They are a medium sized parrot about 25 to 30cm tall when fully grown. They feed on pollen mostly from Eucalypts and berries and fruits. Both males and females have this brilliant colouring and only people who know the species well can tell the difference. 

Naturally, the Rainbow ‘Lorrie” as they are commonly known, has a great fan club. They are a highly intelligent and affectionate bird with a comical personality, so they also make great pets. They have been known to live up to 30 years. In the wild, they are also feisty character who defend their territory and nesting well. We have many living around our house and I regularly see them attacking larger predatory birds in packs during nesting. Their comical character makes them great entertainment, beautiful to look at with a  loud and excited nature.

My painting comes from separate photos of birds I have taken at my home and put together to form a complete image. The tree they sit on is a Red Flowering Gum tree, a Eucalypt that has these beautiful red flowers, a favorite of the Lorries. I have tried to portray these feisty enthusiastic characters in the comfortable setting of the red flowering gum, just as we see them in real life. They are an awesome native Australian.