Years ago we had a Rainbow lorikeet, we called him Keats. He was a really funny bird to be around, had an outrageous sense of humour. The bad part of the story was that we bought him from a newspaper ad on the spur of the moment. We had no idea in those days about parrots and what they really needed.
When we first saw him he was in a tiny domed cage (the sort a lot of people have here for canaries) When we got him home I transfered him to a lage dog crate which he loved. He was in the centre of our living area and at that time it was a very busy house with people and dogs coming and going all day. He loved it.
As I have already said, this was in the days before I knew what I know now. We thought we were doing the best for Keats by building him a lovely large avairy. How wrong. :( I now realise that it was the worst thing to do to him. He would have been happier in that little canary cage with people around him all day. He began to feather pluck because as I now realise (too late) he was lonely and bored.
I still feel very guilty and sad about Keats.

My Keats was a riot. Funny, naughty, noisy, messy and very sweet. I still miss him and think about him often.
I guess that if any good can come from what happened to Keats, is that people will do a bit a homework and learn about the bird and it's needs before jumping in with all the good intentions but wrong actions. On the other hand too, people rehoming or selling a bird (or any animal really) need to make sure the new home is the right home and that new owners know what they are doing.

Thank you Keats, and I'm sorry.
xxx Deb xxx

Hi Deb......thanks for sharing your story about Keats. I have seen quite a few Lorys --black cap, dusky, blue streak, red Lory, and chattering Lory---but I have never really had a chance to visit with anyone who owned one as a pet.

I am thinking that if I can learn more about them, I might be interested in having one as a pet.

I've only met one lory so far, a young moluccan lory at a big bird shop a couple years ago. The shop had a large variety of birds, but the lory was easily the most active bird in the shop. There was a caique that was a close second, and nothing else came close. The lory was the most fun to play with... I stuck my finger in the cage and he jumped right on. Or I'd stick all of my fingers in, and he'd jump onto one and beak the others wildly and climb all over... then jump off and jump back on. Or I'd stick one finger in the cage, he'd hop on, I'd "wind up" and then twist my finger really fast and he'd do a somersault. And again. I went to that shop a couple times just to play with him, for about an hour... He didn't like to be pet - mostly I think because he couldn't hold still that long - but he sure loved to play.

I have never met an adult, but I hear they're tons of fun. I've also heard they need lots of attention because they're so active and playful, and I've heard that they are more difficult to clean up after because they have liquid droppings that they squirt pretty far. But that's all second-hand... Only thing I know for sure is that the babies are hyperactive and hilarious.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA

Hi Nate......thanks for sharing......The little Black Cap Lory that I was around did not like to be petted either. I wonder if that is common with them? She liked to have her beak rubbed, but that was about it. She loved tp crawl all over me and give kisses. She loved to play with all of the toys and was curious about everything.

Hi, I have a chattering lorie. He is the love of my life, I have a lot of fun with him, he talkes even carrys on conversation with me.
He loves fruit and necter but "DO NOT FEED SEEDS". I give him fresh
necter in the morning. He eats some lorie pellets and loves a lot of attention. He`s great.

I've never owned any lories, but worked with a couple of them at a pet store. One was a green-naped lorikeet, the other a chattering lory. The green-nape(appropriately named rainbow) looved having his head and neck scratched through the bars of his cage, but as soon as you took him out, there was no stopping for scratches. he'd hang from your hand and swing upside down as you walked around. The chattering lory, was exactly that, nonstop talking and laughing from this one. He liked to hang from you shirt and then poke around front and explore you nose, ears, mouth and eyes. He had a pretty good vocab, and sometimes would have a conversation with you(a simple one, but one nonetheless)

I also got to play with a black lory a few times. He'd been at the pet shop so long that he started getting less and less attention, so he was a bit of a biter. I wouldn't say he was as active as the chattering(I think the most active of these 3), but still pretty energetic.

