Vets and wildlife carers in Queensland's Whitsundays say a sudden spate of paralysis in rainbow lorikeets in the area is very concerning.

More than 20 birds have been taken into care in the past week, and all appear to be suffering from a condition that is affecting their wings.

Head vet nurse at the Proserpine Veterinary Clinic, Tegan King, said the phenomenon is very unusual.

"We might get one or two a week or one a fortnight, but over the last week it's been three to five a day, sometimes even more," Ms King said.

"I've been here 12 years and I've never seen this many birds in this short amount of time with the same issues — it's very rare.

"It's really getting out of hand and we really want to try and figure out what's going on."

Flightless birds with funny voices

All of the birds that have been taken to the Proserpine Vet or into care with Fauna Rescue Whitsunday have presented with similar symptoms.

A healthy rainbow lorikeet ( Supplied: David Flannery )

"It's like there's something wrong with their wings," Ms King said.

"They're holding them down and flat out, but they're not broken.

"There's nothing physically wrong with their wings, but they can't move them."

President of Fauna Rescue Whitsunday, Jacqui Webb, said a number of the birds the organisation has taken into care are also suffering from a number of other conditions.

"Some are quite lethargic and uncoordinated and their voices sound funny," Ms Webb said.

"Not like a normal lorikeet screech at all."

Is the weather to blame?

The Whitsunday region suffered through a severe heatwave at the end of 2018 and last month recorded hundreds of millimetres of rain.

The Whitsundays received twice its average January rainfall, prompting some to think the weather might be to blame for the birds getting sick. ( Supplied: RACQ CQ-Rescue )

That has prompted some to suggest the birds' food source has been affected.

"At first we thought it was the rain, that the food sources were low and they were weak and flying into windows," Ms King said.

"But it's gotten to the point now where there's got to be something else going on."

Ms Webb said a food source issue is also her theory.

"We had the heat and then the rain and that may have knocked all the flowers that produce the nectar that they eat," she said.

"But it could also be a disease or some neurological condition.

"We just don't know."

Foul food

Vets say it is possible that the birds could be feeding on the flowers of the African tulip tree — a restricted, invasive pest.

One theory is that the birds have been eating the flowers of the African tulip tree, which is a restricted, invasive plant in Queensland. ( Supplied: Biosecurity Queensland )

Ms King said she is confident the condition is being caused by something the birds have ingested.

"Their tongues usually have a furry look to them, but these birds seem quite smoothed over," she said.

"It doesn't appear that starvation is the primary cause for their condition.

"Most of the birds that have been brought to us still have a bit of meat on them — they're not skinny at all."

So far it is only rainbow lorikeets that have been affected, predominantly from the Proserpine area, with others found nearby at Cannonvale, Brandy Creek and Strathdickie.

Vet clinics in Mackay, about 110 kilometres south, said they have not had any birds brought in with similar symptoms.