This very colourful bird has been spotted in the village recently [December 2021], but shouldn’t be here at all. It has a red bill, blue head, yellow neck, green body and red breast. It’s not an eastern rosella though. He aha tērā? What is that?
Answer: it’s a Rainbow Lorikeet:
Identification: Length: 28 cm; Weight: 120 g
Similar species: Eastern rosella
Brightly coloured medium-sized parrot with red bill and blue head. … Illegal releases of aviary birds in Auckland during the 1990s resulted in a breeding feral population that has since been eradicated. The rainbow lorikeet is considered a horticultural and conservation pest species, and is an Unwanted Organism in New Zealand. If you think you have seen a rainbow lorikeet, phone the Ministry for Primary Industries Pests and Diseases Hotline 0800 80 99 66.
