E rn .c: C rn C5 :I a: reeding >­ .0 (/)o .c:o CL mall Lorikeets by Rosemary Low New Barnet, England The smaillorikeets are especially rewarding avicultural subjects. They are beautiful and fascinating. Lories and lorikeets are brush-tongued, nectar- and pollen-feeding parrots A tiny Tahiti blue lory being hand-f~d. Note the immatureplumage on this Tahiti blue lory. Hand-fed lorikeets. A beautiful captive-reared Tahiti blue lory. This small heated house offthe author's kitchen contains Tahiti blue lories that are a delight to watch. 8 from Australia, New Guinea and Indo­ food of one very successful breeding nesia. About 20 of the 50 species are pair ofGoldie's lorikeets known to me. available, regularly or occasionally, to MEYER'S LORIKEET (Trichoglossus aviculturists. In this paper I shall flavoviridis meyer;). This species, describe the four species of small from Celelses (Sularveri), Indonesia, is lorikeets being bred by my husband occasionally available. Less strikingly and me. marked thanGoldie's, it is nevertheless TIRED OF BEING BITTEN? I strongly recommend the small lori­ a very pleasing little bird. It was first then you need . .. keets. They have several important exported commercially in 1973. We ~ advantages over the larger ones: they have bred it consistently since 1976. Parrot Taming have pleasant voices, most are not SEXING. Sexual dimorphism is not Made Easy® destructive and all will breed in quite pronounced but, on close examina­ LISTEN & LEARN a ~I professional, humane, small enclosures. They are not aggres­ tion, there are sufficient differences to /" -C\' sive towards their owner when be able to sex them with a degree of and easy method for elimi- .- nating stress, biting, -q' breeding - and anyone who has been accuracy. Generally speaking the male squawking, and other attacked by one ofthe larger lories will differs from the female in the follow­ problem parrot behavior. consider this point to be quite ing respects: his yellow cheek patches STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS for train- ing your parrot to be a true pet; includes: important! are a denser, more solid yellow; the Grooming, The Reward Method of Animal The only one of the four species to forehead is yellow or yellowish (not Training (applies to bOth taming & trick be discussed which is readily available green or brownish as in somefemales); training). The 5 Steps to Parrot Taming, is Goldie's lorikeet (Trichoglossus his upper mandible is broader. The Problem Solving, and much more. AVAILABLE on 2-one hour ~ goldie;) from New Guinea. It was female has a narrower upper mandible audio cassettes from leading ; almost unknown in aviculture until and the head looks finer with less rise pet stores or send $9.95 + ~ , ; over the eye. Both sexes display and $1.50 (postage & handling) to: ~- 1977 and has since proved so free TIl breeding that it will almost certainly be dilate the pupil when excited, though CINCINNATI ANIMAL PRODUCTIONS the first lorikeet to become totally males warble more. P.O. Box 404, Cincinnati, OH 45201 domesticated. It adapts well to cap­ The plumage of young in nest­ tivity and is not easily stressed. feather can be misleading; coloration SEXING. The only disadvantage of varies considerably. Young males show this species is that it is difficult to sex. A varying degrees of yellow on the number of theories have been put for­ forehead, and some have none at all. ward regarding sexing by plumage Recently a young bird fledged in full coloration - but none has proved to adult male plumage. Usually immature be consistently correct. In none of the birds are much duller and have yellow species described here is the display as flecks on the mantle. The beak is 1~,-OG ritualized as in the larger lories; it is brownish, not orange as in the adult. ~ C~ only marginally more pronounced in DIET. The diet and preferences of' Send $1.00 E discount available the male. this lorikeet are similar to those of tl Many lorkieets are easier to sex at Goldie's, i.e., some birds will eat your source for... about the time they leave the nest, soaked sunflower, sweet corn and LAFEBER'S PRODUCTS especially if the siblings are male and millet spray, while others exist prin­ • PELLETED FOODS female. It is then evident in Goldie's cipally on nectar. • EMERAlD I & II lorikeet that the young male has the IRIS LORIKEET (Trichoglossus iris) facial area more brightly coloured. from Timor, Indonesia, is not common • NUTRISTART, etc. Immature birds are much duller than in aviculture. Of all the Trichoglossus raise healthier birds... adults: the crown is dark bluish, the species, this is my favourite. In per­ more nutrition for your money... scarlet on the forehead is replaced by a sonality it is much more boisterous AVI-CUlTUR-l BILLIONTM dull plum colour, also on the cheeks, than Goldie's and Meyer's, which are which are indistinctly streaked with quiet