The times of the
year when native trees in the bush and your garden are in blossom are when
nature provides ample food for many birds.
Everyone will notice then an abundance of lorikeets keen to make the
most of pollen and nectar.
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| Rainbow Lorikeet Photo: L Blain |
The most common
lorikeets in NSW are the Rainbow Lorikeet and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. Many people feed these birds in their
gardens, but it is not wise to give them sugar or honey. Their blood cells need a certain amount of
simple sugars but too much is harmful to them.
While birds like drinking a sugary syrup, it is low in nutrients,
particularly Vitamin B, and can lead to an unbalanced diet. Nutritional deficiencies can result in babies
with deformed feet and wings. These
birds will not survive for very long.
My advice is not
to feed any native wild birds as they may become dependent and can suffer from
fungal infections as a result of dirty containers and stale contaminated food.
Seeds such as
sunflower seed should not be fed to wild lorikeets as it can lead to serious
consequences with feeding habits.
Lorikeets possess a brush tongue.
Prolonged eating of seeds such as sunflower seed remove this natural and
important pollen-consuming characteristic from the bird’s mouth.
If left to find
their own food, wild birds of all species provide an essential and instinctive
insect control system and pollinate our native plants. This then helps the environment.
Bill Noonan
This article was originally published in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on July 17, 2017.
