Rainbow Lorikeet Management Group

Our Committee at present is comprised of Lalani Hyatt; Conservation and Land Management specialist; Dr Sue Robinson; Invasive Species Biologist, Mark Holdworth; Consultant Wildlife Biologist, Dydee Mann; Threatened Species and Biodiversity Forest Practices Tasmania, Jason Graham; ornithologist and conservationist, David James; avian specialist and arborist and Stephen Hapgood; Northern Tasmanian group coordinator.

Background

Rainbow Lorikeets (RL) have been increasing in numbers throughout Northwest and Southern Tasmania since at least 2008 (Atlas of Living Australia). RLs are not native to Tasmania, and it is thought that aviary escapes and intentional releases have resulted in the birds breeding and spreading across municipalities.  

RLs can be distinguished from other birds in Tasmania due to their bright colours and blue heads.   

They feed on flowering gums and ornamental shrubs and fruit trees throughout suburbs and parks, displacing native birds including parrots and honeyeaters. RLs take over crucial feeding and nesting habitat of the critically endangered Swift Parrot as well as that of numerous other endemic birds. The RL may be interbreeding with our native Musk Lorikeets, which poses a risk to the genetic integrity of the Tasmanian Lorikeet. RLs also pose a huge threat to our agricultural sector. If flocks become large enough, they will have a devastating effect on apple, pear and small fruit crops.  

For more information on RLs, visit Rainbow Lorikeet | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. 

Objectives 

Our primary objective is the strategic removal of Rainbow Lorikeets from the Tasmanian environment. While our current operations are concentrated in southern Tasmania, we aim to expand statewide through community engagement, education, and collaboration. 

Key goals include: 

• Raising public awareness of the ecological and agricultural risks posed by RLs 

• Conducting community workshops and training sessions 

• Supporting volunteer trapping and monitoring 

Our Work 

Our members have been trapping and monitoring RLs in Kingborough and the Dodges Ferry area for over 10 years. We have worked with Parks and Wildlife Officers, Community members and specialist ornithologists to this end.  

As Convenor and Coordinator of this group, Lalani Hyatt brings her experience in Conservation and Land Management consultancy, including prior service as a Ranger in Charge with Parks and Wildlife. She now contributes voluntarily to the RL group, overseeing administrative functions such as funding applications, equipment procurement and dispersal to field volunteers.  

Our field volunteers operate feed stations and traps, with our expert guidance and support. We work with people who have either contacted us directly through social media, word of mouth or those who approach NRE. These people are seeing RLs on their properties and are happy to remove them. We provide traps and our custom designed remote closers so that they can target the RL and close the trap at will. The birds are then collected and euthanised in compliance with animal welfare and RSPCA guidelines and protocols.  

A feed station basically comprises a bench/table on which chopped apple and/or pear is placed, along with sugar water, which is irresistible to RLs. When the birds become accustomed to coming and going a trap is placed on the table and they are given time to become comfortable with entering it to access feed. The operator can then watch the birds enter the trap from a distance, inside the house through the window or behind a hedge etc. They determine the opportune time to catch them, simply press a button and the trap door shuts.  
We don't have an issue with catching other species of birds very often as the RL do not tolerate many others sharing their food source. If a native species is inadvertently trapped it is removed and released immediately.  

Our group is currently expanding across the state, with coordinator for the north/northwest Stephen Hapgood to be outfitted with equipment in the coming months, supported by a grant from Landcare Tasmania.