Lorikeets and Lories
Lorikeets and Lories are beautiful and unique friends
Lories and Lorikeets are special birds that are different from other members of the parrot tribe.
There is no scientific difference between the two names–only that Lories have shorter tails while Lorikeets have longer tails. There are approximately 55 different species of these birds, but only about 12 are kept as pets. The most popular is the Rainbow Lory.
Lories are different from other parrots in that they eat nectar and pollen instead of seed. Because of their specialized diets, Lories don’t make good pets for first-time bird owners.
Lories are very playful, acrobatic, and curious. They can even learn to talk and many have good vocabularies.
They are also very social and seem to love everyone–they won’t bond to just you. The first time we came in contact with a Lory was at the Lory exhibit at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The Lories are in an aviary where you can walk in and feed them nectar. We didn’t even purchase nectar at the time, but one Lory readily stepped up onto my finger. They are very friendly and it’s obvious that they make great companions. The only real drawback is their specialized diet.
If you are able to provide a Lory with adaquate care and their specialized diet, then this might be the right bird for you.
Types of Lories
Black-Cap
Blue-Streak
Chattering
Dusky
Rainbow
Fast Facts
| Name | Lory (Trichoglossus) |
| Origin | Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia |
| Size | 10-12 in., depending on species |
| Color Differences | The different species range in color from red to green, blue, and black. Many have multi-colored feathers. |
| Average Cost | $300-900 |
| Lifespan | Up to 20 years |
| Noise | Low–they are relatively quiet, so they are fine to live in an apartment with you. |
| Qualities | Active, curious, plaful, acrobatic, love to bathe, have brush-tongues, need special care and feeding, friendly, outgoing, active, clownish, love to hang upside down, aggressive toward other birds, seem to love everyone (don’t bond to just one person). |
| Abilities | Good–They are capable of talking and many have good vocabularies (their voices are high pitched and clear). They are also good whistlers. |
| Interaction/Time Requirements | Because Lories have specialized diets, this does take extra time. |
| Diet | Lories feed on pollen and nectar, so these need to be a part of your Lory’s diet. A dry powder that mixes with water is now available that makes providing this special food easier for bird owners. Just make sure you change the food often and also provide them with the diet for medium birds as well. Here are some Lory diet products we recommend: |
| Supplies Needed | Lories need supplies for medium birds. |
Lory & Lorikeet Videos
“Tootsie Talks Rainbow Lorikeet”
Lories and Lorikeets are definitely capable of talking and this video shows how good of a vocabulary they can have (and how fun they are!)
“Lori 14 – talking and wrestling”
Lories and Lorikeets can be very playful and fun. This video of a Rainbow Lorikeet talking and wrestling shows just how playful they can be!
Lory & Lorikeet Training
Lorikeets, like most medium-sized parrots, can be very nippy. You definitely need to know how to train your Lorikeet if you want him to be hand tamed and enjoy spending time with you and your friends/family. However, if you don’t know how to train a Lorikeet, you may have difficulty even getting your bird out of his cage.
For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program for your Lorikeet. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.
Below is one of Dave’s videos about stopping your parrot’s biting. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses can be and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.
This video is only the first step in getting your Lorikeet hand tamed. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for taming your parrot even further.
For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.
Lory & Lorikeet Education
To learn more about your pet Lorikeet, we recommend these books:
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rainbow Lorikeets, The Complete Owner's Guide | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Lorikeet: The Pet Owner Guide | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Handbook of Lories & Lorikeets | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Facts About The Lorikeets (A Picture Book For Kids) | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart |
Lory & Lorikeet Gifts
Have a friend of family member who loves Lorikeets? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | My Spirit Animal: Lorikeet Journal | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Wild Republic CK-Mini Lorikeet 8" Animal Plush | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Lorikeet Jigsaw Puzzle, 1000 pieces | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Rainbow Lorikeet Wall Clock | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Rainbow Lorikeet Mug, 11oz | PrimeEligible | Add to Cart | |
 | Rainbow Lorikeet Pendant Keychain | Prime | Add to Cart | |
 | Swarovski Rainbow Lorikeet Figurine | Prime | Add to Cart |
Related Articles:
- The Essential Lory Supplies Checklist
- The 3 Must-Have Perches
- The Best Food For Your Lory
- Find The Best Lory Cage
- Toys Your Lory Will Love
Have A Great Story About Your Lory or Lorikeet?
Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.
Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the species of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!
Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.
The mean like a rainbow birds overthere….. Overthere…… Maybe the rainbow bird can well done with the… Ring….. A…. Ring….. Beautiful face and feathers….. Make a condition really allowed….. With the loriket attraction over the nest of cage…… Demotation of ring… A… Ring…. Can be…. Ringo….. Ringo….. A ring…. A….go…… How can the loriket defeated a love birds…… We really knew the love birds…. Of the favorite. Ring… A…. Ring….. Going….. Folllowing….. To….. Happiying….. Ending…… Welling…..
Previous owner of a dusky lory named Felix. He was a great companion bird. Always wanted to be near me, talked and played alot. Only downside was with nail clipping. Had to restrain bird for nail clipping, and bird screamed loud every time. Was not great for me, hurt me every time I had to take him in to get it done. Also bird died of “mystery disease” started loosing weight at 15 years of age and took him to 2 vets an no one knew what was wrong and then he died. PLEASE take your lory to a vet that ONLY deals with birds. Also Lories require special housing and it hard to clean up after them because of their liquid droppings. Best if kept in a house where you can spray down the cage with a hose as it is hard to keep clean.