When I last went to Chester zoo on the second of December, My Auntie got me a book on lories and lorikeets. I've been reading it, and it seems that they make good pets. The species I'd love would be the Red and blue lories. These however are very rare, so I've set my sights on maybe Stella's, Duivenbode's, Red and the chattering lories. Has anyone on this forum kept any of these (or any other lories for that matter) in the past, and would you have any advice on keeping them? Another question, but more for the european members; Where can I actually purchase any of the species listed above? Thanks, Jonathan
my best mate's parents kept tame rainbow lorikeets in the house when we were kids. we used to play with them constantly, and they are gorgeous and fiesty little creatures that are full of character. however they also highly demanding, exceptionally noisy and very messy. since they eat only soft foods they essentially have the ability to squirt feaces through the bars of the cage and thus one must become aware there is a large "buffer zone" that needs to be created within the radius of shooting distance from within the cage. it was enough to put me off.....
i have kept Rainbows, Musks, Scalies, and now only keep purple crowned lorikeets, a freind of mine breeds chattering they are nice birds handraised. Dusky lories are nice aswell
'Animals that shouldn't be kept as pets' Actually, from what I know of Lorikeets, Patrick's description(of Rainbows) would seem fairly accurate- on the upside, colourful and having plenty of character, on the downside, noisy and messy. So think carefully before you act.... One or two Parrot experts have said that the best parrot as a 'pet' is....... .......................... the humble cockatiel. It matches many of its relatives in intelligence etc but at a fraction of the price.
lories and lorikeets do make great pets, but as said above they are very messy and they need some commitment on your part. A better choice for a first parrot would be budgie or cockatiel, or for something a bit more exotic one of the Pyrrhura conures (quite small and nowhere near as noisy as the larger Aratinga species). There's a weekly newspaper in UK called Cage and Aviary Birds which has classifieds in the back so you can see what's available and the prices.
Thanks Pertinax and Childonais. If I ever got lories or lorikeets, I'd have them in an outside aviary with a heated shelter. They apparently do better in an 'L' shaped nest box. The outside aviary would have an adequate drainage system for the...you know....mess!!
most parrots are very hardy, even in England (sorry). The main thing that gets them isn't the cold but the wind and damp. I know I've said this before but if you're putting in an aviary why not get a pair of red-billed hornbills?
Nothing more appealing than a baby rainbow lorikeet They snuggle in your hands to go to sleep, wrestle with you and roll around. They regularly come into rescue as babies and imprint instantly.
I don't particularly like red billed hornbills very much. They don't look very 'hornbilly' to me. I'd like something big and spectacular, but at the moment that's unlikely. I'd settle for a lorikeet any day!!!
I'm not sure I'd take on lorikeets/ lories if I hadn't had some experience with other birds before. Do you keep anything at the moment? The birds I started off with were cockatiels and budgies with quail and I've still got them, they are as interesting to keep as most rarer birds. If you wanted something more unusual I'd also recommend some of the australian parakeets. I keep bourke's and they're very interesting and easy to maintain, as are things like rosella, elegant grass parakeet and red-rumped parakeet which are usually easy to find in shops or from breeders. Hope this helps.
I only have guinea pigs at the moment, but I have helped my friend with her pair of cockatoos. I've fed them. cleaned them out and slept in a room overlooking their aviary. They are very noisy, but I got used to it. Chris, you seem to live relatively near me, do you have any pet shops in mind that wouldn't hard to get to from Manchester (well oldham)? I know someone who drove up to edinburgh to collect a sausage dog, so about an hour in the car wouldn't be that bad!
Most my birds came straight from a breeder in Hull. My uncle, who's an ex-zookeeper recommended him, but I have a feeling his plot of land is now houses. Another place selling birds near here is a garden centre style set up in a village/small town called Thorngumbald. They have lots of exotics, including softbills like touracos, aracaris, and hornbills (and once a kookaburra) but the set up is quite dirty and dodgy-looking which is the last thing you want when it comes to buying pets. I've also bought (and sold) birds at auction before, which is quite common. They are usually organised by captive bird societies. Again, it can be dodgy unless you know what to look for in terms of illnesses and that. I'd say its probably unlikely you'd have to come all this way to find the birds you want, there'll be a breeder/pet shop in Manchester who can help you surely? Is there a local, cage and aviary society you can get in touch with? Your friend with Cockatoos will probably be able to help you.Bird Keeper Magazine is quite good for advise too. All that said, I would strongly recommend a lot of thought about taking on birds (but I don't mean to discourage you; its a rewarding hobby).
Thanks Chris, really helpful. What small species would you recommend to start with. I'd be allowed to Keep something quite small (and quiet!), but I'd want something with personality, and I'd like it to look gorgeous.
some of the Australian species are small and fairly quiet (especially the Neophema spp) as well as being colourful but I wouldn't describe them as having a lot of personality. They are easy to get hold of though because there are tonnes of breeders around. Neotropical species have more personality, I'd go with Pyrrhura conures or the caiques (the caiques are noisier than the Pyrrhura). Both are quite small. Lorikeets are NOISY! So are most of the Asian parrots. Senegals are common and colourful. But the best little parrot you can possibly get is a kakariki (yay for NZ!). They are extremely cheap in UK so I have heard; very easy to breed; colourful (green with either red or yellow crown); absolutely MASSES of personality. Best choice ever (but I'm obviously biased )
Actually I would vouch for kakarikis too. Not kept them myself but they seem a very good choice from what I've heard/read providing they are given the space required. And the Aussie parakeets. They maybe don't have all the personality of a bigger parrot, but they are certainly colourful and still good to watch/ easy to breed. Its also possible to create a mixed display with pairs of more than one species in the same aviary. ( I've kept the bourkes with cockatiel and diamond dove quite happily). Or a pair of lovebirds? They look and behave more or less like proper mini parrots and they are quite available. I know sexing can be quite difficult with these however, so maybe best to get a definite pair (though it seems to be fairly common for birds to be sold as 'a pair' even when that's not a certainty.) Again, I've not personally kept these so I don't know about noise. I'm in no way an expert at all, but the best advise I can give you is to get a book or two. My favourites are... [ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aviary-Birds-Colour-Frank-Woolham/dp/0713707070/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197665273&sr=8-1]Amazon.co.uk: Aviary Birds in Colour: Books: Frank Woolham[/ame] & [ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Encyclopedia-Caged-Aviary-Birds/dp/1844761606/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197665303&sr=1-1]Amazon.co.uk: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Caged and Aviary Birds: Books: David Alderton[/ame]
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