and gentle. Unlike the former concentrated Lactobacillus acidophilus black. The streaking in all areas of the two, it is destructive towoodworkand • combat diarrhea & "pasted-up" plumage is less distinct than in the to growing vegetation. Its beak is vents adult. Another difference is the colour larger and stronger. Twigs for gnawing • combat the effects of stress of the cere, which is lighter. should be provided or overgrown from crowding, molting, drugs, DIET: In captivity many Goldie's beaks could result. I believe that the etc. will take a variety offoods, but indivi­ diet ofthis species in the wild is varied • fight E. coli, Salmonella, etc! duals differ. Ofmy two breeding pairs, and includes more seed than that of • Just sprinkle on food. one exists on a nectar mixture, with a most lorikeets. small amount offruit (apple, pear) and SEXING. The difference in the sexes spray millet. The second pair, con­ is not evident to the casual observer ~:~;~::~:~L;I sisting of a hand-reared female but close examination reveals two (daughter of the first pair) and a wild­ features which are significant. The ;.;::::.:; :::~t:{::?·} caught male, have a liking for soaked male's violet ear coverts are more sunflower seed; the quantity offered is extensive, extending downwards; his Wm. V. Reichert & Son. Dept W limited to about 30g. daily. Sweet corn breast barring is more pronounced. 1523 Potter Rd. is offered to pairs with young. Soaked Immature birds are very muchduller Park Ridge, IL 60068 312-825-BIRD sunflower seed is the principal rearing throughout, most noticeably on the 9 head, The ear coverts are bluish-green, those of the rump, which appear at not violet, The breast barring is almost about nineweeks. Thewhitishfeathers absent, The beak is brown instead of on the cheeks are apparent at about orange, eight weeks. DIET. This consists ofnectar, sponge 1984-1985 COMMITI'EES DIET. The Iris accepts a wider range offoods than any lory with which I am cake and nectar, fruit and a little sweet ALLIED GROUPS LIAISON familiar; it could not be maintained on cornandgreenfood suchas lettuceand RonJohnson (305)232-3391 nectar alone. Perhaps it is best to con­ spinach. Seed is ignored, as are AVY AWARDS sider it as a parakeet which drinks mealworms. A wide variety of fruit is DaleThompson (805)252-3441 nectar, rather than as a lorikeet which eaten; favourites arepomegranates and AVIAN RESEARCH eats seed. The brushes of its tongue cherries. Grapes, pear and apple are Dr. Susan Clubb (305)226-6778 appear to be less well developed than given regularly. Tiny insects are eaten AVIAN TRANSPORTATION Ron Brown (714)879-2473 in other lories. by birds in planted enclosures. BREEDING REGISTRY This species eats a wide variety of ACCOMMODATION. Theenclosures Larry Shelton (215) 243-11001732-6490 seeds, plus vegetables such as carrot used for the four species described CALIFORNIA LIAISON and celery, which most lories refuse. It here are small - not from choice but Hal Koontz (805)872-1063 is very fond of spray millet, also figs, due to limited space available. They CLUB PROMOTION the seeds ofwhich are not unlike those range from 3 ft. (91 cm.) square and Linda Rubin (617)469-0557 of panicum millet. Dried figs are 6 ft. (1.8 m.) high to 5 ft. CI.5 m.) x 3 ft. CONSERVATION Bob Berry (713) 520-3205 relished. The usual fruits, especially (91 cm.) x 6 ft. (1.8 m.) high. These are CONVENTION COORDINATOR apple in abundance, and nectar, must outdoor enclosures in which the birds Phyllis Manin (813)839-4751 also be available. are kept all year round. They are hardy CONVENTION 1985 The TAHITI BLUE LORY (Vini and tolerate low temperatures well. JimCoffman (415)322-6857/692-2234 australis) is extremely rare in The blue lories are an exception. They CONVENTION 1986 aviculture. The only breeding groups are kept permanently in indoor flights are in San Diego Zoo and in my own measuring 6 ft. x 2 ft. x 6 ft. high or, in EDUCATION AND MEDIA SERVICES Dr. Val Clear (317)642-0795 collection. In character, appearance the case of one pair, a small planted ETHICS and voice, this species is quite unlike house measuring 4 ft. (1.2 m.) square William Maynard (305)968-4214 all other lories which are available. In and6 ft. (1.8 m.) high. The latteris ther­ FINANCE my experience it is nervous and easily mostatically controlled at 65 ° F HubenMorris (702) 565-7274 stressed; this even applies to tame, CI8°C). A sprinkler system is installed HOME OFFICE hand-reared birds. Its voice is reimini­ for the benefit of plants and birds. Marge Sharp (213)372-2988 scent of some tits (genus Parus); in­ Lories housed in this way are a tremen­ INJURIOUS SPECIES Clifton Witt (301)774-0303 deed, it moves about with the ease ofa dous source of enjoyment as they LEGAL COUNSEL softbill rather than with the more climb and bathe in the plants and slide Gary Lilienthal (617)542-7070 leisurely or jerky movements ofa lory.