Lorikeets are a unique family of birds that we seldom run into nowadays, but are definitely a fun one to interact with. There are currently around 53 different species of Lorikeet and they originate from Australia and New Guinea, however in the United States we are finding fewer and fewer species available. The most common species of lorikeet that we run into are Rainbow Lories such as Green Naped, Blue Mountain, and several hybrids. These are often just referred to as “rainbow lories” named for their vibrant display of colorations.
Unlike most of the parrot species we’re used to, Lories actually feed off a diet of nectar, pollen, flowers, insects and fruit, so regular seed mixes of any kind are not advised as being apart of their main diet since their digestive system is only capable of handing seeds in small amounts such as the few found in fruits.
With such a specialized diet it may not come as a surprise to some that they also have adaptive physiology. One of the most bizarre are their extra long, brush-tipped tongues that aid in collecting pollen, nectar, and lapping up ripped fruit (a close up photo has been attached below for your viewing pleasures).
Similar to Caiques, lorikeets have an EXTREMELY playful personality. They love to hop around, throw around toys, and are overall just huge goofballs and this behavior can be seen in wild lorikeet species as well. With this, they also tend to be decent at talking and mimicking noises (like how Ursula, our store Black Lory, flock calls by imitating her favorite employee’s ringtone.)
With all of this fun has to come some cons as far as pet ownership goes and we try to be as transparent as possible so you can be better prepared if you decide to bring a lorikeet into your home. The first being that as their diet consists of almost the exact same ingredients of a smoothie it’s safe to assume that what goes in must come out! Lorikeet poops are very talked about here in the store with our cleaning staff as their digestive system just acts as one big blender to shoot out pretty impressive smoothie poops. On the topic of mess, we’ve noticed most lorikeets like to press their food up against the wall of their cage for better leverage on squeezing out some of the fruit juices, so expect to be cleaning up every inch of the cage every few days to keep things fresh. They are able to shoot their poop 3-4’ out of their cage, so consider all furniture, walls, and other items nearby within their space as a toilet.
Behaviorally we do advise caution if you have small children or high energy individuals in the home. Since lorikeets tend to be so easily riled up, that extra energy and excitement can quickly turn into what can be perceived as “aggression” ie. nipping, biting, behavior refusals. Think of a puppy when they get excited; all of that energy has to go somewhere and typically they get a tad bit nippy in response.
Overall, lorikeets are a unique, beautiful, and fun species to invite into your home as long as you’re prepared for their unique diet, mess, and high strung personality.
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