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The Good, the Bad, The Ugly about lories and lorikeets

JAM

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The attributes listed in this thread are the experiences of each individual and your experiences may differ with your individual bird.

Ok, I will give it a go......this is by no means a complete guide, lots of input is welcome, I have used my own experience with our flock and information researched on the net to bring you this little guide.

There are so many different species - 60 are listed on Wikipedia, there are probably more. The Good, Bad and Ugly is only a GENERAL guide and is not be used as gospel - each species have traits on top of these, of which I only have personal experience with 3 - Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly Breasted Lorikeet and Red Lory. Those of you especially with other species, please add to this.

For ease of wording, the term "Lory/lories" will be used for both lories and lorikeets

Let's start with THE GOOD:

Lories are truly the clowns of the avian world. Their cute hops and acrobatics with their excited, cute tweets and their beautiful colouring make them a delight to watch and interact with.
They are notoriously inquisitive and once they've weighed up whether the new items are not going to maim or in any way kill them they can make a toy out of absolutely everything, always checking to make sure you are watching them!
Foot toys? Love them. Water bowls? Swimming pool (even if you provide them with separate bathing bowl!). Hangy things? Love hanging off them. Cardboard rolls? Roll and destroy! Wet wipes? Roll around in, squeal and destroy!
They are little attention seekers and love spending time with you, if you have time for them, then they certainly have bundles of time on their wings for you!
Food wise with the dry nectar, you aren't going to get seed shells flicked everywhere so it isn't that messy, but refer down to the bad as there is a downside to their diet, namely the wet mix!
They are rough and tumble birds, you can push them around and they'll come barreling back at you for more. Rolling around on you, lying on their backs wiggling their little legs, cute little noises and beak nibbling away at you. All but one of ours love being pushed away or pushed upside down and coming hopping back to get pushed again. :D
You can't give enough toys to a lorikeet either, they love being occupied and will let you know when they aren't!
They have hardly any dust and are great for people with allergies.
They also aren't as destructive as other parrots but they still chew and love fingers!
There's the inquisitive tongue - ask any lory owner and they will tell you there is nothing like a lory tongue poking up your nose or in your ear. :D
They do have a talking ability, it's not as great as other parrots, but with persistence you can get a lot out of them, you need to keep at them though! The larger lory species like the Black, Red, Black Capped etc have better vocal abilities than the smaller species like the Musk, Purple Crowned, Scaly etc.

Next THE BAD:

This is mainly related to their diet and consequent digestion through to expulsion as well noisiness.
They have a specialised diet - they are nectar eaters and have a special brush tongue with can collect pollen and nectar which is the majority of their diet. Their mandible is not as strong as other parrots (their bite is still effective though!) so they are unable to navigate hard seeds and if fed a diet of seed they will suffer. They need a diet high in carbohydratyes because they are such high energy parrots and are very nomadic, flying from one spot to the other to eat and chat. They have very fast wing beats and look like colourful torpedos crossing the sound barrier with their squawks. Any Aussie will know what a lorikeet sounds like especially if they live with a bottlebrush, grevillia or eucalyptus tree nearby! I often liken the lorikeets and their sugary diet to kids being fed sweets daily. They are the ADHD bird of the parrot world!
There are plenty of commercial lorikeet dry and wet mixes available, but unlike seed and pellets, it does tend to be expensive and doesn't last. The wet mix should be removed after 12 hours and in summer, left for no more than 4 hours because it spoils and the risk of bacterial infection is very real. With dry mix, water must be supplied and because the lories dip their tongue in to moisten the dry mix, you may need to be making twice daily changes, sometimes more as again the risk of bacteria forming in the water is very high.
Like other fruit eating and nectar/honey eaters and soft bills they are susceptible to Iron Storage Disease http://www.avianweb.com/ironstoragedisease.html so you need to ensure that the fruit and veggies you supplement them with are low in iron to prevent this from becoming a problem. (Carole, waterfaller1 has a great sheet on suitable foods :) ).
Due to their nectar diet, their digestion is slightly different to other parrots and their poops are watery - this is normal. They also like to see how far away they can fire their poops for fun. It does splatter and is done very often - plastic sheeting or newspaper is a must for surrounding areas and also protect the walls the cages are near. It's amazing the angles they can get their bums at to shoot the ammunition!
Thanks to their short GI tract and their high moisture diet, they are more prone to bacterial and yeast infections so cleanliness is paramount. Quite ironic considering they're one of the messiest birds! I suppose that's why they are so nomadic - make a mess, carry on somewhere else! Nevertheless, it is good to get into the habit of changing the cage lining daily and giving the bars a quick wipe down, because if your lory is anything like ours, flicked food is a favourite hobby. :rolleyes:
Like any parrot, their curious nature can get them into trouble, so never leave them roaming around unattended!

