The first Australian Rainbow Lorikeets have arrived at Dudley Zoo to take up residence in the new 'Lorikeet Lookout'.

The walkthrough exhibit is set to open in the former Monkey Tails building on Saturday 28^th May, when visitors will be able to purchase pots of nectar to feed the colourful parrots.

Zoo Director, Derek Grove, said: “We’ve been busy for the last few weeks transforming the building into the new exhibit for the lorikeets, who are currently being cared for by our keepers in off-show aviaries.

“We’re really excited about the latest addition to the zoo site and can’t wait to open it to the public in a few weeks’ time.”

The £40,000 Lorikeet Lookout is the final project in our £200,000 plan to redevelop the lower part of the zoo site and open three new enclosures this year. 

Back in March we unveiled Flamingo Falls - a £120,000 new-look enlarged flamingo enclosure, which includes a running waterfall and a bigger den with a new internal pool, where visitors can see the birds even when they’re off show outside due to inclement weather.

We also opened our £40,000 Macaques on the Bank by taking an unused hillside bank and transforming it into a paddock for our critically-endangered Sulawesi crested macaques, with an adjacent former shop area turned into internal dens for the primates, complete with a walk-in viewing window for visitors. 

Rainbow lorikeets  are a medium sized Australasian member of the parrot family, they’re found in the rainforest, woodland and bush areas of Australia and eastern Indonesia.

They typically live in pairs or small flocks of up to 20 birds and feed on the flowering trees of the forest canopy, eating mainly nectar pollen, blossoms and seeds.