The Lorikeet Diet


Rainbow Lorikeet eating Eucalyptus flowers.

 

People who work with lorikeets tend to regularly complain about their bird’s poo. It’s a runny, sticky, noxious substance, that I half-jokingly argue has the corrosive power to melt concrete. If that’s not bad enough – lorikeets happily shoot it on a 45-degree angle. None of this business of a nice clean drop straight through a grille at the base of a cage! Lorikeets are happiest if they can “paint” nearby walls.

 

That’s an ...

 

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The Threat of Wild Birds


Wild Rose-breasted cockatoos

As someone who genuinely loves birds, I’d have to say one of the best parts of living in Australia is being able to see the wild birds on a daily basis. I’m very lucky because there are a lot of different types of wild parrots that live in the area surrounding my house. That said though, as someone who has domestic parrots – wild birds are a serious problem for me.

 

Working in wildlife rescue, I attend ...

 

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Why Weighing Your Bird Could Save Its Life

During the last spreecast, Chet mentioned that scales were now available in the Birdtricks.com store. While he was talking, I wondered if everyone watching had a good understanding of why it is SO important that we regularly weigh our birds. If there are any questions, this post will answer them.

To begin, I need to explain that birds, with great skill, hide their illnesses. This is necessary for the survival of wild birds and for the survival of their flock. Predators will target the young and ...

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Why You Should Keep Certain Parrot Species Separated

Blue and gold and military macaws

The different parrot families are divided into two broad categories: Old World and New World species. New world parrots, of which there are 148 species, are all parrots that are indiginous to Central and South America and Mexico (The U.S. no longer has a native parrot species.) Some popular New World species are the macaws, the amazons and the conures.

The 181 species of Old World parrots are those that are native to Asia, Africa and Australia. Among Old World species are the ...

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How One Person Stopped Her African Grey Parrot’s Feather Plucking

Congo african grey

I had a long conversation about 6 months ago with a woman that I had known for years from bird forums I was active on. I always looked forward to her posts because her perspective on life was so unique. She has an african grey parrot that we’ll call “Margo” that provided her with endless stories to share.

“Helen”, a multiple bird owner with years of experience, always had the right answer to people’s questions. She would carefully craft her explanations in language that everyone ...

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Using Change to Train My Stubborn Cockatoo

Linus, umbrella cockatoo

Parrots, like people, can become complacent and fall into routines. They can develop habits that are difficult to break as they get comfortable with the status quo. Such was the case with Linus, my umbrella cockatoo.
Linus has been away since last October. He has been staying with a trusted friend, Anna, in New Mexico, and is due to return TODAY!! I am excited beyond words to have my boy back with me – there has truly been a hole in my heart since he ...

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