Distribution 

Most authors follow Mees' (1965) arrangement, confining the little-known nominate race to the Western Papuan Islands of Gebe, Waigeu, Batanta and Misool, and the Schildpad Islands; riciniata is thus restricted to the Weda (Widi) Islands and islands of the northern Moluccas including Halmahera, Morotai, Widi and Bacan.  Salvadori gave the origin of wallacei as Waigeu (Waigeo).  The hypothetical subspecies atrocaerulea supposedly originated from Maju Island in the Molucca Sea; E. s. obiensis (see separate entry) is found only on the island of Obi, northern Moluccas.

The violet-necked lory is described as a flocking, wide-ranging island species that congregates in flowering trees and frequents coconut plantations.  It is primarily found in coastal habitats and travels between islands (Beehler, Pratt and Zimmerman 1986).  One observer watched flocks crossing the channel shortly before sunset each evening to roost on the opposite coast, two miles distant (Mees 1965).  On the island of Bacan, which encompasses over 3,322 km2 (1,283 sq mi), the coastal plains have been cleared for cultibation (coconuts, bananas, corn, etc.), but this lory does not occur regularly in plantations.  It is usually encountered in forest areas (Milton and Marhadi 1987), probably because it has been heavily trapped near human habitation.  Lambert (1993) states that, between October, 1991, and February, 1992, riciniata and obiensis were recorded in all habitat types, including coastal coconut groves, mangroves and scrubby secondary growth.  E. s. riciniata was most frequently encountered in pairs and groups of up to 25 birds during the survey and tended to be rarer at higher elevations.  In 1994 and 1995, this subspecies was the subject of population monitoring by scientists taking part in the joint PHPA/BirdLife bird surveys.  These were carried out in two proposed protected areas of Halmahera - Ake Tajawe and Lalobata.  E. s. riciniata was found to be common in primary, logged and secondary forest at Labilabi, Miaf and Kulo, common in an agricultural area 3 km inland from Buli, but absent close to the village.  It was altitudes at Buli flocks of up to 15 birds were seen above 1,200 m (3,900 ft).  the team was surprised to find it to be common in montane forest at Buli and up to 27 km (17 mi) inland at Miaf, as this species is usually described as a bird of coastal areas.  The largest flock seen from within lowland forest was of six birds.  Flocks of six to 20 birds were seen on several occasions in cultivated areas (Poulsen in prep)

Plumage

Red on the head with violet-blue or violet-gray on lower cheeks and, in some birds, also on the nape and crown; underparts violet-blue or violet-gray broken by a red band on the lower breast.  Scapulars purple or red, greater wing coverts and flight feathers red, margined and tipped with black; tail purple-red above, brownish red below; under tail coverts purple or blue.  The beak is orange, the cere and skin surrounding the eye, white or pale gray; feet, gray; and iris, orange-red or yellow.

Immatures are variably marked; the red of the underparts is mottled with dull blue (or almost absent), and there may be bluish markings on the ear coverts.  there are more black feathers than red on the wings in some immature birds.  The beak and iris are brownish.

Further confusion is created by the existence of a form which lacks red on the head or breast and has only a narrow line of dark blue on the neck; it has the abdomen dark blue but differs from obiensis in having the upper part of the wings almost clear red, and in its larger size.  In Thomas Arndt's Lexicon of Parrots, volume 1, what appears to be an immature bird of this form is depicted on page 6, captioned as Eos squamata squamata.  Perhaps this is in fact the nominate race.  If so, it is either extremely rare or inhabits an island from which birds are very rarely collected.  In 20 years I have seen only one bird of this form, an adult with very clear red plumage which was in the collection of Raymond Sawyer of Surrey in the mid-1970s.

Another subspecies of squamata is listed by some authors:  E. s atrocaerulea.  It supposedly differs in having the underparts, including the thighs, bluish black, the mantle black washed with blue, blue-black ear coverts and a darker red rump.  A photograph of a lory answering to this description, but captioned riciniata, also appears on page 6 of Thomas Arndt's Lexicon of Parrots.  It is clearly an immature specimen of riciniata, correctly labeled, and this doubtful race was probably described from a similar specimen.

Forshaw (1989) also suggests that the description "may have been based on immature plumage."  There is no doubt in my mind that this was the case because young which have been reared in my care have exactly resembled this bird.

Trade

Since 1985, the level of international trade in this species has remained relatively constant.  The capture quota for 1990 was 2,400.  Official records show that 2,146 were exported-but at best such records are representative of only one-quarter to one-half of actual trade.  Also, mortality can be very high.

Lambert (1993) obtained anecdotal information from numerous interviews which suggested that about 15-20 percent of Lorius garrulus, 7-10 percent of Cacatua alba (umbrella cockatoo) and probably more than 25 percent of Eos squamata die prior to shipment to other destinations within Indonesia.  (Surely it should be possible to impose certain standards of care and to issue licenses only to trappers and handlers who can meet these standards.  Such a waste of life is to be deplored, especially in instances such as careless transporting which could easily be corrected.)  Lambert suggested interim catch quotas of 5 percent of the minimum population estimate until research and education are able to reduce levels of mortality and law enforcement becomes more efficient.  However, in March, 1995, Indonesia banned the export of this species; whether trapping for the domestic trade was permitted is not known.  

General Information

Eos squamata and obiensis are the smallest of the omnivorous (rather than predominantly nectar-feeding) species and can be recommended to the beginner with lories.  Hand-reared birds make excellent pets and some become good mimics.  The violet-necked is one of the most free-breeding of the lories.  In Europe it has been bred regularly since the mid-1970s.  The first recorded breeding in the UK occurred in 1976 by Mrs. L. Hutchinson of Eastbourne.  The pair was housed in an aviary with a large flight measuring 4 m (13 ft) x 3 m (10 ft) with a shelter 2 m (6 ft 6 in) x 1 m 3 ft 3 in), and 2 m high.  The female laid the first of two eggs on May 8; one egg was damaged and the other hatched on June 6 (thus the incubation period was 26 or 27 days).  In 1977, the first of two eggs was laid on March 20.  Two chicks hatched and were reared, but one died two days after leaving the nest.  The female laid again as late as November, the first of two eggs being laid on or about the 14th.  Two chick hatched on or about December 12.  In the 1970s, when hand-rearing was rarely carried out, most winter-hatched lory chicks died. When these two were two weeks old, one was found dead and the other stone cold.  It was removed for hand-rearing but died a few days later.  The diet of the parents consisted of sponge cake soaked in Stimulite nectar, with a separate dish of nectar made from baby cereal, wheat germ cereal and honey, with one drop of Adexolin multivitamins per bird.  When rearing young, large amounts of green food were eaten, mainly the heads of mild thistles, seeding grasses, spinach and chickweed.  This was offered fresh two or three times a day (Hutchinson 1978).

In 1977 C. K. Wright bred from a pair obtained in 1974.  A single fertile egg laid in February did not hatch.  Two more eggs were laid on May 23 and 26, and hatched on June 19 and 21.  They were fully feathered by July 25 and left the nest on August 22 and 24.  They were housed in an outdoor aviary measuring 2 m (6 ft 6 in) x 1 m (3 ft 3 in) x 2 m high and fed on fruit, sunflower seed and a liquid mixture of Complan, Ostermilk, various baby cereals, glucose and honey.  While young were being reared, milk sweetened with honey was added to the diet (Wright 1977).

There was a very prolific pair at Loro Parque when I was curator there.  Young had to be removed as soon as they started to feather because the parents plucked them.  As a result of their removal, four or five nests of two were produced every year. 

Literature