Lories (Chalcopsitta / Eos / Lorius / Vini) and Lorikeets (Charmosyna, Glossopsitta, Neopsittacus)
Class: Aves ... Order: Psittaciformes ... Families: Loriidae or Psittacidae (as noted)
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The Lories and Lorikeets are also known as honeyeaters. The many species of this parrot group (subfamily Loriinae) can be found throughout the islands of the South Pacific and Australia. In Australia they are all called lories, but there are differences between lories and lorikeets, especially if you compare tails.
In general, lories are bigger with tails that are short, rounded, or square. Most lories are red with patches of yellow, purple, and green.
Lorikeets tend to be smaller with longer, pointed tails. Most lorikeets are green with patches of red and yellow. There are, of course, exceptions, and these birds can be found in all the colors of the rainbow.
Lories and lorikeets usually stay with one partner and may breed at any time of year. Though in southern Australia the breeding season is between August and January. Nest sites are high above the ground in the hollows of trees, which the birds layer with a covering of decayed wood. The female and male will often roost together, but only the female will sit on her two small white eggs. However, the male will help feed the chicks, which hatch with eyes closed and no feathers. The chicks will slowly grow plumage and be able to fly after seven to eight weeks.
The below Information has kindly been provided by Dr. Rob Marshall, Avian Vet.
Lories as Pets:
| Small Australian Lorikeets Psitteiteles versicolor Purple crowned – Glossopsitta poryphyrocephala Little lorikeet – Glossipsitta pusilla |
| Size: 19cm in length |
| Pet Status: Excellent |
| Talking Ability: Low |
| Noise Level: Low |
| Lifespan: up to 10 years |
| Breeding Ability: Good |
| Courtship display: Male stands in upright position with neck bent and head bobbing whilst hopping along the perch. |
| Number of Eggs: 3-5 eggs |
| Incubation: 21 days |
| Compatibility with other species: Not recommended with other parrot species due to special feeding requirements. |
| Feeding: Nectar/Wet mix/Dry mix |
| Health Programmes: Follow the Lorikeet Health Programme |
| Sexing: Surgical or DNA sexing required for some species. |
| Larger Tropical Lorikeets Red Collared – Trichoglossus haematodus rubritorquis Rainbow – Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus Scalie Breasted – Trichoglossus haematodus chlorolepidotus |
| Size: 30cm in length |
| Pet Status: Excellent |
| Talking Ability: Excellent |
| Noise Level: High |
| Lifespan: 20-25 years |
| Breeding Ability: Good |
| Courtship display: Hen bobs and jumps sideways on perch, stretching neck almost parallel with perch. |
| Number of Eggs: 2 eggs |
| Incubation: 23 days |
| Compatibility with other species: Not recommended with other parrot species due to special feeding requirements. |
| Feeding: Nectar/Wet mix/Dry mix |
| Health Programmes: Follow the Lorikeet Health Programme |
| Sexing: Surgical or DNA sexing required for some species. |
There are a number of lorikeets varieties that appeal as pet birds. These varieties can be divided into two main groups - the Small Australian Lorikeets, and the larger tropical lorikeets. The lorikeet is a playful and energetic bird and in its natural environment eats nectar and fruits rather than seeds. It requires a specialised diet of a nectar mix, fruit and vegetables.
Lorikeets are very untidy eaters and spoil the cage and its surrounds with their large, wet droppings. These messy eating habits require a diligent owner who is willing to clean the cage every day to prevent bacterial and yeast (thrush) infections.
The smaller lorikeet varieties (varied and musk) make better pets because of their soft bite, but well-trained rainbow or red-collared lorikeets are good talkers and a lot of fun.
Lorikeets are extremely playful and love to listen to music and dance. They form strong bonds with their owner and make excellent pets for those willing to provide the specialised care required by the lorikeet. This includes providing wet mix or nectar as a food source and ensuring the cage is kept clean despite a very messy bird.
As with any parrot species, it is best to obtain a hand reared male bird from aviary bred parents.
Small Australian Lorikeets
The Small Australian Lorikeets are playful and have a delightful personality. These endearing birds do not share the talking abilities of the larger tropical lorikeets but remain remarkable pets for those seeking a colourful and charming small pet bird. The quiet nature of the Small Australian Lorikeets varieties, make them particularly suitable for people who live in units or places where noise must be kept to a minimum. Male hand reared lorikeets, particularly the Varied Lorikeet (Psitteiteles versicolor), make the best pets.
Aviary Notes
Small Australian lorikeets are successfully bred in both large communal aviaries and in suspended single pair cages. These birds can also be housed in a planted aviary in a mixed finch/dove collection.
