Need Help with Lory Behavior

[stepht25]

So, we've had Buddy a little over a month now. (He's a Yellow Backed Chattering Lory.) Just this past weekend I started working "hands on" with him. Things are going really well, but I'm still having a hard time figuring out his body language and some of the noises he makes! For instance - he growls a lot when he's on my hand, eyes pinning, tail flaring. Now if any of my other birds did this - it would be safe to say they were mad and a bite was about to occur if I didn't back off. But with Buddy - he growls and then rubs his head on my hand or licks my hand. So is it safe to say growling is not an "I'm angry, back off" sound for Lories?

Another thing he does is throw his head high in the air and come at my hand in a stabbing like motion. But, he never actually stabs or bites my hand hard. Sometimes he makes a sound that even sounds like an angry noise while doing the stabbing motion with his beak - but again, he's always gentle.

Something else he does - I'm not sure if it's just silly, happy Lory behavior - or more of a sexual behavior. He'll get on my hand with both feet, kind of lean back and down and slowly bob up and down. At first I thought he was trying to rub his vent on my hand - but he doesn't actually seem to be. So I'm not sure! LOL (but if he is - I certainly don't want to encourage that behavior)

Last but not least, he likes to stand with 1 foot on a swing or perch and grab one of my fingers with his other foot and move my hand back and forth or shake it up and down. (he'll also do this if he's fully on 1 hand and I offer the other hand - grab it with 1 foot and shake/swing it.) His eyes pin a lot and then he gently bites my hand all over, licking it also, and rubbing his head on my hand.

Almost forgot - a lot of times while we're interacting and he's on my hand - he kind of fluffs up the feathers on his back. To the point where they stick out some between his wing feathers. Wasn't sure if that meant anything or not?

Don't know if it matters or not - but I don't know for sure what sex Buddy is. I was told he was male - but not + they knew for sure. Also, he is approx. 3-4 yrs. old.

Any help or insight anyone has is most appreciated!

[birdsnreps]

omg!! i LOVE LOVE LOVE chattering lories!! where did you get yours?? ive been wanting one of my own!!

idk much about lory behavior cause we have never really dealt with them, but about the pinning eyes, i would assume it just means hes excited to see you and hes happy to be held. my birds do pin their eyes when they get mad, but they also pin their eyes when they are really exicted or happy that we were playing with them. if he rubs his head on your hand, i would think he prob wants a little head rub or something, from what you describe, it seems like a pretty inviting gesture :)

he might just be testing you with the little "bites" to see what he can get away with. just dont back off and he will prob stop trying to test you, if that is what he is really doing. new birds like to do that though, lol. i know they are very active and silly little birds, they are always on the move and i always see them bouncing around their cages and running all over the place, lol, they are very entertaining little birds.

you'll have to tell me where you got your little guy, i SO want one!! hehe :)

[stepht25]

Hi, thanks for your thoughts on Buddy's behavior. It's been and interesting trying to figure him out! LOL

I came across him quite by accident really. I went to visit a friend of mine that owns a small pet store a town over from us. She was telling me about this guy that had been calling her trying to get her to take his birds because he didn't want them anymore. She kept saying no and he finally called and said if she wouldn't take them he was just going to set them free. (I don't think he really would have, well at least I hope not!) Anyway, she told him to bring them in. He brought 3 tiels in a parakeet cage and Buddy in a shoe box. Said Buddy had been living in a ferret cage and he wanted to keep it cause he thought having a ferret as a pet might be fun. (I'd like to find him, whack him over the head and stuff him in a shoe box!) Anyway, while she was telling me about the story, I heard a cat meowing. I asked her when she had got a cat. Then she showed me Buddy. My daughter and I spent over an hour with him and brought him home with us. (honestly, I didn't even know Lories could talk and imitate sounds.) I find it so sad really. I mean the guy must have cared a great deal about Buddy at some point. He was on a good, Lory diet and seems pretty well socialized and loves attention. It's my understanding the guy bought Buddy from a breeder when he was a baby. I don't know how people can care about their pets for a few years and then just "throw them away." Sadly, I know it happens every day, but still..

Anyway, it was a pretty impulsive decision on my part. But I haven't regretted it for a minute and have been learning all I can, as fast as I can! There's not near as much info. out there on keeping Lories as pets as some of the other birds out there! I actually ended up emailing someone that breeds Chattering Lories when I first brought Buddy home. She was very nice and emailed me back and answered some ?'s I had about caring for him properly. I'll look through my email and see if I can find her web site if you like.

[birdsnreps]

i would love it if you could find her info for me :) my friend was taking care of several chattering lories for a little while and we just fell in love with them, they were such neat birds, and mind you i have never felt that way about previous lories i had met.

i talk to a very knowledgeable breeder who has bred tons of lories, lemme see if i can find his website, i think he has a bunch of info about their care...

here is some general info about them, but you can email him with any more-specific Q's that you might have, hes really nice and friendly and answers any Q's you might have :) there is a lory FAQ on the left side:

http://www.cuttleboneplus.com/birds/index.php3

[birdsnreps]

here are some other lory sites that look real good:

Exclusively Lories - Lory Breeding and Preservation

lorikeets.com

[stepht25]

Thanks for the sites! Here's the site to the breeder I talked to KC's Aviary - Home

This breeder has yellow backed chattering Lories and a few others. Feathered Nest Aviary

[birdsnreps]

thanks!! im gonna go check them out :) dont be surprised if i announce one day that i have a chattering lory too, hehehe

[Beaks]

He just wants to play, they all do it , give him a little wrestle time and he will be in heaven(they are like caiques when they play.)

[birdsnreps]

uh oh!! your gonna get me in trouble!! i emailed both of those breeders and surprise!! one of them has a weaned baby ready to go!! i SOOO want him/her!!

[stepht25]

Originally Posted by birdsnreps

uh oh!! your gonna get me in trouble!! i emailed both of those breeders and surprise!! one of them has a weaned baby ready to go!! i SOOO want him/her!!

You should definitely buy him/her!! Then we could learn about Lory behavior together! LOL I can't wait to see you post you've got a new baby on the way!!