Care for your lorikeet

Lorikeets are inquisitive, animated and energetic. Daily social interaction (either with people or other birds) will prevent boredom and associated behavioural and health problems.

Environmental enrichment will keep your bird mentally stimulated. Lorikeets are naturally adapted to swinging and hanging upside down to retrieve nectar, so they enjoy toy swings to mimic these behaviours. Leafy native Australian tree branches also provide entertainment and a perch site. Toys and food encourage natural foraging behaviour.

Lorikeets are highly intelligent and easily trained. Base your training on rewarding good behaviour and ignoring bad behaviour (never punish your lorikeet). Teaching your bird to step up and down provides mental stimulation.

Lorikeets feed on pollen, nectar and fruit – not seed. To provide daily nutrition and enrichment, feed your bird:

• a high-quality commercial wet or dry lorikeet mix
• fruit, including apples, pears, grapes, melons, pawpaws or oranges
• native browse, such as flowering cuttings from bottlebrush, eucalyptus, grevillea and banksia plants.

Note: Never feed your bird avocado, rhubarb or lilies – these are toxic to lorikeets.

Feeding tips

• Freeze ice cubes of lorikeet mix for a summer snack.
• Wrap frozen fruits into paper parcels or hang them from the cage on skewers.
• Leave a small dish of shell grit, a cuttlebone, or a calcium bell in your bird’s cage – these are good sources of calcium.

Hygiene tips

• Replace food twice daily to prevent bacteria growth.
• Place food high in the cage to minimise contamination with faeces.
• Wash feed and water dishes daily in hot, soapy water.

Take your bird to the vet at least annually for a health check.

Obesity can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes, so ask your vet to check your lorikeet is in optimum condition.

Birds are experts at hiding illness or ‘masking’ disease. Even if your lorikeet appears well, a physical exam may identify health problems that aren’t obvious.

Signs of sickness often only appear when the bird is very sick and incapable of masking. Sick birds often appear fluffed up and lethargic, have their eyes closed and are breathing through an open mouth.