Introducing a new lorikeet

[Moni]

I have recently acquired a new lorikeet. I have a few problems that i need advice about.The first is that the lori has had its wings clipped & I was wondering how long it takes for the wings to grow back & is there anything that I can do to help them grow faster & stronger. The second problem has been introducing the new bird to our female. I have been told that the new lori is a male (is there any way for a lay person to tell?) and I am hoping that the pair will bond. How long does this usually take & again is there anything I can or should do? As I'm sure you can tell, I'm a total novice. All help gratefully accepted.

[Monica]

The first is that the lori has had its wings clipped & I was wondering how long it takes for the wings to grow back & is there anything that I can do to help them grow faster & stronger.
Since you are interested in a flighted bird, will you be doing any training with the bird? Such as recall training?

Depending on when the wings were clipped, the type of clip, the age of the bird, when the bird last moulted, etc, it could take anywhere from a few weeks to two years for the flights to be molted and regrow.

The second problem has been introducing the new bird to our female. I have been told that the new lori is a male (is there any way for a lay person to tell?) and I am hoping that the pair will bond.
Get the birds DNA tested. There are avian vets and companies that will do this for you.

How long does this usually take & again is there anything I can or should do?
It's usually best to quarantine new birds, then after quarantine and health check, to put their cages side-by-side but not too close, and allowing the birds supervised out of cage time. If they get along, then you can move them into the same cage, assuming that neither one become cage territorial.


On a side NOTE: Can a mod move this to an appropriate place?