Your first lorikeet(s)?

[Ashling]

I was wondering what got everyone here into lorikeets? What has you hooked on these noisy, messy little feather dusters? Who/ what was your first lorikeet?
I got my first rainbow lorikeet for my eleventh(?) birthday when my step dad's friends were selling theirs. They felt they didn't have enough time for Charlie. He came with a tiny cage not fit for a budgie with poo stains all over it, so I bought him a huge one. He was amazing to me, since I had only owned cockatiels and budgies at that point. He was so tame and playful, compared to the more reserved cockatiel. He had so much character for a little parrot.
After Charlie was killed, I mourned his death for over a year by sleeping with a little lorikeet toy every night. It really affected me. I knew I would get another lorikeet some day but I didn't get the chance until just over a year ago when I chanced upon little Ashling at a small, dirty, private bird sellers. She was so friendly and gentle- she didn't bite, just licked everywhere, investigating me. I fell in love and she was home with me within 2 hours of meeting her! She reminded me so much of Charlie but she is really something else. She's like a kitten with feathers. Sometimes she's like a T-rex with feathers

[Abby]

I have to admit that Olly was a bit of a spur of the moment purchase. I put down a deposit and then spent a week researching feeding and care before picking her up. My first sun arrived a week or so later (not a spur of the moment purchase) and the pair became friends quickly. Pip I guess was another spur of the moment about 6 months later from the same place. Personality absolutely blew me away and he was one of the biggest boofiest babes I'd seen. Olly spent about 6 months tolerating Pip and throwing the odd bit of verbal abuse at him but they've now become a real pair although I still hear Olly calling Pip a d head every so often.

I actually passed Olly onto Jordan, my oldest son when I realised that they had clicked with each other more then Olly and I had. Jordan has the most amazing relationship with his lorikeets top the point of being able to call Olly back the couple of times she's gotten out the aviary.

Even though the lorikeets aren't in theory mine anymore I still love them to pieces. The colour, the personality, just magical birds. Nothing like being out in the yard working and getting wolf whistled at. The neighbour has had a few giggles from them whistling to her and calling out when they hear her hanging out the washing.

[NoLimitssjca]

I met Watermelon in a pet store and loved watching him play. I knew I couldn't afford him so I enjoyed him until he was adopted. A month later I saw him on Craigs list for a small rehoming fee. He was in demand but I explained I knew him and won the people over.

Like you said, compared to my tiels he's a ball of UNreserved energy.

It was the antics and personality that I fell in love with.

[ToniZoso]

As most people who have already replyed to this thread know, Franklin fell into my hands at the vet i work at, somebody found him and he couldnt be released into the wild, and of course i fell in love straight away and offered to take him home.

Now little Frankie is very silly and happy, and can't get enough of me! and i can't get enough of him so we are like two peas in a pod, i love my little Franklin :)

And at the moment he is attempting to imitate my wolf whistle, and "wanna scratch?"

He still isnt bouncing off walls, well not until he can hear me talking or can see me, then he tries his hardest to get over to me and play! and he gets a little hyper when he flaps his wings :p

^_^

[FoxersArtist]

Mars was the first lory I ever saw in real life and I asked my friend, who owned the store she was kept at, what kind of bird she was and remarked that she was beautiful. She had my heart the moment my friend put her in my lap and she started playing with me right away - hopping and acting like a silly little booger. I had to have her. So, we popped back in to see her several more times and while we were there another red lory showed up - her brother, Orbit. After we took Mars home we started bringing her in to visit orbit and decided that we just had to have him as well.

Unfortunately the two only ever really got along in the shop and have had an avid dislike for one another since we got them home.

-Anna

[angelicarboreals]

Mine sort of fell into my lap. Last summer I went to the Nashville Zoo, and like many zoos they have an aviary that is full of mostly lorikeets and of course you can pay to feed them. I had my camera with me and was in the aviary for so long my boyfriend had to drag me out. I was taking pictures of the rainbow lorys and asking the zoo keeper what the names of some of the other kinds of lories were. I loved the little guys and started looking around for one. I realized that about the only way I was going to find one was to order him/her directly from the breeder (which I did not want to do- I would rather play with the bird first) and pretty much had up on the idea at the time.

Several months later I was digging through the classifieds and found the ad for Cosmo. I was shocked!!!! He was what I had been looking for but figured I would never find. The family was rehoming him and lived about four hours from me. I went to see him and fell in love. I feel blessed to have him, as the only other lory I have ever seen in person outside of the zoo was in a bird specialty shop in New York. They seem few and far between where I live.

[crazyratwoman]

i got my scaley lorikeet - Jedi from some kids from the same school as my kids.... they were walking home from school and found him on the ground... i had estimates from the local vet that he was around 5 - 6 weeks old, had a very dark beak and couldn't fly. I had the PBFD test ($250 later lol) but he was so quiet and gorgeous. Now he's part of my flock and is a huge bird in a little birds body lol. He is totally in love with me and LOVES a cuddle and a scratch. he wolf whistles and says kiss and scratch and loves to help me raise my baby tiels.

yep he's messy, sometimes noisy, a bit more work making up the nectar every day but i love him to bits!!!!