They have a different kind of messy, which some people say is messier than other parrots. Everything gets wet! (at least in the chatterlory cage). They roll themselves up in newspaper, bathe daily, or more. and liquid poops! they can poop out the sides, so you'd probably be good with those skirted cages. and like it says above, they eat nectar(in the wild, pollen as well, which I believe lends to more well-formed poops)flowers, and fruit. It also says above no seeds, which is 100% true, although I'm pretty sure, wild lories eat occasionl UNripe seeds, that are still soft and green.

When I move into a house where I can make a designated bird room(ie, vinyl flooring!) I would love to get a lory. They are awesome!

I've also visited a pet store several times just to play with the Rainbow Lory (did'nt know it was a green-nape) appropriately named Skittles (looked like a walking/running bag of skittles). I could have played with that bird for hours - and if he was'nt already sold I would have been very tempted to bring him home.
He was beautiful but most of all he was absoultely a blast to play with.
He would flip onto his back and do this kind of kick-boxing with his feet through the bars. He would jump all over the cage, run up and down his ladder, roll on the ground and then come back to flip on his back again and do some more boxing throught the bars. He would screech "hi" the whole time he did this - what a character.
They took him out for me to play with but I found him so excited that he nipped me several times and kept flying off my hand. He was quite young and had amazing energy.
Nate is correct - Hyperactive with a capital H.

I read somewhere (can't remember where now) that these birds can be put on a pelleted diet which would make their poops more formed - I would only believe it if I saw it. For me, that would be the most difficult part of having this bird. I'd always worry if I was feeding him properly.

I've also been to Busch Gardens in Florida a few times and they have a Lory garden that you walk through. Before you enter you can buy little cups of necter and the birds will fly to your hand and feed. That was really fun - especially if you were the only one in there. At one time I must have had 6 or more on me - all trying to get at the cup of necter. I was a bit "messy" when I exited but had a huge smile on my face :)

Barb

You can put them on pellets, the pet store I was at, did. But nectar is a nessecity. They must have nectar in their diets. I just think the edition of drier foods aids in a more 'solid' poop, that apparently wild lories have(from eating pollen and flowers themselves). That is another reason keeping me from having a lory in the house, I already make an entirely natural diet for my Eclectus. Add having to make a nectar everyday(yes, they make powdered mixes), possibly 2x a day! No thanks, not for now at least.

For those of you who have been bit by lories - can they bite as hard as other parrots? I've heard that they can't, because they don't have to crack nuts for a living in the wild... but that was from someone who wanted to sell me one so I take it with a huge chunk of salt.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA

I was nipped several times and it was sharp and just as painful as when my Meyers nips me so I would (guess) that the bite would also draw blood like my Meyers can.

Nate, I know you like the laid-back quality of the Pionus and the Rainbow Lory would be an interesting contrast to that - like a Pionus on Dexedrine :)

The Chattering Lory I worked with didn't nessecarily bite hard, but his beak was like a razor. I don't think there was a time he bit me, that he didn't draw blood. Thankfully he didn't bite very often. The Black lory I went to play with, like I had mentioned earlier, was getting less attention, bit me hard the first time I played with him. He left some bruises. But all the times after that he was fine. And lastly the rainbow only every really bit me once. That was when he didn't want to detach himelf from my shirt when I had to leave. I had to get somene else to pry him off. Other than that, he might have nipped a few times when gettting overexcited.

Now I really want a lory! the more I talk about them, the more I want one!

Thanks. I just knew it was too good to be true. :-)

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA

Thanks to all of you for sharing. I have enjoyed reading all of the comments.

I did purchase the Black Cap Lory that I had talked about back in May of 2004. She has been a great joy. She is now named Bobbin. I chose this name because she bobs and dances with excitement whenever I go near her cage. She is about 2 years old now and DNA sexed a Female.

