Collared Lory Vini solitaria Scientific name definitions

20 cm; 71–92 g. Bill orange; crown above line through eye glossy purplish black, bordered on nape by elongated bright yellowish-green feathers; back, wings and tail green; face below eye, upper back and undersides down to mid-belly red; lower belly blackish purple, green on vent and undertail-coverts; legs orange. Female has paler, bluish fore­crown, more green on collar. Immature duller green and non-elongate on nape, with darker bill and legs.

Collared Lory has 10 full-length primaries (numbered distally, p1 to p10), 10 secondaries (numbered s1-s7 proximally and including 3 tertials, numbered t1 to t3 distally), and 12 rectrices (numbered distally, r1 to r6, on each side of the tail). No geographic variation in plumages reported. The following plumage descriptions are based on those of Foreshaw (1 Forshaw, J. M. (1989). Parrots of the world. 3rd ed. Melbourne, Australia: Lansdowne Editions. Close ,2 Forshaw, J.M. (2006). Parrots of the World: an Identification Guide. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Close ,3 Forshaw, J. M. (2010). Parrots of the World. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), Collar (4 Collar, N. J. (1997). Family Psittacidae (parrots). In Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4. Sandgrouse to Cuckoos (J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, Editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 280–477. Close ), and Juniper and Parr (5 Juniper, T., and M. Parr (1998). Parrots: A Guide to the Parrots of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), along with examination of images at the Macaulay Library. See Molts for molt and plumage terminology. Sexes are largely similar in all plumages (females may average duller crowns); definitive appearance assumed at Second Basic Plumage.

Natal Down

No information.

Juvenile (First Basic) Plumage

Juvenile Plumage is undescribed but in other species of Vini it averages duller than later plumages, especially in head feathering (6 Pyle, P., K. Tranquillo, K. Kayano, and N. Arcilla (2016). Molt patterns, age criteria, and molt-breeding dynamics in American Samoan landbirds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(1):56–69. Close , 7 Pyle, P., K. Kayano, K. Tranquillo, K. Murphy, B. Wilcox, and N. Arcilla (2017). Manual for ageing and sexing landbirds of American Samoa, with notes on molt and breeding seasonality. The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California, USA. Close ), with the blue of the crown perhaps absent in juveniles of Collared Lory. Based on one Macaulay image (see below), if not of an aberrant individual, juvenile feathering of the nape and throat (at least) could be yellowish and the crown dull blackish with yellow-tipped feathers; study is needed. Younger birds have also been described as duller green with shorter green patches on the nape (4 Collar, N. J. (1997). Family Psittacidae (parrots). In Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4. Sandgrouse to Cuckoos (J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, Editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 280–477. Close ).

Formative Plumage

Formative Plumage appears to be similar to Definitive Basic Plumage in body-feather coloration (perhaps averaging slightly duller) but can be separated by the retention of the juvenile wing and tail feathers. Some proximal upperwing lesser coverts can be replaced, brighter green, contrasting with duller juvenile distal and greater coverts. Retained juvenile primaries and secondaries are narrower and more tapered at the tips, with duller green edging, and are relatively worn and brownish as compared with basic feathers. Retained juvenile rectrices are narrower than basic rectrices, more worn, and brownish to grayish washed dull green. Central rectrices may be contrastingly fresh in some birds (see images below). Primaries and secondaries lack molt clines shown by definitive basic birds (see below and 8 Pyle, P. (2013). Evolutionary implications of synapomorphic wing-molt sequences among falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes). Condor 115(3):593–602. Close ).

Definitive Basic Plumage

Crown above line through eye glossy purplish black, bordered on nape by elongated bright yellowish-green feathers; back, wings and tail green; face below eye, upper back and undersides down to mid-belly red; lower belly blackish purple, green on vent and undertail coverts. Female may average duller bluish on the fore­crown and more green on the collar but difference appear to be subtle (and note crown color is affected by angle and lighting). The underwing secondary coverts are red.

Definitive Basic Plumage can be distinguished from Formative Plumage by upperwing coverts uniformly bright green, without molt limits; primaries and secondaries broader and more squared than juvenile feathers, with inner webs dusky to blackish and with bright green outer webs. Rectrices are broader, squarer at the tips, less worn, and brighter green and yellow than juvenile feathers. Primaries and secondaries show molt clines, with middle primaries (p6 or p5) more worn and gradually freshening in both directions to p1 and p10, and the middle secondary (s5) most worn and showing gradually freshening outward (toward s1) and inward toward the tertials (see Molt and 8 Pyle, P. (2013). Evolutionary implications of synapomorphic wing-molt sequences among falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes). Condor 115(3):593–602. Close ).

Molt and plumage terminology follows Humphrey and Parkes (9 Humphrey, P. S., and K. C. Parkes (1959). An approach to the study of molts and plumages. Auk 76(1):1–31. Close ) as modified by Howell et al. (10 Howell, S. N. G., C. Corben, P. Pyle, and D. I. Rogers (2003). The first basic problem: a review of molt and plumage homologies. Condor 105:635–653. Close ). Under this nomenclature, terminology is based on evolution of molts along ancestral lineages of birds from ecdysis (molts) of reptiles, rather than on molts relative to breeding season, location, or time of the year (see 11 Pyle, P. (2022). Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part I, Second Edition. Slate Creek Press, Forest Knolls, CA, USA. Close ,12 Pyle, P. (2022). Defining moults in migratory birds: a sequence-based approach. Journal of Avian Biology 2022(5):e02958. Close for more information). As in other Psittacids (13 Higgins, P., Editor (1999). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4. Parrots to Dollarbird. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia. Close , 11 Pyle, P. (2022). Identification Guide to North American Birds. Part I, Second Edition. Slate Creek Press, Forest Knolls, CA, USA. Close ), Collared Lory appears to show a Complex Basic Molt Strategy with a partial preformative molt and complete prebasic molts but no prealternate molts.

