Lorikeets and Lories are species of parrots, with over 40 types of them. Some of the types are Rainbow Lorikeet(primarily found in Indonesia and Australia), Coconut lorikeet(located in New Guinea and Singapore), Black Lory(found in Indonesia), etc. They are unique birds. It is said that they are the clowns of nature. They are really stubborn, especially males. They can learn to talk and sing, but it is really hard to train them. As they are different in many perspectives compared to other birds and parrots, their diet is also completely different. Their tongue is designed in a way that they can consume a special diet. Read further to learn about what you can feed Lorikeets.
What should you feed Lorikeets?
Lorikeets and Lories are nectar-eating birds. Because of the rarity of these types of birds, there is not enough research to show what is good and bad for them. However, here is a list of foods that you can feed to a Lorikeets or Lories:
- Sweet potato
- Beans
- Apple
- Grape
- Sweet Corn
- Strawberries
- Flower nectar(mixed with water)
- Boiled eggs
These type of birds have their personalities, and some of them will not like the food given to them. But if your Lorikeet does not eat a specific food, it is because they do not like it, try another food.
What you should not feed Lorikeets?
You should never give a Lorikeet dry food. If you happen to give them dry food, make sure the food can get soft inside water. Lorikeets will take the dry food and put it in the water so it can soften a bit. Dry food will damage the tip of their tongues(which is like a brush). This will shorten the life span of the Lorikeet. Here is a list of foods that you should avoid giving to Lories:
- Avocado(extremely toxic)
- Chocolate and caffeine
- Milk, yogourt, etc.(anything with lactose)
- Anything Greesy
- Seeds
- Meat
Why you should not give anything mentioned in the list above to your Lorikeet?
Avocado is extremely toxic to Lorikeets, and it can kill them instantly. Chocolate and caffeine are also harmful to these birds, and you should avoid giving chocolate and caffeine to them. Birds are not lactose tolerant, and lactose can upset their stomach. But Lorikeets and Lories love ice cream, but this does not mean you should give them one. It is interesting that these birds love greasy food, just like humans. They tend to suck the oil out of that food.
Another food that you should seriously avoid giving to Lorikeets is any type of seeds. Most people don’t know about this and do not give these birds anything except seeds. These birds have no choice to eat the seeds somehow to get over the hunger. As mentioned earlier, their tongues are designed in a way that they cannot eat anything dry, especially seeds. If you feed your Lorikeet seeds, the brushes on their tongue will disappear, and they will not be able to eat anything soft anymore. Lorikeets may suffer from liver diseases if they eat seeds. You should not give meat to these birds; as mentioned earlier, there is not enough research on these types of birds, and you should avoid giving them any kind of meat. In nature, they do not consume any type of meat.
Conclusion
If you don’t want your Lory or Lorikeet to suffer from most diseases, you should feed them the correct diet. Some of the foods that you should avoid may not affect them in a short amount of time, but it will definitely shorten their lifespan. Most of Lories and Lorikeets die because the wrong diet is given to them.
Learn more about other stuff related to animals here.