If any of you have been around a Caique or a Hawkhead, I find my Lory has some personality traits common to those birds. She has the quick and somewhat unpredictable movements like a Hawkhead, She plays non stop; like a Caique.

She is a great talker and just a riot to watch. She does not bite me hard and has not drawn blood since I have owned her. She does like to run her beak all over my skin. Especially between my fingers where they join the hand ( sort of the webbed area ).

She was raised on soaked tropimix and fresh fruit and vegetables.
She gets all of those, but her favorite is fruit and vegatables put the through the blender and made it to a slushie without the ice.
I add nector and lori powder to the slushie.

They are a messy bird, but what I recommend is to put a plastic desk mat under the cage and a shower curtain on the wall behind the cage for easy cleanup. A quick wipe down of the bars on a regular basis ( every couple of days) keeps things easy. Dried fruit slushie is a pain to clean.

All in all, I think she is a wonderful pet and well worth the extra effort.

Hi , I now own a Black Cap Lory and have found her to be a great joy in my life. I was curious what type or brand of lori pellets you feed.

Have you ever tried making the fruit into a slushie in the blender. Mine really loves it that way. I add the powdered nector or lori powder to the slushie.

Mine was raised on soaked tropimix. She also loves the cockatiel size fruit zupreem pellets. She soaks them in her water dish.

I was also curious if your likes to bathe. Mine practically rolls over and does flips in her water dish to take a bath. She seems to be on an every other day bath schedule. Watching her take a bath is very entertaining as long as you are not standing to close. If you are you will get almost as wet as she does.

I just wanted to comment on the similarities between caiques and lories. I've always called Caiques the lory without the mess(they are messy, I know, but not like a lory). Out of the 3 I knew, the chattering took the most baths. Then he would roll himself up in the wet newspapers.

The pet store I worked at made some kind of a home-made nectar. I'm pretty sure they used 100% fruit juices, but I'm not sure what else went into it, because they didn't sell lory powder(just lory pellets). It was pretty liquidy. I'm sure a more syrup-y nectar food would be more natural, maybe made with honey? I think you can find recipes online, or you could even join a mailing list. I am a member at FeedingFeathers on yahooGroups. I know there is at least one active member there with a lory(ies)

=)

Hi Nate,

I have had my Lory for about a month now. And yes, they can bite. Let me be specific though. She can bite me. Very hard. Draws blood when she decides to bite me. However I am absolutely asking for it when she does bite me. She happens to be IN LOVE with my husband. She can be sitting quietly with me and when my husband walks in the room she goes nuts. STarts bobbing up and down and chirping and singing. She will do anything to get to him. The times that I have been bitten, I have been trying to take her away from my husband. I have learned that I do not come between LoryLu and her pop. Now when my husband asks me to take her, I tell him to forget it. Other than that she is a sweet heart and we love her to death. Even my husband who wasnt thrilled with getting a bird has found that he is smitten by her. She will carry on a "converstation" with him for 1/2 or more..chirping and whistling. We are working on her talking, she is young, around 9 months old, so it is getting there.

How much one on one time do lorikeets need with their owners every day? I am thinking about buying one as a pet, and am trying to research how much attention they need, and if i will be able to give it the attention it will need. Anyone know??

HI MARC/SHERRY,

I work all day. when I come home, I clean up her cage ( which I have down to a science) and then I give her new food , nectar and water..then we play for about and hour or so in which we wrestle.. my hand verses her. We have her in the room with us, so we have constant interactions..whistles, words..etc. Tonight we are watching the Yankees, and they got 16 runs in the 2nd inning. We were all screaming like lunatics...including Lorilu~!!she was going to nuts. We just keep her in the room and talk to her alot. We will let her out of her cage a few times a week for about 1/2 hour..but her wings need to be clipped because she has been taking off so we end of chasing her around, which she thinks is just great fun.

