Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)

The Purple-crowned Lorikeet, (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala) is a very small lorikeet, approx. 16 cm in length, with a purple crown, orange forehead and ear-coverts, green upper parts are bright green and a pale blue belly. There is a small patch of bright blue at the bend of wing, with underwing coverts bright red, and obvious in flight. They are easier to hear than see, often calling in flight. The call is a high-pitched ‘tzeet, tzeet’.

The Purple-crowned Lorikeet is found in southwest Western Australia, and in southern South Australia, east from the southern Eyre Peninsula, through the Gawler Range and southern Flinders Ranges and across Victoria to East Gippsland. It is also found on Kangaroo Island. I was lucky enough to come across a flock at Jerramungup while enroute to Ravensthorpe.