Lories and Lorikeets
http://theaviary.com/s1295-17.shtml
by Nora N. Stanley This article originally appeared in SQUAWK, the newsletter of the Big Apple Bird Association and is reprinted with permission.
The parrots in the family Loriinae are known for their unusual brush-tipped tongues. These birds feed upon pollen, nectar and fruits, while inadvertently pollinating the flowers of the trees on which they feed.
The family Loriinae is usually divided into two classes of birds, lories and lorikeets. Lories are larger, heavier-bodied birds with squared-off tails. Lorikeets are more slender, with longer, tapering tails. All lories and lorikeets are quite beautiful; most species have brightly colored, glossy feathers in rainbow hues, with coral-red beaks. The curiosity and playfulness of lories, combined with their exotic colors, make them quite desirable as pets.
There are many species of lories being raised commercially. A hand-fed lory or lorikeet, which has become imprinted on humans, makes the best pet. Almost all hand-fed lories can learn to talk, but the best talkers are in the Eos and Lorius genera. The chattering lory, Lorius Garrulus, is quite aptly named; for even when untrained, it will carry on its own "chatter" all day. The smaller lorikeets may only learn to say a few words clearly, but are still as playful, inquisitive, and colorful as their larger relatives.
Wild lories and lorikeets spend their days climbing, hopping and hanging upside down while feeding from flowers. Pet lories, just as active, must have large, roomy cages filled with hanging toys and "foot" toys. They cannot be kept on open t-stands, even with clipped wings, because the birds can hop quite a distance. A clipped wing is useful in training a new bird, however. Even with fully regrown flight feathers, a pet lory will prefer to hang onto its owner.
Probing with their long, brush-tipped tongues, lories enjoy examining the eyes, ears and lips of their favorite person. A pet lory must have regularly scheduled playtime with its owner. Lories can become easily bored when caged too long and only given the same toys. Wild lories travel in flocks from tree to tree; their lives are filled with variety. The owner must provide that interaction and variety, or the bird will suffer.
Lories should have hanging toys with safe chains and bells, but avoid leather, which may become sticky or moist from the nectar food and droppings. Smaller toys should be plastic, because lories often dunk them in their nectar. The perches should be natural wood because lories like to chew. Pesticide-free maple and weeping willow are very good. Since lories bathe frequently, a waterbath should always be attached to the cage. Lories also appreciate being sprayed with plain water. A blow dryer can be used to dry a wet bird during winter months.
Wild lories sleep in the nests year round. A pet lory can be provided with a commercial next box. A nest suitable for a lorikeet can be made from a clean, quart-sized plastic bottle. The opening can be cut off the enlarge the entrance. For a larger lory, purchase a plastic "mini-crate" from a variety store. Either of these can be wired into the upper portion of the cage. Although a pet lory may not sleep in its new "nest" right away, the bird won't hesitate to look into it once it's installed. Lories investigate everything.
In the past, lory owners had to make their own diets. Many of these were tedious to make, and oftentimes nutritionally poor.
There are many commercial diets available today. However, no one can be certain which is best in the long run. The Animal Medical Center, in Manhattan, recommends Nekton Lori, a powdered nectar mix which is nutritionally balanced, palatable, and easy to prepare; Nekton Lori can be purchased directly from the Nekton distributor in Florida. Lories do not usually eat seeds, except for those in soaked figs, or occasionally small pieces of millet spray. Even with a good nectar diet, pet lories should be offered fruits, vegetables, greens, cooked egg, and if possible, unsprayed weeping willow twigs. If needed, additional vitamins can be added to the nectar or soft food. A small mineral block should also be wired into the cage; if it becomes soiled, it must be discarded.
Lories are often called messy because of the liquid droppings. Their droppings contain more moisture than other parrots due to their nectar diet. Plastic can be placed under and behind the cage to make cleanup easier. Purchase a cage with a plastic base and tray. The tray can be lined with paper, and changed daily, or topped with a grate and filled with absorbent commercial bedding. Cages should be sponged down daily, and scrubbed under hot water once a week.
Lorikeets can be as small as budgerigars, but are more commonly about the size of cockatiels (such as rainbow lorikeets). Lories are about as big as small amazons (e.g. chattering lories). Despite their smaller size, lories and lorikeets are more bold and headstrong than other birds. Pet lories usually should be caged alone. A handfed lory will react with jealousy toward another bird, and may kill it. To their owners, however, lories can be quite charming and affectionate, and will demand attention. Lories and lorikeets behave like playful kittens that never grow up.
A happy, healthy lory is rarely still. Someone seeking a quiet, sedate pet won't want a lory. These birds call softly, but do shriek loudly when alarmed. A prospective lory owner should be prepared to play with a handfed bird daily, or it will lose its pet qualities. A neglected lory will quickly become very nippy, and may pluck its feathers.
