red; forehead, lores, crown and nape black; broad yellow band across breast; black patch to sides of throat; thighs dark blue; wings green; under wing-coverts blue; bend of wing light blue; broad rose-red band across underside of flight feathers; underside of tail feathers dull olive-yellow, upperside red with green tips; cere grey; periophthalmic ring black; iris orange-red; feet dark grey; bill orange-red.
Females as male.
Immatures without black patch to sides of throat; yellow band incomplete; bill brownish; iris dark.
Length: 28 cm
Status: common.
Location
eastern Solomon Islands.
Habitat: forest and secondary vegetation at all altitudes, coconut plantations.
Aviculture
playful, active lory not too noisy; whistling, hissing and clucking calls; intelligent and inquisitive; soon becomes confiding; needs to be kept occupied; provide branches and pieces of limestone.
Breeding behavior: exact breeding season unknown; mounting young bird caught in September; egg measures 30.0 x 23.9 mm.
Breeding in aviculture: only often achieved in recent years; normal clutch 2 eggs, exceptionally 3; fledging period 10 weeks; two breeding per year possible.
Social Behavior
singly, in pairs or small groups of up to 10 birds outside breeding season; more numerous at higher altitudes than in lowlands; prefers highest branches of fruiting and flowering trees; very agile in getting to flowers; occasionally taken by local people from nest.
Accomodation
aviary 4 x 1 x 2 m; minimum temperature 15°C; diagonal nestbox 40 x 20 x 30 cm.
Diet
lory feed of fruits, pollen, brewer's yeast, rice and multi-grain flakes, dextrose and low fat yoghurt; rusk or biscuit softened in lory feed; plenty of fruit; fresh branches for chewing with buds and flowers; proprietory lory feed can be offered as supplement; regular wheat and oats; sprouted sunflower in small quantities.
