Meyer's Lorikeets

The Meyer's Lorikeets (richoglossus flavoviridus meyeri) are native to Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes - part of the Maluku island group in Indonesia, where they are fairly common. They frequent dense montane forest areas as well as being seen along forest edges and partially cleared areas between 500 and 2,000 m (1,700 and 6,700 ft). Most often, they occur in pairs or in small family groups. At lower altitudes, they are often seen foraging together with Ornate Lories (Trichoglossus ornatus) in flowering trees along forest edges. They are difficult to detect in foliage, as their plumage camouflages them well. They are often heard before they are seen; particularly if disturbed, they fly off loudly screeching. Their calls are harsh and shrill - increasingly so during flight.

Description

The Meyer's Lorikeet looks similar to the nominate form - the Yellow-and-Green Lorikeet - , although they usually are smaller in size. They average 18 cm (7 ins), wing length 95-105 mm (3.5 - 4 ins) while the nominate Yellow-and-Green Lorikeet is usually 20 - 21 cm (7.8 - 8.25 ins) long (including tail).

Their upperparts are darker green and less scalloped than that of the Yellow-and-Green Lorikeet. The head is greenish-brown and the breast and abdomen are greenish-yellow with dark green edging.

The ear-coverts (feathers covering the ears), cheeks and chin are dark green, each feather edged with yellow. The vent, under wing-coverts and under tail-coverts are yellowish-green. The tail underside is dull yellow.

The lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) and eye rings are bare and grey. The eyes (irises) are yellowish-orange with a narrow bare whitish periophthalmic ring around the eyes. The bill is orange and the feet are grey.

Females look like males.

Immature birds look like adults, but their plumage is more green than that of the adults; and their lores and eye rings are paler.

Breeding / Aviculture:

Unlike many lories who tend to show aggression towards other birds in their flight during the breeding season, Meyer's Lorikeets have been successfully colony bred in groups of up to three pairs. The flight needs to provide plenty of space for the pairs (minimum: 4' x 6' x 6') with extra nestboxes. The average clutch consists of 2 eggs, which are incubated for about 23 days.

They are best kept in a roomy aviary with a minimum dimensions of 2.5 x 1 x 2 m (8 x 3 x 6 ft). In colder climates, a heated shelter should be provided as they shouldn't be exposed to temperature below 15°C (59°F). This lorikeet is sensitive to low temperatures and draughts even after acclimatisation, and they are somewhat susceptible to disease. Special care should be taken to allow it to acclimatize to local conditions.

The floor should include a drainage system, and a concrete or tiled floor is best as it is easiest to maintain and keep clean. An L-shaped nestbox works well with this species. The following sized nest / roosting boxes have successfully been used: 10 x 10 x 25 inches (25.4 x 25.4 x 63.5 cm) or 12 x 6 x 10 inches (30 x 15 x 25 cm).

The aviary should be furnished with bird-safe fresh tree branches, different sizes of perches strategicaly placed, toys and swings and other environmental enrichment items..

The average clutch size consists of 2 eggs, which are incubated for about 23 days. The young fledge at 7 to 8 weeks.

Distribution Map: Maluku Islands Lories as Pets or in Aviculture:

Lories are typically quite easily bred, so many lory species are readily available. Their expected lifespan is 28+ years, provided their specific dietary needs are met. They reach maturity at 8 months or later. Males and females look alike and breeders depend on DNA or endoscopic sexing to determine their gender.

Positive aspects of lory ownership ...

Lories are popular companion birds due to their intelligence, entertaining personality and stunning beauty. Most stay tame, even in maturity.

They are affectionate, curious, extroverted and clowny and exhibit some unique behaviors. Some like to wrap themselves up in a blanket for sleeping. At times, they can even be seen sleeping on their backs.

They are known for their playfulness. In their eyes, everything is a toy. They love toys that make noise, such as bells. They enjoy hanging on ropes and are quite "mechanical." They like "toys" that can be taken apart -- and they are GOOD at it! Lories are very active and require large cages (preferably flights) and lots of supervised out-of-cage time.

What makes them challenging to own ...

They are capable of aggressive behavior if their territory and possessions are not respected. Housing two lories together can result in injury, unless they are a bonded pair.

They are demanding in care requirements (especially diet preparations) and require a lot of attention. Daily baths or showers should be part of their grooming regimen.

Due to their diet which consists for the most part of fruits and nectar, their droppings are very runny and messy. Special adaptations around the cage are recommended. Carpet underneath a cage will be the poorest choice of all. Everything in the vicinity of the cage should be easy to clean. This being said, lories are very trainable and, with a little patience and know-how, can be taught to eliminate in a certain area on cue. This webpage will provide you with instructions.

Their voice ranges from loud, piercing whistles and metallic "pings" to soft, high-pitched warbles and chattering.

Caring for your Lory:

Diet:

The bulk of their natural diet consist of nectar, flowers, fruits, pollen and seeds.

The bulk of their natural diet consist of nectar, flowers, fruits, pollen and seeds.

Part of their captive diet should be a good-quality commercial or home-made nectar. Please note that liquid nectar will need to be replaced several times daily - in fact, in warm weather it needs to be changed every 4 hours. The main causes of premature death in lories are infections caused by spoiled nectar and/or a poorly balanced, one-sided diet that doesn't meet the special nutritional requirements needed for good health. Excellent commercial formulas are available on this website.

Lories also love honey, pollen and fruits, such as apples, pomegranates, papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, figs, kiwi, as well as greenfood 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.)

During the breeding season, rusk or biscuit softened in milk are eagerly accepted by the parents for feeding the chicks.
Other food items include brewer's yeast, oat flakes, multi-grain flakes and small quantities of millet spray; oats, canary grass seed; some sunflower (sprouted). If a balanced nutrition can't be met, vitamin and mineral supplements may need to be provided.

During the breeding season, rusk or biscuit softened in milk are eagerly accepted by the parents for feeding the chicks.
Other food items include brewer's yeast, oat flakes, multi-grain flakes and small quantities of millet spray; oats, canary grass seed; some sunflower (sprouted). If a balanced nutrition can't be met, vitamin and mineral supplements may need to be provided.

Housing:

These lories are medium-noisy parrots whose shrill calls may annoy nearby neighbors.

Aviaries:

Spacious, long flights are preferred, with plenty of natural (non-toxic) vegetation. Generally it is recommended to keep breeding lory pairs singly - at least during the breeding season. However, some breeders were successful in keeping up to 3 pairs in one aviary and successfully breed them in that environment. The size of the aviary and the availability of additional nesting boxes to choose from may be a factor determining success or failure.

These lories need to be protected from low temperatures and draughts - even after acclimatization. A roosting box should be available at all times (including outside the breeding season).

Cages:

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.

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.

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

Feeding & Housing Your Lory

Taxonomy:

Family: Loriidae ... Genus: Scientific: Trichoglossus ... English: Wedge-tailed Lorikeets ... Dutch: Wigstaartlori ... German: Keilschwanzloris ... French: Loriquet

Species: Scientific: Trichoglossus flavoviridus meyeri aka Psitteuteles flavoviridus meyeri ... English: Meyer's Lorikeet ... Dutch: Meyers Lori ... German: Meyerslori ... French: Loriquet ecaileux de Meyer ... CITES II - Endangered Species

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Meyer's Lorikeets

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