Lories are usually cheaper than other parrots because of their need for a nectar diet, resulting in their reputation for "messy" droppings. However, their charming personalities, exotic colors, and smaller size make them very desirable. Today, more breeders are raising pet lories, so it's possible to choose among a few species, then select a bird. The breeder can also give advice on the feeding and care specifically for that species of bird. There are still some unscrupulous breeders who are raising lories on a birdseed-only diet, for the "convenience" of the owner. Never purchase a bird raised on seeds; it will eventually die from perforation of the crop, or malnutrition. That certainly isn't convenient.
While lories have become more popular, not all veterinarians are experienced with them. When selecting an avian vet, make sure he or she has studied lories. Most larger animal hospitals have exotic specialists. When the lory is finally purchased, it should be taken immediately to the avian specialist for a complete examination. Generally if lories are fed a good nectar diet twice a day, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and given daily exercise, the birds will stay quite healthy.
Lories are affordable, boldly-colored, affectionate and spunky parrots. They can be uninhibited in their friendliness, and will play for hours on end. Many of the larger species speak very clearly, and all can mimic sounds. Someone wishing to buy a lively, beautiful but relative inexpensive bird should look into the lories and lorikeets.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Getting Your Lory
Getting Your Lory - The Basics
Margrethe Warden
Now that you’ve made the decision to get a lory there are several more factors to consider. From where will you get this bird and from whom? How will it arrive? What will you do with it after it arrives?
The best place to start would be with a reputable breeder. There are great people all over the United States and beyond who work with lories and one of them has the type you’re looking for. Start with getting references and asking around. If the breeder provides you with names of previous customers, contact them! Ask all the questions you can think of about the breeder and about the birds. Ask other people not listed as references as well. Most people are not going to give out the names of unsatisfied customers. There is a large network of "lory people" out there. Find them. They’re in your community, involved in the local bird club and on the Internet. They can not only give you information about certain breeders but they can also give you information about providing the best care for your new bird.
Once you have decided on where your bird will come from you need to settle on price, payment method and the terms of purchase. It doesn’t hurt to check around and find out what’s the current market price for your particular lory. Many good breeders have sales contracts that outline their responsibilities and yours. These contracts usually provide for a health guarantee based on your own vet examining the bird upon its arrival. The agreement should also outline under what conditions, if any, your money can be refunded if the bird is ill or dies soon after its arrival.
You need to know how your lory will be coming to you. If the breeder lives close enough you might be able to arrange to pick it up or to meet partway. If it’s coming from out of state the bird will need to be shipped via airline cargo. This would necessitate a trip to your local airport. Many airlines do not ship live animals so it’s important to know what airlines fly into your area. The most common carriers seem to be Continental, Delta and US Airways. Shipping is not usually very stressful for the bird; however, it can be a difficult time for the worried new owner. Once the bird is placed inside a shipping container, it usually remains fairly calm in that dark environment. If the bird needs to change planes in transit make sure the shipper allows sufficient time between flights to make that change. Plan to spend anywhere form $100 - $180 for the cost of shipping. Some shippers will use the US Postal Service because the price is less than commercial airlines. The Postal Service is not a recommend shipper as they may bump the bird in favor of more important cargo and it is also ILLEGAL to ship parrots with them.
You need to locate a good avian vet if you don’t already have one. Again, your network of bird people will help you with this task. It’s important that the vet be know about birds and vain medicine and hopefully has experience with lories. When you’ve established an arrival date for your bird, make an appointment with the vet for a Well Bird check. Most health guarantees require the vet check be done within 3 working days from arrival. Some of the basic tests include a fecal gram stain, a CBC (complete blood count) and an avian panel. These will give the vet a snapshot of the bird’s health as well as provide a baseline for future reference.
Now that you know you’ll be getting this bird soon you’ll also need to have a suitable cage and food available. The minimum cages size in one in which the bird can fully outstretch its wings and be able to turn completely around. Lories use a lot of their cage space, including the top and bottom and all 4 sides so this is a situation where size DOES matter. The bar spacing should be narrow enough that the bird cannot get its head stuck. This cage should be one that is easily cleaned. Removable grates on the bottom and slide out trays are important. Many owners worry about the mess caused by the runny droppings that are typical of lories. This mess can be managed simply. Plastic chair mats sold at any office supply store can provide protection for your carpet. Seed guards, if available can be helpful. Sin inexpensive shower curtain can be hung behind the cage to catch those squirts and thrown fruit and can be easily removed and cleaned. Panels made of acrylic or similar material can be attached to the cage and removed for cleaning. Along with the cage you will need to consider toys. Lories are active and love to play. They enjoy swings and toys they can hand from or undo. They don’t chew to the degree other parrots do but they enjoy chipping away at wooden toys. They also enjoy "foot" toys – those loose ones on the bottom of the cage that can be tossed around. Those little balls with bells inside that are designed for cats are perfect as long as they are not something a toe could get stuck in. One need not spend a fortune on toys either as pretty much everything is a toy to a lory.
