Blue Mountain Lorikeet OR SWAINSON'S LORIKEET

by Arthur C. Risser, Jr., Ph.D. Curator of Zoological Society of San Diego

Lories and lorikeets are small to the quite comical acrobatics especially when sters which are fed by their parents do medium sized whose brush­ feeding. In their native , they not become completely independent shaped tongues are uniquely adapted to make their nests in hollow trees, depos­ until eight to nine weeks of age. feeding on nectar and pollen. Birds of iting two (sometimes three) rounded, Although brush-tongued parrots can the Trichoglossus have long been spirical white eggs on a substrate of be fed strictly on seeds and fruits they popular as aviary birds but have pre­ decaying wood chips. Nesting takes place generally do not live long on such a diet. sented taxonomic problems because of from October through January. A simplified lory diet can be made by their wide distribution and the close Rainbow lorikeets are aptly named, mixing four tablespoons of cane sugar resemblance of some forms. As a group possessing a multitude of variously col­ syrup, two tablespoons of sweetened these Rainbow lories, as they are some­ ored plumage distributed over the body. condensed milk, about eight tablespoons times called, are distributed among many The Blue Mountain subspecies has the of precooked baby cereal, two table­ of the Indonesian islands, east through following characteristics: general color spoons of wheat germ and two or three New Guinea and the adjacent islands to above, including back, wings and tail, drops of multivitamins. These ingredients the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, New green, head, violet blue with violet-blue are mixed with about a pint of water to Caledonia and the Royal Islands, and shaft streaking; the breast is yellowish make a sweet liquid solution. In addition, along northern and eastern Australia, orange with little or no barring, abdomen fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas including Tasmania. Currently there are is a deep violet blue; the nuchal band or and pound cake may be offered daily. twenty or twenty-one recognized sub­ collar, greenish yellow; under wing Some !aries will occasionally eat sun­ of Trichoglossus haematodus, coverts, orange, strongly washed with flower seeds, especially when feeding although in the literature there has been yellow; bill, red; legs and feet, ashy gray; youngsters. Greens of various sorts may some argument as to the validity of iris, orange or reddish yellow. Sexes are also be added to the diet. some of these subspecies. (See, for very similar but the male may have a head Lories in the San Diego Zoo collection example, Rosemary Low's article in the which is slightly more bulky than the are fed a diet which was worked out Nov/Dec 1974 and- B. Sayers, April/ female. Immature Blue Mountain lories under the direction of Dr. Milton Scott, June 1975 issues of Aviculture Maga­ differ from the adults in having a more a nutritionist from Cornell University, zine.) Some aviculturists and authors yellowish breast, a more narrow nuchal who spent a sabbatical leave at the Zoo. choose to drop the scientific name, collar and a blackish bill. Our current adult lory diet consists of a haematodus, and refer to the Rainbow There are several records of Rainbow powdered premix which is prepared as lories only by their subspecific name. lories having bred successfully in small follows. Sugar, 2400 gm; trout chow, 360 Thus, Swainson's or Blue Mountain cages. One account in Aviculture Maga­ gm; Gevral (protein supplement), 270 gm; lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus mol­ zine ( 1946) mentions a case of lorikeets iodized salt, 21 gm; L- Cystine, 1.5 gm uccanus is sometimes seen as simply breeding in a cage which measured 48" (an amino acid which must be obtained Trichoglossus moluccanus. x 18" x 18" although substantially more from a pharmaceutical supply); Vitamy­ The Blue Mountain lorikeet may have flight space is recommended. A nest box cin, 15 gm. The premix can be prepared received its name from early Australian measuring about 12" tall and 8" square in and stored until ready for use. To pre­ settlers who found the common in size or slightly smaller with an entrance pare the adult lory diet blend together the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. As hole about two and one quarter inches in in a large blender the following ingredi­ is true of most of the Rainbow lories, diameter may be used. A mixture of peat ents: 1500 gm apples, 240 gm carrots, I the Blue Mountain lory is nomadic, and sawdust should form a bottom layer head lettuce, 1 loaf bread, 150 gm raisins, being found in greatest abundance where as this will serve as a suitable substitute 4 ounces canned evaporated milk. Suffi­ there are flowering eucalyptus trees. Dis­ for decaying wood chips that are used in cient water is added to blend into a thick tributed in far eastern and southeastern nature. All lories, because of their habit homogenate. To this mixture is added coastal Australia and Tasmania, they in­ of feeding on nectar, have very liquid 300 gm of the powdered adult lory pre­ habit all types of timbered country, excreta and the peat/sawdust mixture mix, along with sufficient water to make occurring in pairs or flocks of few to forms a convenient absorbent. Eggs are three gallons of creamy liquid which we hundreds, depending on food abundance. generally laid two days apart with the in­ have found sufficient for the daily feed­ They are noisy, active birds displaying cubation period being 24-26 days. Young- ing of about I 00 lories. The proportions continued on next page 5 photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo. of development, the temperature is kept at about 87°-89°F. For the remainder of time, the babies are kept at about 70°F, in a section where there are perches on which to sit. A powdered premix to be added to the baby diet is prepared as follows: bonemeal, 4 gm; Gevral , 200 gm; Hydramin (protein-mineral supplement), 100 gm; Vitamycin , 5 gm: iodized salt, 3 gm; L - Cystine, 0.6 gm; manganese sulph

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