On the Bellerine Peninsula in Southern Victoria, three Lorikeet species have been interbreeding and hybridising to produce birds with some unique markings. Its been known that escapee Scaly-breasted Lorikeets have formed wild populations around Port Philip Bay by interbreeding with endemic Rainbow Lorikeet populations, however it now seems that some birds are also interbreeding with Musk Lorikeets, a much smaller species of Lorikeet. The gallery contains images of birds in the population at Leopold on the Bellerine Peninsula. The birds range from pure Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, to Rainbow/Scaly-breasted hybrids, to markings which suggest hybrids of all three species.