To keep her occupied and not bored, I move around her toys, perches and ladders everytime I clean her cage. I have alot of fun doign it because her favorite toys are the ones I make for her. Example, one her her favorites is a mini m & M container with the label taken off.. she plays with that for hours. And a cat ball hanging from the top of her cage wtih ribbon ( tied on really really well because can can undo knots). So she never gets bored even when we cannot pay attention. About every 2 days I give her a bowl of water( like a regular ceramic cereal bowl) and she goes nuts ( so do we..we yell alot because it makes it great fun for her)..so she has her bath which is the funniest thing you will ever see. then she will quietly sit and preen herself for hours drying up, chattering to herself.

I think she is the perfect pet, and I love her to pieces. Go for it and start enjoying your lory asap. You will not regret it. If you do I have tips for controlling your cage and mess..etc...

Good Luck!!!
Ginger

Thanks, I had a hunch that the 'weak beak' thing was too good to be true... They sure seem like fun though.

I believe their beaks are weakER(or softer?) than other birds, because they don't have to break open nuts, and that goes for Eclectus as well. My Ekkie can't even open an almond shell. Their diets are prodominately soft fruits and nectar so their isn't a need for hard beak. It's just that our skin is soft and easy for a sharp beak to break, and lories have sharp beaks!

GINGER--

thanks so much! that helps a lot. I was worried about not giving her enough attention- I used to have a conure that wanted to be on me ALL DAY long (bc I didnt work). He would get so depressed if I was home and did not give him attention. he would scream and scream at me until I took him out of his cage-- and he would have nothing to do with any of the toys I bought him. But thanks so much for your response, I am very excited about getting a lory. Do you mind me asking where you found yours? I have been looking all over the US for an iris lorikeet, and I am having the hardest time finding one!!

Claire

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to feather forum but what I have read is great. I recently got a 9 year old Blue Streak Lory from my brother. This bird's name is bandit and he's a trip. Some of the things he comes out with you would think he's been re-incarnated. He actually will answer you if you ask him/her a question. He loves apple jacks cereal and will ask for cherrios when he's hungry. If you try to get him to taste something different he'll say "it's shit" I tell him no it's not shit and he'll say "You try it" As soon as I figure out how to put some pictures of him on here I will. He likes when I ruffle his feathers on the back of his neck then he will scream and attack my hand for me to do it again.......love your pets

I like the "you try it" idea a lot... I'll have to see if I can get my new bird to say that. :-)

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA

I have good luck with training my blue streak I purchased him about 3 weeks ago he was supposed to be tame but was not so tame, he was a hand fed baby but no one played with him they left him in the gage he has a good disopsition but hardly wanted to be bothered, it me only took about 2 weeks, I used the training guide provided here on feather forum after 2 weeks my bird had trust in me and knew i was safe, we are still working on it however, he did not want to come out of the cage but i felt sorry for him in the cage all the time so i took it kicked it up a knock, i put a pair of gloves on and took him out he didnt want to come out at first but after he was out he liked the freedom and attention and not being bound up, he didnt seem to want to bite me it seems he was unsure and scard i dont promote using gloves as some birds are terrified but you know your bird and what he put up with use your best judgement. best of luck thanks Feather fourm and Lisa for all your help

I have good luck with training my blue streak I purchased him about 3 weeks ago he was supposed to be tame but was not so tame, he was a hand fed baby but no one played with him they left him in the Cage he has a good disposition but hardly wanted to be bothered, it me only took about 2 weeks, I used the training guide provided here on feather forum after 2 weeks my bird had trust in me and knew i was safe, we are still working on it however, he did not want to come out of the cage but i felt sorry for him in the cage all the time so i took it kicked it up a knock, i put a pair of gloves on and took him out he didnt want to come out at first but after he was out he liked the freedom and attention and not being bound up, he didnt seem to want to bite me it seems he was unsure and scard i dont promote using gloves as some birds are terrified but you know your bird and what he put up with use your best judgement. best of luck thanks Feather fourm and Lisa for all your help