The Specialised Diet Of Lorikeets and Lories Explained

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The distinctive brightness of a well-fed Rainbow Lorikeet is unmistakable.

 

My flock contains a few parrots that require a specialised diet, which makes mealtimes a little more challenging at my place. This is particularly true for my lorikeets.

 

Lorikeets and lories are known for their need for a specialised wet diet. In the wild they largely feed on pollen, nectar and wild fruits. Some species of lorikeet (such as the Rainbow Lorikeet) have a tongue that is adapted to enable them to more ...

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Lying To Protect Your Birds


Fid, my Blue and Gold Macaw

There have been a few stories circulating on social media lately about pet birds being stolen. They’re heartbreaking stories and I would hate to think what I’d do if anyone tried to steal one of my flock.

 

There are things that you can do to protect yourself and your birds and Jamie has done an excellent post on that which I have linked here. That said though, there is only so far that ...

 

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Visiting Healesville Sanctuary’s Native Australian Birds

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos

I did the tourist thing on the weekend. I live in Melbourne (Australia) and was entertaining an interstate visitor over the weekend. My friend just happens to be another bird person – so we thought it might be fun to have a look at Healesville Sanctuary while he was here.

Healesville Sanctuary is unusual because it focuses on Australian natives. They have some really worthwhile conservation campaigns and breeding programs. This is a fantastic place to visit ...

 

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Keeping Lorikeets


I didn't chew on it!

 

The corrosive powers of lorikeet poo are truly amazing. There are days when it literally seems to eat away concrete. More amazing though, is the way a lorikeet can aim on a 45-degree angle. They are quite capable of painting any wall that is near their aviary and often seem to be doing so intentionally. You hear people say they’re messy and I guess from the human perspective they are, but they do ...

 

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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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