Info
The Lori parrot, or clown parrot, is an amazing bird with an exotic color that has won the hearts of millions of fans. Ease of taming and friendliness combined with bright plumage are the main characteristics that distinguish the happy owners of such birds.
It is worth noting that the Loris Family includes 13 genera, which include almost 70 species of lorikeets. This means that anyone can choose from such a variety and find the most suitable option for home maintenance. But professionals ask you to study and take into account the peculiarities of maintenance and feeding before purchasing, so that in the future there will be no problems for either the owner or his feathered friend.
Credit: WallpapersCraft
Appearance and features
| Name | Lori parrot (Australian parrot) Loriinae |
| Photo | The most common and striking representative of the family is the Sharp-tailed lorikeet. |
| Length | 0.18 – 0.35 m |
| Adult weight | 0.070–0.10 kg |
| Color | Depending on the species, the color combines all the colors of the rainbow. |
| Wings | They reach a length of 0.15 m. |
| Beak | Weak, fragile, small, and flattened at the sides. |
| Eyes | Red-brown (tone may vary depending on the species). |
| Tail | Equal to half the total length of the parrot. |
| Distinctive features | 1. A rough tongue, on which there is a brush with papillae or papillae—a device for eating liquid foods and collecting flower nectar. Hence, the parrots received another name: brush-tongued or brush-tongued birds.2. An atrophied stomach that does not digest rough food. 3. The anatomical structure of the beak, which differs from other types of parrots: long with thin and sharp edges for cutting fruit, and also the absence of a corrugated surface inside (they are not capable of chewing, only squeezing food and squeezing juice out of it). |
| Habitat | • Australian continent and Oceania• Philippine and Indonesian islands • Tasmania • Polynesia |
Types of Lori parrot
Genus:
- White-backed Pseudeos fuscata
- Shiny Chalcopsitta duivenbodei
- Girlish Vini
- Wedge-tailed Psitteuteles
- Red Eos
- Lory-gua Neopsittacus
- Lorikeet Trichoglossus
- Hermit Phigys
- Musky Glossopsitta
- New Guinea montane Oreopsittacus
- Decorated with Charmosyna
- Broad-tailed Lorius
- Musk Parvipsitta
Each genus includes several subspecies.
Lifestyle in freedom
In nature, Lori Parrot form pairs for life. They live in pairs in small families in damp wooded areas where there are many fruit trees, berries and flowers. They rarely leave their habitat. They spend the whole day searching for food and water.
Credit: Hippopx
Diet
The main food of Lori parrots in their natural environment is pollen and nectar from more than 5,000 plants, as well as juicy fruits, berries, and inflorescences. It is worth noting that birds do not eat juicy fruits with peel, but cut them with their beaks and suck out the juice from inside. Occasionally, birds can eat small insects with larvae. Parrots are of great benefit to plants because they participate in pollination while eating nectar.
It should be noted that Lori parrots eat much more than their relatives. The reason is in the diet – liquid food, which is absorbed much faster. Enhanced metabolism, liquid foods and a plant diet have developed one feature in Loriids: rapid assimilation and absorption of necessary nutrients compared to other species of birds. This specificity allows the body to maintain the necessary balance between incoming nutrients and microelements, even if the diet is not very meager.
Reproduction
King Lori parrots remain faithful to each other from the moment they form a pair (from about a year old). To build a nest, they choose abandoned tree hollows or termite mounds. After a short mating season, the female lays 1-2 eggs, which she incubates for 25 days. During this period, the male feeds his “wife” and makes sure that the nest is not attacked by pythons, which love to feast on the bird’s brood. Newborn chicks gain weight quite quickly and leave the “parental home” from the age of 2 months.
Those involved in bird breeding know that Lories are the easiest to breed in captivity. Basic requirements: proper balanced nutrition, spacious housing, comfortable microclimate parameters (temperature 27-29 0 C, humidity – from 75%).
Lifespan
At home, with proper care, the king Lori parrot can live up to 20 years. For wild counterparts, such a long life is rare. In their natural environment, birds are susceptible to attacks from predators, hunger, and disease. Humans cause considerable harm through their aggressive actions (deforestation, poaching). Therefore, wild parrots live no more than 15 years.
Credit: PxHere
Keeping at home
An Australian parrot with a tassel on its tongue – this is how breeders speak about this amazing bird. This feathered creature of extraordinary beauty quickly adapts to home conditions, learns to talk, and has a friendly character. But at the same time, birds have a number of disadvantages that must be taken into account before buying a pet:
- an unpleasant piercing scream;
- frequent liquid feces, which are normal;
- non-standard food.
Cell
Recommended cage dimensions are 1.5 x 0.7 x 0.7 m per individual. Bird housing is installed in a place where there are no drafts, away from household appliances, batteries, window openings and direct sunlight.
The inside of the bird’s home is equipped with easy-to-clean equipment:
- feeders;
- drinking bowls;
- sleeping compartment with dimensions – 0.45×0.3×0.3 m (entry diameter – 10 cm);
- poles;
- climbing equipment;
- toys that are suitable for this type of bird;
- bath for bathing;
- mineral stone.
To simplify the cleaning process, the cage is equipped with a retractable tray. Replace the bedding (river sand, paper, sawdust) at least once a day.
The optimal room temperature for keeping a feathered pet is +20 0 C with a humidity of 60 to 70%.
