Rainbow Lorikeet - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Rainbow Lorikeets are true parrots, within the Psittacoidea superfamily in the order Psittaciformes.

The Rainbow Lorikeet has often included the Red-collared Lorikeet (T. rubritorquis) as a subspecies, but today most major authorities consider it separate. Additionally, a review in 1997 led to the recommendation of splitting off some of the most distinctive taxa from the Lesser Sundas as separate species, these being the Scarlet-breasted Lorikeet (T. forsteni), the Marigold Lorikeet (T. capistratus) and the Flores Lorikeet (T. weberi). This is increasingly followed by major authorities. With these as separate species, the Rainbow Lorikeet includes the following subspecies (in taxonomic order); most of the common names listed below are only used in aviculture.

• Shawl-collared, Rosenberg's or Biak Lorikeet, T. h. rosenbergii - Biak Island, Indonesia. Very distinctive, and possibly worthy of treatment as a separate species.
• Blue-faced Lorikeet, T. h. intermedius. - north coast of New Guinea. Not always considered distinct from T. h. haematodus.
• Green-naped Lorikeet, T. h. haematodus - southern Maluku, West Papua islands and western New Guinea.
• Dark-throated Lorikeet, T. h. nigrogularis - Kai Islands, Aru Islands and southern New Guinea. If T. h. caeruleiceps is recognized, T. h. nigrogularis is restricted to the Kai and Aru Islands.
• Brook's Lorikeet, T. h. brooki - Spriti Island in the Aru Islands. Not always considered distinct from T. h. nigrogularis.
• Pale-head Lorikeet, T. h. caeruleiceps - southern New Guinea. Not always considered distinct from T. h. nigrogularis.
• Southern Green-naped Lorikeet, T. h. micropteryx - east New Guinea.
• Ninigo Lorikeet, T. h. nesophilus - Ninigo and Hermit Groups, west of Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.
• Olive-green Lorikeet, T. h. flavicans - New Hanover Island, St. Matthias Islands and Admiralty Islands.
• Massena's or Coconut Lorikeet, T. h. massena - eastern New Guinea, Louisiade Archipelago, Karkar Island, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
• Deplanche's Lorikeet, T. h. deplanchii - New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands.
• Swainson's Lorikeet, T. h. moluccanus - eastern Australia and Tasmania. The population of the Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait Islands is now often treated as a separate subspecies, T. h. septentrionalis.

• Images of subspecies

• Swainson's Lorikeet
  T. h. moluccanus

• Rosenberg's Lorikeet
  T. h. rosenbergii at Nashville Zoo, USA

• Green-naped Lorikeet
  T. h. haematodus