Mount Goliath Lorikeets

The Mount Goliath Lorikeets (Charmosyna papou goliathina) are endemic to the mountains in Central New Guinea. They are listed as an endangered species (Cites II).

Description

Size

They average 45 cm (17.75 inches) in length (including tail). The wing length is about 135 – 156 mm (5.5 – 6 ins)

This subspecies comes in a red and a melanistic (black) form.

Red Form

The red form looks similar to the nominate Papuan Lorikeets (C. papou papou), but the black on the top of the head extends to the area behind eye and merges with the black band to the back of neck of nominate type. The blue frontal edging is much more extensive. They lack the yellow patch to the sides of the body that can be seen in the nominate Papuan Lorikeet. The lower parts are also black and the upper tail-coverts end in green (red in the Stella’s Lorikeet (C. p. stellae). The middle elongated tail-feathers have yellow tips.

Female as male, but lower back and lower flank area yellow.

Juveniles / immature birds as described under Stella’s Lorikeet (C. p. stellae).

Melanistic (Black) Form

Looks similar to the Stella’s Lorikeets (C. papou stellae). It may be differentiated by the ends of the feathers of upper tail-coverts, which are red in the Stella’s Lorikeets (C. papou stellae) male and green in the Mount Goliath Lorikeet (goliathina) male. There is no visual difference in females.

## Lories as Pets or in Aviculture:

Breeding in aviculture is regularly achieved. As long as their special dietary needs are met, breeding is not difficult. The breeding season typically commences in May. The average clutch consists of 2 eggs. Both parents share the incubation duties. The eggs are incubated for about 28 days.

The young fledge when they are about 56 to 64 days old. The weaning period is between 2 to 4 weeks. Breeders usually remove the young before the parents start on a new nest as the older chicks can damage the eggs. It’s best to isolate the breeding pairs as they may get aggressive towards other lories.

Nestbox Dimensions:

15 x 15 x 30 cm (6 x 6 x 12 ins)

Aviary / Flight:

Minimum: 2 x 1 x 2 m (6 x 3 x 6 ft). Alternatively, a tall flight: 1 x 0.6 x 1.5 m ( 3 x 2 x 5 ft). They are susceptible until acclimatized — so it’s best to protect them from cold temperatures. A warm shelter is recommended.

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Other Relevant Web Resources

• Photos of the Different Lory Species for Identification … Listing of Species
• Distribution Maps of Lories and Lorikeets
• Lories and Lorikeets in Aviculture
• Feeding and Housing Your Lories and Lorikeets
• Diseases of Lories / Lorikeets and Health Care Program
• Special Challenges of Lories and Lorikeets: Training and Behavioral Guidance

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Taxonomy:

Family: Loriidae

Genus: Scientific: Charmosyna … English: Honey Lorikeets … Dutch: Honingpapegaaien … German: Zierloris … French: Loriquet de miele

Species: Scientific: Charmosyna papou goliathina … English: Mount Goliath Lorikeet … Dutch: Rode Stellalori, Mount Goliath Lori … German: Mount Goliath Papualori … French: Loriquet Goliath … CITES II – Endangered Species

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