Trichoglossus
Trichoglossus is a genus of lorikeet in the Psittaculidae or true parrot superfamily. The genus is distributed widely through Australia, Wallacea and Melanesia, with outliers in the Philippines and Micronesia. Members of the genus are characterised by barring, sometimes prominently, on the upper breast.
Taxonomy
The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek terms tricho- "hair", and glõssa "tongue". There are uncertainties in the classification. The main uncertainty is the delineation of the species Trichoglossus haematodus, which has until now been broadly defined with many subspecies. However several are found in remote areas and have been little studied, with some arguing for their classification as separate species. Furthermore, the three species of the related genus Psitteuteles have been sometimes classified as members of Trichoglossus.The genus contains several species and subspecies:
Trichoglossus Stephens 1826
- Trichoglossus ornatus
- Trichoglossus forsteni
- * T. f. djampeanus
- * T. f. stresemanni
- * T. f. mitchellii
- * T. f. forsteni
- Trichoglossus weberi
- Trichoglossus capistratus
- * T. c. fortis
- * T. c. capistratus
- * T. c. flavotectus
- Trichoglossus haematodus
- * T. h. haematodus
- * T. h. intermedius
- * T. h. nigrogularis
- * T. h. caeruleiceps
- * T. h. nesophilus
- * T. h. flavicans
- * T. h. massena
- * T. h. micropteryx
- * T. h. deplanchii
- Trichoglossus rosenbergii
- Trichoglossus moluccanus
- * T. m. septentrionalis
- * T. m. moluccanus
- * T. m. eyrei
- Trichoglossus rubritorquis
- Trichoglossus euteles
- Trichoglossus flavoviridis
- * T. f. meyeri
- * T. f. flavoviridis
- Trichoglossus johnstoniae
- Trichoglossus rubiginosus
- Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Species details
Rainbow lorikeet species complex
The rainbow lorikeet has about 20 subspecies in some classifications; although, several of these are sometimes split off to form up to four additional species:The parentheses in the scientific names of the birds in the table are used to indicate that a taxon is sometimes considered to be a full species and sometimes listed as a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet.
| Subspecies of rainbow lorikeet that are sometime classified as separate species | Subspecies of rainbow lorikeet that are sometime classified as separate species | Subspecies of rainbow lorikeet that are sometime classified as separate species | Subspecies of rainbow lorikeet that are sometime classified as separate species |
| Common and binomial names | Image | Description | Range |
| Sunset lorikeet Trichoglossus forsteni | Sometimes classified as a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet | The Indonesian island of Sumbawa, Tanahjampea and Kalaotoa | |
| Leaf lorikeet Trichoglossus weberi | Mostly green. Sometimes classified as a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet | Flores, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia | |
| Marigold lorikeet Trichoglossus capistratus | Sometimes classified as a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet | Islands of Sumba, Wetar and Timor in south-east Asia | |
| Red-collared lorikeet Trichoglossus rubritorquis | Sometimes classified as a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet | Northern Australia, including north Kimberley and North West Queensland, but excluding Far North Queensland. |