Wondering about lorikeets

[KDK241]

I have done some reading on them but would like to hear from people that actually have them. How loud are they and are they generally noisy? I know about the liquid diet and poop and was wondering what is the best way to deal with the mess? Also, how large of a cage should they have and do they play with normal parrot toys? Sorry for so many questions but I haven't been able to find a lot of information on them.

[Cpip]

you dont have to feed them the liquid nector. Feeding them the lory pellets cuts down on their messyness. they are very playfull.. and should have tons of toys

[Ashling]

No you can't feed lorikeets pellets! It destroys the plate on their upper mandible that is used to scrape nectar off their tongue! (Unless it is soaked in water or organic apple juice with no preservatives or anything... but then that defeats the "controlling the mess" aspect) The liquid nectar is a must. I don't even know why they make pellets. Mess is part of being a lorikeet, embrace in the messiness! :D To deal with the mess I just clean the papers on the bottom of her cage out once every 1 or 2 days and clean up anything on the floor (she plays on her cage and squirts it off) then do a big clean every week including bars, floor, papers, tray and toys. You can put plastic sheeting around the cage to prevent mess outside the cage, but I just wash the floor once a week- it makes sure I keep the whole room clean anyway ;)

They play with ANYTHING! 'Normal' parrot toys, tinkle bell balls, bells, plastic cat toys, cardboard boxes, soft toys, buttons, newspaper, toilet rolls. You really have to try hard to bird-proof any toys! They can't have string or fibres hanging off because a lory WILL get tangled if it's heavenly possible. They can't have any loose, swallowable parts because the lory will chew these and choke on them. (I caught mine chewing on a tiny plastic bead she found on my desk the other day).

They are noisy little birdies, but mostly when they want attention. Generally if I am outside the cage and Ashling is inside- that's the only time she's noisy. When they are noisy, it can be pretty bad- but not as bad as, say, a Sun conure, which are of similar size. Lorikeets are noisy during the mornings and evenings and small bouts during the day. Mine makes alot of noise when there are other birds flying outside her window (there's a bird feeder out there) and she'll go crazy flapping and screeching.

The cage should be AT VERY LEAST three times the height (tail tip to beak tip) and wing span of the bird. The bigger the better. My gir's cage is 4.5x her height and 3x her wingspan.

I won't lie that the mess and noise is our biggest "hurdle" but the love, joy and laughter I get from this little girl makes up for it tenfold! She is the most playful bird I have ever owned, and I've owned alot of birds!

[LittleMT]

i have one her name is lucy and she eats nectar and fruit she is a beatiful bird even though she is messy i love her no matter what she is so playful she talks alot and plays her favorite word is what are you doing and thank you she is like a little kid to me......so good luck with your bird......

[FoxersArtist]

Lories are, in my opinion, the most challenging small species parrot to own. There is the liquid diet (I would never suggest feeding pellets of any kind, soaked or dry), the mess, the smell (fruity poop), the noise (they can be quite loud with a very high pitched, shrill squeek that is heard fequently throughout the day), and the entertainment factor (many, many toys are needed).

But aside from these basic things, lories can be quite unpredictable and owners often experience a bite before they even realize that their bird was upset. Our lories can get moody and will fall into cycles where they are extremely happy to see us for a few months and then they are leaping from their cages to attack us for the next few months.

Lories are silly, talkative, playful, and extremely engaged. They are very manual birds, wanting to be touched and tickled, bounced and swung. They are genious acrobats and require a great deal of space to hop, climb, play, roll, swings, leap, grapple, splash, and fly. I would suggest a cage that is at LEAST 32 inches long by 24 inches wide but with small bar spacing.

If you are ready to accept a bird that bites frequently and is very demanding about wanting out of cage play time, a lory might be a good move for you. What state are you in?
-Anna

[WhiteRaven]

I have a rainbow lorikeet (Swainson's type). :) They are incredibly playful, anything and everything amuses them. They are hyperactive clowns and a delight to keep.

They are very loud, apparently not quite as bad as a Sun Conure but their screaming is high pitched and to me the main con about them. For me personally though, it's not too bad. You might want to hear some lories screaming in a room first to see what it's like.

My lorikeet isn't interested in wet lorikeet food for some reason (I've tried a lot of different brands and ways of mixing it). He only likes the dry food. That's not a problem though as long as it's a good brand. He mixes it with water himself so I keep the water and dry lorikeet food near each other. Most lorikeets ignore lory pellets.

