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Protecting the Rimatara Lorikeet
Local residents work to save their beloved rainbow birds
© Jean-Paul Mutz
With brilliant crimson chests, green backs and blue crests, Rimatara Lorikeets are stunning birds. The last native population of the lorikeets survives on the island of Rimatara, thanks to the foresight of the island’s last queen, Temaeva Vahine, who placed a tapu on the birds, denoting them sacred. Rimatara residents, proud of their ‘rainbow’ birds, have teamed up with the Polynesian Ornithological Society to ensure the lorikeets are here for generations to come.
BirdNote®
Protecting the Rimatara Lorikeet
Written by Tiare Tuuhia
This is BirdNote.
[Rimatara Lorikeet/Khul’s Lorikeet chattering]
With brilliant crimson chests, green backs and blue crests, Rimatara Lorikeets are stunning birds. Even with those bright colors, chances are you’ll hear them before you see them; they chatter amongst themselves constantly, flitting around high in the branches of tropical fruit trees.
[Rimatara Lorikeet/Khul’s Lorikeet chattering]
Native to the Pacific islands, these lorikeets were almost hunted to extinction by Polynesians, who coveted their red feathers for making headpieces and cloaks. The last native population of the lorikeets survives on the island of Rimatara, thanks to the foresight of the island’s last queen, Temaeva Vahine. In the late 19th century, the queen placed a tapu on the birds, denoting them sacred and forbidding them from being harmed.
Rimatara Lorikeets are now synonymous with their island home, and locals are fiercely proud of their ‘rainbow’ birds. They’ve been introduced to several other islands. Sadly, they’re still endangered. The Rimatara population has fallen from 1000 in 1992 to under 500 today. The main culprit? Habitat loss.
And if invasive black rats find their way to the island they could devastate the remaining birds. In response, local residents have teamed up with the Polynesian Ornithological Society to protect their precious lorikeets and ensure they are here for generations to come.
[Rimatara Lorikeet/Khul’s Lorikeet chattering]
For BirdNote, I’m Tiare Tuuhia.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Rimatara (Kuhl’s) Lorikeet ML62468011 and ML62463741 recorded by Bruce Rideout.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote February 2023
Narrator: Tiare Tuuhia
ID# KUHLOR-01-2023-02-15 KUHLOR-01
