Lorikeets

Lorikeets and lories are loveable quirky birdies, natives to Australia. They require specialised diet and have a very different nature and demeanour to a lot of other parrots. 

What are lorikeets?

Lorikeets are parrots native to Australia, though there are also some varieties that come from the various islands north of Australia (collectively described as Melanesia). 

There are 10 species of lorikeets, although in New Zealand, I have seen only two - rainbow lorikeets and scaly-breasted lorikeets. Australia also has red-collared lorikeet which seems like a duller version of the rainbow, but all the other species are from the various islands.

These 10 lorikeet species are a subset of a larger family of birds that also include other lorikeets and lories, none of which appear to exist in Australia or New Zealand.

Lorikeet diet requirements

Lorikeets have a completely different beak and tongue from other parrots. Other parrots have a 'hammer' in the tip of their tongue, a hard bone-like structure that lets them manipulate nuts and seeds and whatever else they want to destroy, and their beaks are very sturdy that can exert pressure up to 500 psi (a human bite is about 200 psi)! Whereas, a lorikeet's beak is 'soft' by comparison, they can certainly bite but they won't take a finger off. Their tongues also don't have this 'hammer' and instead end in a creepy-looking brush, made from tiny fine structures. This tip of their tongue is actually very similar to the local tūī even though the two species are very far removed!

The brush-tipped tongue is the main reason lorikeets do not eat seeds or pellets. Most lorikeet owners know to feed them a formula mix - there are many varieties on the market, ranging from cheap and cheerful basically flour that can be mixed with water to premium mixes formulated with this specialised species in mind.

If you've ever been around a lorikeet, you'll also know that they have an unusually high amount of energy. They are always on the go, always up for anything, and ready to have fun at any time of day. Their digestive system has adapted to eating a lot of sugars, coming from ripe fruit and nectar in the wild.

Because of the normal diet consisting of a lot of wet food and sugar, lorikeets' normal droppings are very wet, and they can even projectile shoot them at you, or maybe it's just their way of saying hello?

Another important thing that a lorikeet needs is higher amounts of protein. Protein and vitamin A are essential in lorikeets' diet. In the wild, they get this from pollen and nectar of flowers.

Just with all the pet birds, the packaged foods cannot be the only thing they eat. Lorikeets enjoy soft ripe fruit and some vegetables (leafy greens are best). The fruit and vegetables can also be an enrichment option - foraging and training treats.

You can also mix the formulated powder with pureed fruit and vegetables (either use a blender or buy a baby formula that has only fruit/vege as ingredients, no preservatives or salt, usually these are sold in the pre-6 months babies food section in the supermarket).

Parrot Treats family

Bob was the scaly-breasted lorikeet I had. I got him when he was already five years old and the person who gave him to me said "we just need a break for a little bit as he's terrorising our dogs" and they never came back to pick him up.

Bob was the friendliest and bravest bird I've ever had. He was scared of nothing and no one. He was up for an adventure. Normally, birds are scared of new things and you have to introduce toys and food and people slowly, but Bob did not care, he would try all the new things as soon as he saw them.

Bob also loved bathing and I built him a little play-gym water slide.

Bob had an insane amount of energy and it seemed like he didn't even sleep at night. But I was not sure whether he had the best diet and certainly Harrison's did not seem like something he'd eat. Interestingly, Harrison's actually do say you can feed their pellets to lorikeets, you just have to make it into a paste by mixing it with water and glucose syrup. I found this method very difficult - it would take a very long time and the glucose syrup was very thick and hard to use. 

I did some googling and discovered that high protein and high vitamin A were the most important things for lorikeets. I settled on Nekton-Lori which is manufactured in Germany and had no suppliers in New Zealand. I got a few jars shipped from Australia but it was insanely expensive with all the international shipping and the only supplier in Australia also charged a lot for the product and did not always have it in stock. 

After I set up Parrot Treats, I contacted Nekton and became the first and only New Zealand distributor for Nekton products. I only import the Lorikeet food for now because all the others are supplements that I think need a vet oversight - I have asked some vets if they want me to import these, but they weren't particularly enthusiastic.

Nekton was so good for Bob. He had a lot of energy, he put on some needed weight, and it seemed like he was happy.

What I particularly like about Nekton is that all the ingredients are in their most basic forms, helping with absorption.