The UGLY:

Skippy - Skippy is the hormonal or HYDE side of our lory or lorikeet - a great article is here:Hormonal & Aggressive Lories & Lorikeets
Has your lovely lory decided that it's bite time instead of step up time? They might be going through hormones, molting or may be over-excited. Play time can sometimes turn into nastiness if they get over-stimulated and the problem is, both warning and excited signs look the same! Pinning eyes, feathers ruffled, colour vibrant........then the BITE comes!
Lories quite often as well as being friendly also use their beak to warn of impending danger, when jealousy strikes or when they suddenly just don't feel like playing anymore. I've had my fair share of nips from the lories and most of the time they're not sorry whatsoever for it. :D Despite having a small beak, they tend to latch on and grind which is pretty annoying - especially on sensitive parts! Learning to read your lory and what seems to trigger them into nipping in the first place. Proactiveness and prevention is better than cure as they say!
Morning and evening roosting calls. It's not so much that they scream, it's that they're shrill, high pitched and constant! It's normal for them, in a flock situation you will experience it a bit more than a single FID - unless you get visitors and then it is a must that information from the outside world is communicated to the indoor FID's and questions answered. :D
If there's a TV program they don't like or they just want your attention, it is easily sought by the call that makes your ears ring for a few minutes after they've done that!

The DOWNRIGHT FRUSTRATING:

Don't get me wrong, lories are trainable........when they want to be. Yes, they go nuts over honey, but if they really don't want to do something then no amount of bribery can convince them to. It's all about mind games, you need to plant it in their head that they DO want to do it, however, if they really DON'T then good luck. (It's s shame inception doesn't exist in real life and parrot life!) ;) Here is a good link on biting/aggression/training: How To Stop Lorikeets From Biting | Birdtricks.com (ignore the blatant plug for the product!)
They can be stubborn and bad tempered as much as they can be playful and cheerful, turning from one to the other without warning. Ornery is a common adjective in the lory world!
I suppose like a lot of other parrots, the training needs to be ongoing, you can't just assume once they have learnt something because if they can get away with it, like naughty children, they will!
Lorikeets are terroritorial and territorial to the point where there is a risk that they will fight to the death. Expecting an established lory or lorikeet who is older than one year to welcome with open wings another FID is a ticket to open warfare especially another species. I am sure with careful introduction certain FID's will eventually become friends, but it won't be easy. It is easier housing a female and male together, that's how ours are housed - but with mature lory every day needs to be taken at a time. If the lory is introduced to a new comer at a young age it is likely that they will interact with ease. The general rule of thumb with lories is same species - Rainbow with a Rainbow unless they have been brought up together.


