About Lories and Lorikeets

If you are looking for a pet bird that is smart, friendly, playful and affectionate, the Lory or Lorikeet makes an excellent choice. Lories and Lorikeets are basically the same species, although Lorikeets have longer tails.  With a bit of patience and perseverance, many Lories and Lorikeets can be taught to talk. Many lories are fed a nectar diet. This can either be a liquid or powder. Other owners feed their lories pellets. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you find out what diet the Lory is used to so you don't change it abruptly. All lories need their daily diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Lories that are nectar feeders have very liquidy droppings. These birds should have plastic runners around the cage, as well as underneath it to make cleanup easier. Many Lories enjoy toys, and almost all lories will appreciate a swing. Make sure the toys are designed for a medium-to-large bird, since flimsy toys will be destroyed by an enthusiastic Lory. Because of these accessories, a Lory should have a generous cage. Select a cage where the extra space is in the width, rather than the length.

The most common Lory is the Rainbow Lory (Trichoglossus Haematodus), measuring 11 inches long with vibrant red, blue, green and yellow feathers. They have red chests with blue trim. There are 21 subspecies of Rainbow Lories. Another common Lory is the Red Lory (Eos bornea). It is a strikingly beautiful, colorful bird with bright red plumage and deep yellow beaks. They are 12 inches long. The Dusky Lory (Pseudeos fuscata) boasts more earthy colors, but is equally beautiful in with its autumn colors of brown, olive, red and gold.  Goldie's lorikeets (T. goldiei) which measure just 8 inches, have black beaks and bluish-purple heads topped off with red foreheads. They boast streaks of alternating light and dark green plumage. Chattering Lories (Lorius garrulus) are mostly red with green and yellow accents around the head and wings. They measure 12 inches long.