FREE-RANGING RAINBOW LORIKEET HYBRIDS FOUND IN TASMANIA

摘要

The Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771),is not native to Tasmania (except as an occasional vagrant from mainland Australia) and is considered an invasive species that presents a major threat to the island's economy and environment. The species now persists in Tasmania, probably as a result of natural dispersal from mainland Australia, and through the deliberate and accidental release of pet birds. Of particular concern are what appear to be cross-bred lorikeet specimens amongst a batch of wildcaptured Rainbow Lorikeets. These hybrids are most probably the offspring of the Rainbow Lorikeet and the native Musk Lorikeet, Glossopsitta concinna (Shaw, 1791). The presence of the Rainbow Lorikeet and the wild-caught hybrids, as well as the potential for crossbreeding in the wild, may impact Tasmania's local species, ecosystems and agriculture, and further study is needed.