Swainson Blue Mountain or Rainbow LorikeetSize: 10-12” in length from head to tail. Medium size parrot with long tail.
Life Span: 25-28 years, as long as they are being fed a proper diet. Origin: Australia, can be seen from northern Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania. Understanding Lorikeets Lorikeets are full of character; their antics are amusing and endless. They love to bob their heads and talk to or make sounds at you. They are one of only a couple bird species that will hop or jump around when they are playing and having fun. Lorikeets are known to be pretty good talkers and can mimic many sounds and noises they hear. Lorikeets can sometimes be aggressive towards other birds so you should always be cautious when introducing your new lorikeet to existing pet birds, especially if they are of the same species, as they may fight for dominance. This behavior is normal, it is a way of establishing who is in charge. They are not considered a “one person” parrot, which makes them a good family bird. Lories and lorikeets have some unique physical characteristics and dietary needs. Some people are nervous to get a lorikeet for this reason but one shouldn’t worry, these days it is easy to find proper food for your lorikeet. They have evolved a long brush-like tongue to accommodate a nectar and pollen diet. Their specialized diet causes their droppings to be more runny than that of other birds and more far reaching but it wipes up easily and does not tend to stain. Lorikeets are not sexually dimorphic so they only way to determine sex is through DNA testing. |
Personality and Behavior
Lorikeets like to whistle and talk and mimic sounds. One fun sound they make is that of running or dripping water. When they are having fun or playing chase they will jump around on two feet to show their excitement. Lorikeets love to splash and bathe in water and will even swim around. It is a good idea to offer your bird a separate bath container so they reduce splashing in their drinking water. Ensure your cage is away from anything that may get water damaged. What to Feed Your Lorikeet Lorikeets are naturally nectar feeders. In the wild they feed on the nectar and pollen of native flowers such as bottlebrush and grevilleas. They do this using their unique brush-like tongue. They will also feed on berries and fruits and sometimes greens. In your home you can feed them special lory powder or nectar. The powder is fed dry but you should always have a lot of fresh water available. The nectar is a wet mix. The birds love this but bear in mind that you can only leave the wet nectar out for a few hours and then it must be changed or it could grow bacteria. You can also feed whole flowers. Fresh Fruit. Apples, pears, strawberries, grapes, melon, peaches and cherries are preferred. Try to avoid acidic fruits like orange, lemon, tangerine and mandarin as these may upset their stomach. Greens are good, try lettuce or celery sticks or whole flowers with their leaves (as long as they haven’t been treated with pesticides). Fresh water is essential and must be provided always- the more the better, especially if you are feeding your lorikeet a dry diet, as they need to dip their tongue in water after dipping it in the dry nectar. To keep your parrot busy throughout the day and avoid boredom (which leads to biting, screaming and feather plucking) it’s best to provide fun and interactive ways for your bird to eat its meals every day. Such ways include using skewers for fresh foods and various food finding toys for hard foods such as pellets. |