Rainbow Lorikeet basic questions

[LorikeetBullet]

Hi,

I have a 12(ish) month old Rainbow Lorikeet by the name of Chester. I unfortunately don't know if it is a female or male but he/she is great and healthy from what I can tell. I have a few basic questions that I was hoping someone can help with.

1) He will often start to scratch with only one foot. This can go on for a while, usually scratches the bottom of his cage or sometimes his food bowl with wet mix. What does this behaviour usually mean?

2) Enrichment - Is there any great, preferable homemade suggestions for some more enrichment for my lorikeet. I have gone through a few toys (favourite is the little cat toy balls or anything that makes a bell noise) but at this point it is becoming quite costly to keep buying new things to test.

Any help would be appreciated and I will do some more reading through previous threads to see if I can find any answers.

 

[TikiMyn]

@WallyLoopey

 

[LorikeetBullet]

Bump*

I have video evidence. It is poor quality because as soon as he notices my phone he will stop.

Any ideas what this behaviour indicates? He will do it at all different places of his cage floor.

 

[Les charlson]

They adore swings. They adore branches . Bottle brush with the flowers or grevillea. The scratching could be a few things. Nesting or you could try pulling up some grass with green seeds and offer it complete with the roots. Sometimes mine need something that's in it. Other times they ignore it. Peg to the side of the cage. Only grass that has not weed spray or car fumes though.

 

[LorikeetBullet]

They adore swings. They adore branches . Bottle brush with the flowers or grevillea. The scratching could be a few things. Nesting or you could try pulling up some grass with green seeds and offer it complete with the roots. Sometimes mine need something that's in it. Other times they ignore it. Peg to the side of the cage. Only grass that has not weed spray or car fumes though.

He does love bottle brush, I tend to give some fresh and sprayed with water once a week or so.

What do you suggest I do for nesting incase he is a she?

 

[Les charlson]

I have an Eclectus and an Alexandrine who are doing the same thing and its winter here in Oz. My Lorries don't know what to think. My finches want to breed. Crazy weather. I was told to stop using paper for the bottom of the cage but you know how messy Lories are. Keep the cage covered from dusk till dawn so the daylightlight is shorter. Don't pat its back as its a mating signal. Ride it through unless it starts shaking with hormones then I would talk to the vet for something. You aren't sure yet if its nesting. Try some rolled up paper for it to play with and see if it distracts .Mine try to create sawdust in old logs when they are hormonal by scratching in the hollow and I let them be. I don't breed them, I have injured or traumatised birds. She or he will do well with less light time so 12/14 hours of dark. Maybe some more toys or if you have a spare cage to move him/her to for a few days, even a smaller cage -large budgie cage, may help and change the original cage setup. A bowl of sawdust or grasses may satisfy your bird. I would rule out any chance she is ill but to me she wants to make a nest.If you have a tissue box enlarge the opening, lay it on its side and watch what she does. See a vet if anything changes.

 

[BrenRuss]

Yes the little cat balls seem a particular favourite but From my experience no need to spend much on expensive toys, even the simplest item will keep them amused. A Gatorade bottle, a plastic container cardboard rolls from glad wrap etc literally anything and everything...they do like anything with bells however.