A flock of Queensland lorikeets have ruffled the feathers of bird experts after developing a taste for meat.
The rainbow lorikeets, who traditionally have a vegetarian diet of nectar and pollen from native shrubs, have been feasting on mince from a backyard bird feeder north of Brisbane for around seven years.
Bill, who owns the Elimbah property, started putting the meat out for magpies, currawongs and kookaburras.
However, he noticed the lorikeets were soon fighting for their share.
"At first they went for the seed but then they started chasing the other birds away from the meat, which surprised me," he told the ABC.
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The behaviour has shocked bird experts.
"I have researched what birds feed on all around the world," said Griffith University's Professor Darryl Jones, who is researching the impact of backyard feeding on bird populations.
"To see a lorikeet eating meat astonishes me completely. I have never heard of such a thing before."
He said a bird would usually seek out different foods to supplement their diet if there were health problems.
However he said the birds all looked healthy, making their new diet a mystery.
