way I could do so?
I think Woko says it best Intrigue. All your answers are in his good advice.
http://www.parrotsociety.org.au/articles/art_007.htm
As nice as it might be for you to observe large gatherings of Parrots of any kind, that is exactly what causes the greatest danger to them as far as spreading some of the most contagious diseases amongst them is concerned.
I agree with everyone else here, planting native plants will provide them with the right nutrition , keep them busy , stimulated and healthy.
Psittacine (Beak and Feather Desease) is a viral disease that can affect all spittacine birds , Parrots, Cockatoos and Lorikeets.
M-L
Hi again, Intrigue. I'm becoming curious about your need to control the feeding times of these birds. Is there a problem in taking delight in the birds no matter what time they feed? Or allowing them to feed when & where they choose? My basic concern is that humans' apparent need to contol every aspect of Nature has led us to the point that we're now biting very hard on the hand that feeds us.
Unfortunately, it takes a long while to restore the habitat of Rainbow Lorikeets but only a few minutes to destroy it. Lots of patience is needed but even more patience is needed if you don't start tomorrow.
I know that we live in an instant society where we can have what we want yesterday but this chart of Rainbow Lorikeet numbers at my place on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges SA shows the difference that can be achieved by planting indigenous species.
Hi, Woko. The birds at my place come at the latter times, however as the corellas have increased in number, the lorikeets have declined and no longer come to the bird feeder and I was simply wondering how I could 'reattract them'. I also have Banksias in my garden, which also don't do the job, so I was wondering how to bring them back. Of course there is no problem with the time, they choose the times they want to feed, whenever they want..
No quick fix, I'm afraid, Intrigue. Conditions around you seem to favour the Corellas over the Rainbow Lorikeets. A long term approach over quite a large area would be needed to redress the balance, I suspect.
Quite a few communities are now paying the price of massive environmental disturbance as Little Corellas invade them causing much damage to buildings & trees. Posters who saw My Birdy on ABC1 on Saturday would have seen the Little Corella problem in Strathalbyn, SA, near where I live.
By the way, are these Little Corellas or Long-billed Corellas which concern you?