Character and habits
The Loria parrot is called one of the friendliest and playful birds, which willingly communicates with all family members. But at the same time, the bird chooses its “favorite” among the people with whom it tries to spend time most often.
Lorikeets live in families in the wild. But being kept in captivity alone will not be a hindrance for them, because they are completely self-sufficient and will always find something to occupy themselves with. The bird will be especially comfortable if they constantly communicate and play with him.
Thanks to constant training, it is possible to achieve the following successes:
- the bird learns up to 70 human phrases, which it reproduces with amazing accuracy;
- master various tricks (dance steps, swaying, carrying small objects).
What to feed
For the Lori parrot idae family, food must be special – liquid. This principle should be strictly adhered to.
Suitable for feeding:
- Factory-made nectars for parrots (available in dry, granular and liquid form) – “Lory Life№”, “Nekton Lori”, “Lories Delight”, “Nutribird”, “CeDe”. Factory-made feeds are produced completely balanced – they completely meet the birds’ needs for useful microelements, and therefore there is no need to worry about any additional vitamin and mineral supplements.
- Homemade nectar. It has a number of advantages:
– reducing the cost of purchasing special food;
— controlled composition without harmful industrial impurities.
There are a lot of recipes for making homemade nectar, but in most cases they are based on children’s fruit juices and sugar-free purees, flour (oatmeal, rice, wheat), pollen, glucose, honey, dextrose, fructose.
When making food, the following recommendations are followed:
- Use only warm filtered water (boiling water is prohibited as it reduces nutritional value).
- Honey is added only in a liquid, melted state.
- Do not use honeydew or buckwheat honey (it contains many difficult-to-digest substances – oligosaccharides, proteins, iron).
- Malt, which is often used in industrial feeds, is best avoided (poorly digestible).
- All additives to the main composition must be dissolved in water.
- Every six months, the nectar must be enriched with vitamin and mineral premixes (for example, “Vita-Sol 8 in 1″ or “Beaphar Vinka”).
- Fruit and vegetable mixes are given both in cut pieces and in homogenized form (uniform composition).
| An example of a homemade nectar recipe for Lorikeet. | Cooking method. |
| Flower pollen – 15 g Oatmeal – 60 g Meadow flower honey – 30 g | Dissolve flour and pollen in 330 ml of settled water, stir in honey and bring the total volume to 1 liter with warm water. This mixture can be stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before use, it is warmed to room temperature. |
Credit: Flickr
Significant disadvantages of homemade nectars:
- rapid souring;
- the need to introduce additives;
- lack of control over the energy composition of food.
| In addition to nectars, feathered pets must be offered: | ||
| Fruits: – Apples – Cherries – Kiwi – Pomegranates – Papaya – Citruses | Berries: – Rowan – Blueberries – Drupes – Rose hips – Honeysuckle | Vegetables: – Carrots – Lettuce leaves – Sweet peppers – Cabbage-broccoli |
| Grain (exclusively for two species of birds Lorius and Eos from the genus Trichoglossus): – Wheat – Oatmeal – Rice – Lentil – Bean – Corn. All grains are given soaked or steamed, as well as sprouts. The best option is dairy-free instant porridge without impurities. | Animal products (only for the mating season): – Insects and meal from them (moths, zoophobes, small worms or larvae). – Cottage cheese – 25-45 g every 2 days (it is advisable to take children’s creamy curds without additives). – Boiled chicken eggs – half every half month. | Green food, branches: – Flowers allowed for feeding. – Fresh herbs. – Branches with swollen buds. – Fresh greens and branches with swollen buds. |
Despite the fact that Lorikeets’ diet is liquid, there should always be separate drinking bowls with clean, settled water.
Possible diseases
The main cause of most pathologies in Lorikeets is poor diet. The main signs of a nutritional imbalance in the body of birds are overgrown claws with a beak. Nutritional imbalance leads to digestive disorders and liver diseases. Long-term violation of the diet causes severe chronic diseases of internal organs, which subsequently leads to death.
In addition to digestive problems, Loris often encounter mycotic lesions, which cause the death of birds. For prevention, veterinarians prescribe antifungal agents.
Purchase rules, price for a Lori Parrot
The cost of parrots fluctuates around 300 US dollars per individual. The price is influenced by the place of birth (nursery or wild environment), the age of the bird (individuals up to a year are more expensive), and its skills (those who can already talk are valued).
Experienced breeders recommend listening to the following advice before purchasing:
- Finally weigh the pros and cons when choosing a given breed (beginners should start with easier-to-care species – cockatiels or budgies).
- Be sure to inspect the bird before purchasing (compliance with the breed characteristics of size and appearance).
- Specify the age of the chick (the optimal age is from 1.5 months to a year).
Signs of a healthy bird:
- Beautifully laid feathers with a bright sheen, do not shed.
- There is no discharge from the beak or eyes.
- There is no droppings around the anus.
- The bird is moderately well-fed and full-breasted.
Lori is an amazing family of parrots with a specific diet and some peculiarities in care. It will most likely be difficult for beginners to find an approach to such feathered pets, although with great desire and perseverance everything can work out. For experienced poultry farmers, such extravagant pets will bring joy and fun to their home.
Also cheak: Caring For The Alexandrine Parrot
Also cheak: Rosella Parrot Maintenance And Care
Follow as: Facebook
