Lanka Giramalitta
Size of a House Sparrow. Sexes alike, but the female is duller, coloured than the male, and has only a trace of pale-blue throat-patch; young birds have the head all green, but otherwise resemble their parents. It is strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground. Although often solitary, companions are never far away, and it keeps them informed of its movements by constantly uttering, while o the wing, a sharp three-syllabled whistle twiwittwit...twitwitwit. The lorikeet is a convivial little bird, delighting in juicy fruits, the nectar of flowers, and the juice of palms collected in toddy-drawers' pots.The lorikeet breeds in the first half of the year, and sometimes again in July-September. Its breeding habits are highly remarkable. The eggs are white and nearly spherical, measuring about 19.3 X 16 mm.
This brilliantly-coloured little parrot is found everywhere in the hills up to 4,000 feet, and in the north-east monsoon it ascends a thousand feet higher; it also inhabits the low-country wet zone and parts of the dry zone to the south of the Northern Province.
Description
The Sri Lanka hanging parrot is a small, mainly green hanging parrot, only 13 cm long with a short tail. The adult has a red crown and rump. The nape and back have on orange tint. The chin and throat are pale blue. The beak is red and the irises are white.Immature birds lack the orange hue to the back, have a duller rump, and have only a hint of orange on the crown. They have a faint blue throat. They have orange beaks and brown irises.
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