Lorrikeet
"Colourful and bright are the Lorrikeet!"
The Lorrikeet is an Aussie colourful and playful bird
Australian Lorrikeet
There are a number of different type of Lorikeet: Rainbow Lorikeet - Black Winged Lorikeet - Blue Lorikeet - Green Naped Lorikeet - Red Collared Lorikeet and Perfect Lorikeet
The Tropical Lorikeets are quite large bird and there cousins the Australian lorikeets are smaller. It should be noted that the Rainbow Lorikeets are similar to the Eastern Rosella, but what with a difference the Lorikeets' have a blue head.
Lorikeets are a very pretty bird and make great pets, they are very colourful and playful bird. Energetically dancing to music is a favourite. Lorikeet form special bonds with there owners as long as you care for them. They are messy birds and cages will require cleaning regularly.
They are an Australian native birds and you will find them mainly in the coastal areas. As explained there are six different native species, the two most commonly kept as pets are the Rainbow Lorikeet and the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet.
They are a small to medium bird from 160mm to 400mm.The colours of the birds varies from species to species, however the bright colours are common and make the bird stand out. It is difficult to determine the male from the female or the sex of the birds as both look identical. Breeding season is from August to January.
Lorikeets unlike other parrots eat mainly nectar, pollen and native eucalypt flowers they also like fruit and some vegetables. Lorikeets have an out going type nature and some can be more aggressive than others and some may have a tendency to become territorial however they are very intelligent and can be trained, some talk but with some birds that can take a little time and even then not all lorikeets will talk.
When they are in larger numbers, like the cockatoo they can be quite noisy calling in sharp shrieks and chattering. Flocks of up to several hundred can and do often congregate in flowering trees to feed. Lorikeets live a gret life in Australia and are quite healthy and robust birds that usually live for 7-9 years.
If you are considering buying, it is best to try to buy a pair as they will keep them selves company. They can be quite a demanding bird! You can expect to pay form $50 up to thousands. Lorikeets are really great fun birds owning one as a pet will bring you years of entertainment.
Bird photos courtesy of Glenn Budd (Digital Light Photography), Gerry Pearce (Australian Wildlife dot.com), Jon Walton Jonboy Radio and other.
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