The poop is really not a problem for me. It does depend on the individual though. Some are real squirters and will shoot outside the cage, while others are not bad at all. What I've done to control it is I have a sheet clipped to the back of the cage to stop any getting onto the walls. Rarely does his feces land outside the cage anywhere else. It is also easy to clean because it is so liquidy. Also, I have found that my seed eating birds are much MUCH messier because of the left over food they leave everywhere. But maybe that's just me. :P

Cage size... the bigger the better. Lorikeets are very active and tend to use every corner of their cage. Also when you give them a new cage or toy, they will lick every single inch of it.
Yes, they will play with normal parrot toys and everything and anything else you show to them. Lorikeets in general love things to climb and swing on, they love noisy toys, and they love foot toys and noisy balls that they can lie on their back and play with. They also love water and like to have a bath most days.

I hope that helps if you are still considering a lorikeet (or anyone else reading this).

[angelicarboreals]

I have a one year old Swainson's rainbow lorikeet, and wanted to add my two cents.

Food: My lory gets Roudybush nectar available to him throughout the day. Some people mix it for their birds, my Cosmo likes to make it himself, so he has a bowl of powder and a bowl of clean water available to him at all times (in addition to his water bottle.) Every day he also gets fruit or veggies when I give the other birds theirs, and I usually hang this from a skewer in his cage. Apples and leafy greens are his favorite. Even though some people have fed their birds the lory pellets, I think that it is a bad idea. Lories bodies are not made to digest hard foods, and I think that it is selfishness and laziness on the owner's part to want to feed their bird unnatural food just to keep them from having to clean up as much for their bird. (That is my honest opinion.)

Mess: My lory has never done the horrendous poop shooting that you here so much about, but poop does occasionally land right outside his cage. I have found that by spot cleaning his cage with poop off wipes, and around the floor everyday really helps control the mess. At any rate, it takes me alot less time to clean his cage than the other birds. The only con I have found is that I have to watch where I place some of his toys in his cage, or I will be replacing or cleaning them constantly.

Cage: The bigger the better. Cosmo lives in a cockatiel breeder flight cage that is a good two feet deep, three feet high, and four feet across (I think). The only birds in the house who have a bigger cage are my amazons and my cockatoo. Lories use every bit of their cage, and I think having a big cage helps in that I can hang that many more toys in it to keep them occupied. There is not a place in his cage that he does not go. Oh, and they really use the floor space, so the more room they have to hop, run, and tumble with their toys, the better.

Toys: Tons. Foot toys, boings, bell toys, soft wood they can chew on, cat bells, paper towel rolls, dog toys, wiffle balls, swings, they love them all. Lories are one of the most active birds there are, so you have to really keep them stimulated. My lory is more apt to be swinging or beating up a toy than hanging out on a perch.

Noise: They are pretty noisy for a little bird. A little louder than a sun conure, and my lory has a ringing type scream, as well as a scratchy scream he does when he is mad or afraid. Some species talk, my rainbow says "hello" "okey doke" "pretty birdie" "really?" imitates the phone, microwave, and a songbird clock his old owner had. The screams are more intermittent. For example, I can talk on the phone right beside my lories cage if he is in it, but could never do that with my sun conure, as my sun hates being in his cage.

Biting: This is where I have to say that as far as pet birds go, if you don't like being bitten, a lory is not for you. They are extremely excitable and can hop very fast, so a lory that is angry or aggressive can bite more times before you can get them off of you, than say, a conure. The worst bite I have received yet is from my lory (keep in mind I also own two amazons and a cockatoo) who got up one morning on the wrong side of the perch, and when I went to feed him attacked my hand. I was putting his water bowl in and he ran right at my hand and was biting, latching on, and grinding. It took me a good twenty seconds to get him off of me, and I will probably always have a scar. Like I said, they are very fast, and do not always portray body language that is indicative of a bite right before it happens. It is more like " Oh no, the lory is biting me" before you ever even realize what is happening. Usually, they will give harmless nips if they get really excited when playing, but it is important to note that the saying that a lory is harmless is not always true. They can leave a nasty bite with their scissor beaks if they want to. I would never trust one around a child, that is for sure.

I love my little guy, he is funny and brings me to tears sometimes with his hilarious antics. But would I add another lory to my family other than the one I have now? Probably not.

[LittleMT]

i have one they are messy birds but i feed mine dry nectar and fruits and vegeables get a large cage and buy alot of toys they play alot and need to move in the cage just clean the cage with soap and water and keep there toys clean have fun in getting one good luck.......mine is a girl her name is Lucy......