The Basics:

Popular pets, Lorikeets and Lories are very attractive, brightly colored birds with a rainbow plumage of brilliant blues, greens and reds. In the sunlight, this little bird almost seems to acquire an iridescent glow. Lorikeets and Lories can be as charming as they are beautiful with a knack for entertaining their human companions. Some of them will sleep on their backs with their feet straight up in the air.

Cage:

These birds produce relatively large quantities of loose, messy stool, so selecting a cage that is accessible and easy to clean is absolutely essential. The active and playful Lorikeet or Lory needs a cage that’s at least 48” long by 24” wide by 36” high. A pair of Lorikeets or Lories should have a cage that’s about two-thirds higher and twice as wide.  Bar spacing should be no larger than 3/8”.

CAUTION

In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of a Lorikeet or Lory’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning The Cage:

Positioning the cage near the center of family activity will help socialize this bird and strengthen his bond with his human companions. These areas should have a linoleum floor for easy cleanups. It is also important to provide the bird with a sense of security by placing his cage in an area that is not in the direct traffic path of his human companions. Ideally the cage should be placed with a wall near two of its sides, so no family member can walk all the way around it. Areas exposed to direct sunlight or drafts should be avoided when choosing a spot for a bird’s cage. Any place in or near a kitchen should also be off limits, since smoke from cooking and fumes from nonstick cookware can prove to cause serious, even fatal, complications for a bird.

Playthings:

Lorikeets and Lories love to have fun, so they should be provided with plenty of toys and perches. Their human companions will enjoy watching these intelligent active birds during play periods.  The acrobatic Lorikeet loves toys that she can climb and swing on.

Perches:

A variety of perches made of different materials and of different thicknesses around ¾” should be provided. Fun-loving Lorikeets will often enjoy hanging upside down from their perches. A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Play Time Outside The Cage:

Lorikeets and Lories require ample time outside of their cage for mental and physical exercise, as well as bonding with their human companions. They enjoy games and learning tricks. Play gyms serve an important function as a method of keeping a bird busy and entertained while outside of the cage. Lorikeets are excellent flyers, so their wings should be clipped by a veterinarian or grooming professional to prevent flying injuries and escapes.

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers.

Bathing:

Provide a shallow bowl of chlorine-free water for daily supervised bathing. Or mist with chlorine-free water. Water must be lukewarm to room temperature. Avoid drafts. Remove bath bowl when finished. Aside from bringing out the best in her brilliant coloration, bathing will also promote feather and skin health.

Diet:

The Lorikeet’s and Lory’s diet is different from that required by most other birds. Instead of pellets, they require a diet consisting primarily of nectar and fruit.  Nectar spoils rather easily, and should be replaced every 3 or 4 hours. Eating spoiled nectar can have fatal consequences for a Lorikeet. Fruit is always appreciated, but avoid very acidic varieties.  Fruits should be rinsed, dried and cut into appropriately sized pieces before being offered to this bird. Flowers such as pansies, marigolds and dandelions can also be offered, provided they are pesticide-free. Provide additional calcium i.e. cuttlebone during egg laying. Clean, filtered chlorine-free water should be consistently available.

A Note About Water:

All water given to birds for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals.  (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.