Larger Tropical Lorikeets
The larger lorikeets are highly intelligent and make excellent pets for those seeking a playful and energetic bird. All species are strikingly beautiful with their varied colours and stunning glossy plumage. As with any lorikeet species, they have special dietary requirements, and must be provided with nectar and wet/dry mix.
The larger lorikeets make excellent talkers but can become extremely noisy and require a committed owner who is willing to provide continuing obedience training. With a very curious nature, the larger lorikeets have a tremendous mimicking ability and will often be heard imitating household appliances such as the telephone or microwave.
Aviary Notes
The boisterous nature of the larger lorikeet species demands an aviary no less then four to six metres long and one to two metres high. The best breeding results are achieved when the correct housing and nutritional care are provided. Lorikeets particularly like eucalypt branches in the aviary.
Caring for your Lory:
Diet:
Their diet should consists mainly of commercial or home-made nectar. Liquid nectar will need to be replaced several times daily. In warm weather every 4 hours. Spoiled nectar will cause your lory to become ill and possibly die. Excellent commercial formulas are available on this website.
Lories also love fruits, such as apples, pomegranates, papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, figs, kiwi, and some vegetables, including corn-on-the-cob. Another healthful addition to their diet are flowers, including pansies, nasturtiums, roses, hibiscus, marigolds, and dandelions. All fruits, veggies and flowers should be pesticide free. Organic is always best. (For non-toxic ways to control pests in the house or garden, please visit this webpage.)
Housing:
Lories are very active birds and require large cages. The minimum cage size for a single lory should be 36" H x 48" L x 24" W or to accommodate a pair the cage dimensions needs to be, at a minimum, 36" H x 60" L x 36" W. You have to remember that you need room for the many toys that lories so cherish, perches, food / water dishes, maybe a "birdy tent" -- as well as providing sufficient space for them to move around, exercise their wings. etc.
Care should be taken in cage design and placement since the birds have a tendency to squirt their waste matter, which is fairly liquid, behind them with some force. It is not recommended to place the cage behind a delicately decorated wall and on unprotected carpet. Easy-care flooring is recommended, as well as a washable wall. An acrylic panel custom-cut and placed over the wall would be a great way to protect it. The acrylic panel can easily be taken outside and hosed down. There are acrylic cages available, but lories love to climb and scramble about, so a standard, high quality powder coated cage is a better choice - as large as the space you have will allow.
In an outdoor aviary they are the easiest birds to maintain, as all of their waste can simply be hosed away, no seed hulls to sweep up or sticky, green and white droppings running down the side of the cage to scrub off. Lory droppings are mostly clear or beige. A word of caution about placing lories in mixed-species aviaries. Some lories can be very aggressive toward other birds, while others will mingle just fine. The worst is probably the Chattering Lory. They seem to take great pleasure in doing in other birds in their territory.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Lories are known for their intelligence, and they are more than happy to entertain you with the tricks that have learned. They are capable of aggressive behavior if their territory and possessions are not respected and nippiness can occur if this behavior is not managed.
Consistent training and behavioral guidance is recommended so that you can enjoy a bird free of destructive and annoying habits. Behavioral challenges that lories and lorikeets present include:
- Excessive Chewing: Any parrot will chew. In nature, they use their beak to "customize" their favorite tree, to enlarge the size of their nest in a tree hollow. Doing this keeps their beaks in good condition. The problem is excessive and undesirable chewing. Heavy chewing is not a huge problem with lories per se. Most of them never really develop any major destructive issues in that area. However, it is recommended that the owner provide their lory with plenty of "healthy" chewing opportunities (bird toys, natural wood branches, etc.) and training is necessary to teach a lory what items are "off-limits."
- Biting: Lories, as is the case with most parrots, are likely to discover their beaks as a method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage." It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. If this behavior is unchecked, the lory is likely to be dominating the entire family, chasing and attacking their least favorite humans. Training is vital to stop this destructive behavior.
- Screaming: Their voice ranges from loud, piercing whistles and metallic "pings" to soft, high-pitched warbles and chattering. Many of them turn into excellent talkers; some having whole sentences in their vocabulary. With a little training they can be taught to communicate with words rather than using their shrill calls for the most part. However, their natural call / voice cannot be entirely eliminated; but their occurrence can be reduced. The owner has to understand that even with training, the lory voice can get quite loud, with a high pitched screech.
Training and behavioral guidance will help your pet be the kind of companion you want it to be ...
- AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets, please visit the following websites for information:
- Procuring your Parrot
- Bird Breeders
- Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- The 3 Key Elements to Keep Your Pet Bird Happy & Healthy
- Housing Your Bird
- Bird Nutrition
- Parrot Products
| When buying a bird house you may have to consider which birds are in your region, to try and avoid the birds having problems with the opening or raising their baby birds in the wrong kind of place. |
Related Web Resources: Lories & Lorikeets - Dick Schroeder
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
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