Overall, they aren't really an ideal starter bird, but don't be turned off by the diet, poops and potential nippy behaviour, just be aware and prepared for it. There are plenty of other parrot species than can deliver as much if not more in terms of bites and mess, but lories are often overlooked or passed over because they are considered "hard work", lory ownership is very rewarding indeed and worth it. All parrots are hard work, there are no short cuts or easy parrots to work with, all have their own idiosyncrocies, their own pros and cons. The above hopefully goes someway to helping you see what lories are all about. :)

I think I've covered most of it, if I remember anything else I'll edit accordingly. :D
 
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Sir Vasalot

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Well done and well said. Mine resembles much of all of the traits above with one extra bad. She thinks she is the mole/skin tag/pimple/freckle surgeon and when she sees one feels it her obligation, no her life's duty, to get rid of it with a deep beak dig that draws blood. She plays basketball, throws toys in a game of fetch, does her little "tink tink" noises, loves to be pet from head to tail when she is in the mood, rolls around a lot when trusting, and mimic whistles but not words for now. She does mumble under her breath sometimes. She steps up and even lets you carry her around most of the time by just taking her in your hand around her back (one of the only ways to get her back in her cage as when she steps up and goes that direction - she is gone). She loves to hop and dart everywhere and of course, as you said it above, that active tongue never stops working.:)
 

dwright27

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How would you compare their noise to a sun conure?
 

SaraAndAdria

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:bcl: Hello! I am new top this "Avian Avenue" , but it seems that there are a lot of other Lori's or there! I'm happy to see that many of you have similar experiences with your lori/ lorikeet s. Adria, my Rainbow Lori, is almost 6 now. I got her 3 months ago do to the fact that her previous owners were no longer allowed to house a bird in their home. The transition was surprisingly easy! She loves me so much as do I her. I could go on and on apt her personality, but I'll save that for later! :grouphug2:
 

Bren

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Hello! I am new top this "Avian Avenue"... She loves me so much as do I her. I could go on and on apt her personality, but I'll save that for later!

Welcome....The Lorikeets are wonderful little birds...i love having one....
 

JAM

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Hey Sara, welcome and thank you for taking her on!
Both yourself and Bren are more than welcome to add to the lory and lorikeet good, bad and ugly, there isn't a limit on what we can learn about these joyful terrors on my opinion!! :)
 

mrs.Q

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I just recently got a rainbow Lori I am taking her to the vet tomorrow to have a full work up her ex.owner did not know how old she was.is it Ok and normal to have their wings clipped to keep from flying?. She hasn't gave me much on letting me touch her on the head nor her back the only thing she climbs to the shoulder and loves to tongue my son's head she was doing it so much that I didn't think it was good for her. :hehe:
 

mrs.Q

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Great advice. One ? Is it good to let mrs.Q., my lori to take naps y covering her up during the day.when I take her out to play she seems to like get on my arm of my couch and will go to sleep.like she is soo tired when I put her back in her cage she go nuts and acts silly like she got a second wind or something. Lol...are just wait til night? Thanks for the advice...
 

Juliette

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can anyone tell me anything about the chattering lory ?
what size do they reach ? i love medium to large birds , my ideal size would be like a blue fronted amazon
but i really fell inlove with lorikeets ... are they "cuddly" ?
i do not really mind the mess , just the "shooting" poop doesnt sound that nice , since my cage is place in a corner ...
and how far can they shoot ? jsut so i cover the floor far enought LOL
and difficult to train ... well challenge accepted i guess haha
 

JAM

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@mrs.Q with the sleeping, ours do take naps but it might be worth taking up a well check at the vet to make sure it is normal for her. Did you get her checked originally? What did the vet say?
Lories do love licking things and love skin especially after J and I have been training as they lick the salty sweat. We try not to encourage it too much as they are so susceptible to bacteria and our bacteria especially from our mouth is not good for the little monsters.

@Juliette I've covered a lot on your other thread but if you do to down the lory route paper, plastic coverings, tissues, kitchen wipes and baby wipes will become your best friends. :D
 

AneneBoris

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I have a Black Capped Lory and he is now 2 years and 3 months old. Last night he attacked me when I had to change his food. He has never done this to me before, but he has attacked other people when outside his cage, especially when I am in the vicinity, I don't trust him around other people when I am around.