Prejuvenile Molt

Prejuvenile molt occurs in the nest. There is no information for Collared Lory.

Preformative Molt

As in other Psittacids including those of genus Vini (6 Pyle, P., K. Tranquillo, K. Kayano, and N. Arcilla (2016). Molt patterns, age criteria, and molt-breeding dynamics in American Samoan landbirds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(1):56–69. Close ,7 Pyle, P., K. Kayano, K. Tranquillo, K. Murphy, B. Wilcox, and N. Arcilla (2017). Manual for ageing and sexing landbirds of American Samoa, with notes on molt and breeding seasonality. The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California, USA. Close ), the preformative molt appears to be partial, including the body feathering and some proximal upperwing coverts but no remiges or few or no rectrices. Evidence from Macaulay Library images (see images under Plumages) suggests that the central rectrices might be replaced in some birds during the Preformative Molt.

Definitive Prebasic Molt

Definitive prebasic molt appears to be complete, as in other species of Vini (6 Pyle, P., K. Tranquillo, K. Kayano, and N. Arcilla (2016). Molt patterns, age criteria, and molt-breeding dynamics in American Samoan landbirds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(1):56–69. Close ,7 Pyle, P., K. Kayano, K. Tranquillo, K. Murphy, B. Wilcox, and N. Arcilla (2017). Manual for ageing and sexing landbirds of American Samoa, with notes on molt and breeding seasonality. The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California, USA. Close ); no evidence for incomplete molts, as found in some larger parrots (8 Pyle, P. (2013). Evolutionary implications of synapomorphic wing-molt sequences among falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes). Condor 115(3):593–602. Close ), is known. Primaries and secondaries are replaced from nodes at p5-p6 and at s5, followed by bidirectional replacement from these nodes within each tract (8 Pyle, P. (2013). Evolutionary implications of synapomorphic wing-molt sequences among falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes). Condor 115(3):593–602. Close ). Initiation of primary molt varies between p5 and p6 in parrots, including within species, suggesting that the node's position may be fluid within a defined area along the alar tract (8 Pyle, P. (2013). Evolutionary implications of synapomorphic wing-molt sequences among falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes). Condor 115(3):593–602. Close ); a node at p5 has been noted in other species of Vini (6 Pyle, P., K. Tranquillo, K. Kayano, and N. Arcilla (2016). Molt patterns, age criteria, and molt-breeding dynamics in American Samoan landbirds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(1):56–69. Close ,7 Pyle, P., K. Kayano, K. Tranquillo, K. Murphy, B. Wilcox, and N. Arcilla (2017). Manual for ageing and sexing landbirds of American Samoa, with notes on molt and breeding seasonality. The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California, USA. Close ). This replacement pattern is unique to parrots and falcons and may indicate an ancestral molting pattern evolved before parrots and falcons diverged, and the strategy may have developed in order to replace all remiges more quickly in these species, which rely heavily on flight ability, without incurring large gaps in the wings (8 Pyle, P. (2013). Evolutionary implications of synapomorphic wing-molt sequences among falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes). Condor 115(3):593–602. Close ). Sequence of rectrix replacement poorly known, but they are generally replaced distally from the central rectrices (r1) on each side of the tail, with some variation probable; e.g., the outer rectrices (r6) may molt before central rectrices (r3-r5) as occurs in other birds (4 Collar, N. J. (1997). Family Psittacidae (parrots). In Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4. Sandgrouse to Cuckoos (J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, Editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 280–477. Close ).

Bill

In adults, bright yellow-orange, often paler at the base and tip than in the middle. Bill may be darker and/or duller in juveniles, as in other species of Vini.

Iris

In adults, iris is dull yellow-brown.

Tarsi and Toes

Legs and feet are dark orange with black claws. It may be darker or duller in younger birds.

Fiji, except southern Lau Archipelago.

Forested areas up to 1,200 m or more, being plentiful in wetter windward areas, less so in leeward coastal farmlands; also plantations and tree-lined streets in villages and towns.

Seasonal movements reported in some areas, in response to annual availability of food, e.g., birds move into the Sigatoka Valley, Viti Levu, when Erythrina trees bloom in August–September.

Blossoms of coconut palms, Erythrina indica and Spathodea campanulata; also fruits of cultivated mango (Mangifera indica) and soursop (Annona muricata).

Calls include several chittering notes such as tzreet, given both from perch and in flight, and a more squabbling tzriririt when perched.

July, November–December. Nest in hole in tree or stump, sometimes in rotting coconut still attached to tree. Two eggs; in captivity, incubation ca. 30 days, nestling period ca. 9 weeks.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. A BirdLife “restricted-range” species. Common in forests and wetter areas on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu; also common on 10 km² Makogai Island; rare on Ngau possibly owing to nest-site competition from the common Red Shining-Parrot (Prosopeia tabuensis).