Sunset Lorikeet

Open encyclopedia reference

The sunset lorikeet (Trichoglossus forsteni), also known as the scarlet-breasted lorikeet or Forsten's lorikeet, is a species of parrot that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Tanah Jampea (between Sulawesi and Flores), and Kalaotoa (between Sulawesi and Flores). It was previously considered a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet, but following a review in 1997, it is increasingly treated as a separate species. In addition to the nominate subspecies from Sumbawa, it includes the subspecies mitchellii ("Mitchell's lorikeet") from Bali and Lombok, djampeanus ("Djampea lorikeet") from the small island Tanah Jampea, and stresemanni ("Stresemann's lorikeet") from the small island Kalaotoa. It is the darkest and arguably most strongly marked member of the rainbow lorikeet group, with a dark bluish head that contrasts strongly with a lime green nape and a deep scarlet (most subspecies) or deep orange (subspecies stresemanni) breast, that again contrasts strongly with the dark bluish belly. It inhabits forest, woodland and plantations at altitudes below 1,200 m (3,900 ft) on Sumabwa, but up to 2,150 m (7,050 ft) on Lombok.

Wikipedia contributors, Sunset lorikeet; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:46:44.501231+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Trichoglossus forsteni Bonaparte, 1850

Name authority

Bonaparte, 1850

Common name

Sunset Lorikeet

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Psittaciformes

Family

Psittaculidae

Genus

Trichoglossus

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAves
9. orderPsittaciformes
10. familyPsittaculidae
11. genusTrichoglossus Stephens, 1826
12. speciesTrichoglossus forsteni Bonaparte, 1850

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Trichoglossus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 155 records assigned to Psittaculidae.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=714025 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:58CJZ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.