Another thing you need to have ready for your bird’s arrival is appropriate food. Lories do not eat the same diet as other parrots. They eat primarily fruit and nectar. A good commercial lory diet is import as is a variety of fresh foods. Have the food available prior to the bird’s arrival. Also, ask the seller what type of diet the bird was fed. If different from what you plan to feed, ask that they include some of its normal food when they send it to you.
You are now ready to pick up your new lory!
Margrethe Warden
Now that you’ve made the decision to get a lory there are several more factors to consider. From where will you get this bird and from whom? How will it arrive? What will you do with it after it arrives?
The best place to start would be with a reputable breeder. There are great people all over the United States and beyond who work with lories and one of them has the type you’re looking for. Start with getting references and asking around. If the breeder provides you with names of previous customers, contact them! Ask all the questions you can think of about the breeder and about the birds. Ask other people not listed as references as well. Most people are not going to give out the names of unsatisfied customers. There is a large network of "lory people" out there. Find them. They’re in your community, involved in the local bird club and on the Internet. They can not only give you information about certain breeders but they can also give you information about providing the best care for your new bird.
Once you have decided on where your bird will come from you need to settle on price, payment method and the terms of purchase. It doesn’t hurt to check around and find out what’s the current market price for your particular lory. Many good breeders have sales contracts that outline their responsibilities and yours. These contracts usually provide for a health guarantee based on your own vet examining the bird upon its arrival. The agreement should also outline under what conditions, if any, your money can be refunded if the bird is ill or dies soon after its arrival.
You need to know how your lory will be coming to you. If the breeder lives close enough you might be able to arrange to pick it up or to meet partway. If it’s coming from out of state the bird will need to be shipped via airline cargo. This would necessitate a trip to your local airport. Many airlines do not ship live animals so it’s important to know what airlines fly into your area. The most common carriers seem to be Continental, Delta and US Airways. Shipping is not usually very stressful for the bird; however, it can be a difficult time for the worried new owner. Once the bird is placed inside a shipping container, it usually remains fairly calm in that dark environment. If the bird needs to change planes in transit make sure the shipper allows sufficient time between flights to make that change. Plan to spend anywhere form $100 - $180 for the cost of shipping. Some shippers will use the US Postal Service because the price is less than commercial airlines. The Postal Service is not a recommend shipper as they may bump the bird in favor of more important cargo and it is also ILLEGAL to ship parrots with them.
You need to locate a good avian vet if you don’t already have one. Again, your network of bird people will help you with this task. It’s important that the vet be know about birds and vain medicine and hopefully has experience with lories. When you’ve established an arrival date for your bird, make an appointment with the vet for a Well Bird check. Most health guarantees require the vet check be done within 3 working days from arrival. Some of the basic tests include a fecal gram stain, a CBC (complete blood count) and an avian panel. These will give the vet a snapshot of the bird’s health as well as provide a baseline for future reference.
Now that you know you’ll be getting this bird soon you’ll also need to have a suitable cage and food available. The minimum cages size in one in which the bird can fully outstretch its wings and be able to turn completely around. Lories use a lot of their cage space, including the top and bottom and all 4 sides so this is a situation where size DOES matter. The bar spacing should be narrow enough that the bird cannot get its head stuck. This cage should be one that is easily cleaned. Removable grates on the bottom and slide out trays are important. Many owners worry about the mess caused by the runny droppings that are typical of lories. This mess can be managed simply. Plastic chair mats sold at any office supply store can provide protection for your carpet. Seed guards, if available can be helpful. Sin inexpensive shower curtain can be hung behind the cage to catch those squirts and thrown fruit and can be easily removed and cleaned. Panels made of acrylic or similar material can be attached to the cage and removed for cleaning. Along with the cage you will need to consider toys. Lories are active and love to play. They enjoy swings and toys they can hand from or undo. They don’t chew to the degree other parrots do but they enjoy chipping away at wooden toys. They also enjoy "foot" toys – those loose ones on the bottom of the cage that can be tossed around. Those little balls with bells inside that are designed for cats are perfect as long as they are not something a toe could get stuck in. One need not spend a fortune on toys either as pretty much everything is a toy to a lory.
Another thing you need to have ready for your bird’s arrival is appropriate food. Lories do not eat the same diet as other parrots. They eat primarily fruit and nectar. A good commercial lory diet is import as is a variety of fresh foods. Have the food available prior to the bird’s arrival. Also, ask the seller what type of diet the bird was fed. If different from what you plan to feed, ask that they include some of its normal food when they send it to you.
You are now ready to pick up your new lory!
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