The article on Hormonal & Aggressive Lories & Lorikeets did shed a lot of light on his recent behavior. Normally he is very sweet, not big on the cuddles and only likes to be scratched on his head, his favorite time is when we get to wrestle.

He can certainly talk up a storm, but only says what he wants to say when he wants to say it. The only time I have ever seen him sleeping during the day was when he had gotten ill, the injection made him lethargic. He is the busiest bird I have ever come across! At times he can be a bit noisy, especially while you are eating and he also wants some, but I try not to encourage this behavior by then rewarding him with the desired item which is usually french fries or potato.

He also loves terrorizing all of the other animals, dogs and cats scatter when he is outside of the cage...
 

birdnerd

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for mine.. he was a little different maybe to others as he never flew due to being hit by a car..possible brain injury? Never really knew. he could move his wings fine..nothing broken..but he sank like a stone each time the poor guy.

The Good...happy little bloke he was...curious about everything..never really showed fear regarding new toys/objects. No problem playing in his cage all day while i was at work. but loved spending time out the cage on evenings and weekends. Thinking back the last few years he was very settled and calm.( had him 10 years) So entertaining when he was playing, and loved it when i changed around his big gym adding new toys..new foot toys..he loved to try it all. Didnt like swings ..the movement..but that i think was becasue he couldnt fly.

The Bad: Messy..but I got used to it. :) Poops... omg...he was gifted at getting it in the weirdest places! Once from his cage, he managed to poop out the bars...down the top of my shirt and into my bra....still dont know how he did it..and he was quite proud of himself.
I found it hard to get him to eat veges, unless using those organic baby foods that had apple in them, other than a little baby spinach, he wasnt a fan. Loved his fruit though.
Did go thru a hormonal phase...he was my first parrot, so i learnt as we went along. I only got one real bad bite on my lip which my grandmother thought was hilarious as i had a lorikeet hanging off my face. As someone else mentioned..freckles..mosquito bites...his mission was to remove them... i have a few little scars. i almost got used to it though!
Mine had a thing with shoes and slippers...obbsessed. In my avatar he is laying in a slipper...these slippers were fair trade..handmade slippers form africa.... i was never allowed to wear them..he would lay in his back in them with his maracca for hours..someteims the slipper went in his cage during the day too if he refused to leave it. This past month without him, ive noticed how im in a habit of being prepared to tuck up my feet when putting shoes on ( he used to go after socked feet as he knew i would take the shoes) and i still do it!

i work in a preschool, and Lucky did visit a few times. Parents often said they wanted to get one for their kids becasue their child liked mine so much. I put them straight off..knowing alot of these people were quite the neat freaks.. i knew they wouldnt cope!

The only thing putting me off another lorikeet is the pooping...Lucky never flew..so it was always down low to the ground when heout of his cage. Where i live in a small granny flat I have kepyboards and drums.....im not sure about flying projectile poop with the stuff I have around. :( but they are great birds...loved him to bits.

My question now is do i need another feathered buddy?
 

parrotkid

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For me...

As someone with two Lorikeets, a Rainbow and a Musk - but experience with Scaleys and Duskys as well - I think I have a well rounded view... well, enough of one at least.

Good:
Chock full of personality, every single one.
Energetic
Attention lovers
Generally Playful
Can we sooky/affectionate
Outgoing, explore everything
Incredibly loving
Infatuated by you
Trusting
Larger Lorikeets are good talkers - Smaller (like musks) will mimic sounds with a limited vocab

Bad:
If they get overstimulated, they can get nippy
Very headstrong (especially Rainbows)
Jealous
One person bird syndrome if not socialised correctly
Loud + Love the sound of their own voice
Sometimes can be overly attached
Destructive, but what bird isn't?

There is so much more I wish I could share and say, but that's a brief summary <3
 
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