Question:
: Is there anyone that has a red lorie? i am thinking of getting one and : want to know about caring for it and any information about the bird. : thanks, : maggie Hi, I am a keeper at the National Aviary in Pittsburhg. We had a handlable red lory for about two years (we just lost him last month, we were all very upset). Lorys have wonderful personalities. But in addition to the special diet, thy need LOTS of attention and training. Everyone who worked with Rudy loved him, but he was probably the hardest bird to work wiht that we had (including Hyacinths, militarys, amazons,cockatoos,etc). They really need almost constant attention. Two of our volunteers had one also, when they worked at home the bird was great, but after they got a studio away from their home, he was miserable. I have talked to other people with similar experiences. They seem to need more training than other birds, they do like to be the ones in charge. different birds respond to different training, and you really have to find out what works for your bird. Rudy did not respond to our usualy trainging methods like our other birds do. He would change which positive reinforcement he liked almost daily, and removing the reinfocer when he was bad didn’t always work, he would just find a way to reward himself. Also, even clipped, if he was bored or mad, he would just leave. He would jump to the floor into a group of people, and just start hopping away. Very frustrating. This is not to say a red lory wouldn’t make a good pet, just that they seem more challenging thatn other species. If I didn’t work full time, I might seriously think about getting one, I love their personality! But my experiences have shown that they reall need alot of work. By the way, Rudy was parent reared in a large multi-species walk-thru exhibit athe th Aviary. He and a clutch-mate were pulled and housed together on exhibit. They would wrestle together and scream like little kids. The visitors oftern thaought they were killing each other. After his sister left, Rudy decided humans were OK, and he became a real nice bird. But the other people wiht lories that have had similar experiences with "hard-headed" lories, hav all had hand-raised birds. teri
Response:
Teri, I read your note with fascination. I would love to read more posts by you! I am very interested in hearing what kind of diet you feed the birds in the aviary. What kind of diet is in use? Zupreem? Do tell! Your perspective is one I have rarely seen and would love to see more of! Please tell about other birds in the aviary – how handle-able certain species, etc.??? Thanks! Cheers, Darla Sharp P.S. One of my best friends lives in Pittsburgh and and attends Pitt, her husband is a professor at CMU.
Response:
interesting and informative post on red lories that ended with an amusing anecdote: > He was >a very nice little bird. After I left the store, I noticed >a poop on my jacket. > Ian Kerfoot
Doesn’t that just go with the territory, though, eh? =;-] As I’ve mentioned innumerable times before, I teach elementary school (gr. 3/4) and all things scatological are either the pinnacle of humour (you know, fart jokes, noises, and all the rest of it!) or else the depth of disgust (all together now; pull your shirt up over your mouth and nose and in your whiniest voices, let us all say; "EEEUUUUUUWWWW!!!!!! WHO FARTED????" … note; if it was _you_, make sure you are the first and loudest voice!) The first time they ever saw Mango "let go", he got much the same reaction. Every time a new kid in the class saw Mango do it, they’d react the same way. Now it’s like, aahh, who cares? If you were a bird, you’d do it too! Today, when we arrived, we all noticed that some kindly neighbour had "curbed" their dog right behind our portable classroom on the path that takes the kids to and from the main building. the kids barely registered except to remind each other not to step in it! Ah, yes. It’s moments like this that make me glad I’m a teacher! 8-p these are the sorts of golden
Response:
The red lory is a small bird, about the same shape as a budgie, but a bit larger. It is quite active. Lories eat a diet of fruit, and absolutely no seed. There are specially formulated lory pellet foods are available commercially. However, this should be suplemented with real fruit. The main vice of lories is the projectile pooping. It is far more fluid and messy than regular bird poop. In addition, they shoot it out about 3 feet beyond their cage, when they are clinging to the side of the cage. They are really messy. I was playing with a red lory at a pet store a while ago. It was quite friendly, and would come over to the side of the cage to get his head scratched. The shop keeper took him out of the cage for me to play with. I held him on my hand, in the "Egyptian" hold, where the hand is held higher than the elbow, on the assumption that birds like to climb up, and won’t run down your arm. I got that out of "Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot." Needless to say, the lory immediately ran down to my elbow, and then up to my shoulder, and onto the back of my head. I tried to stop him by putting my hand in his way, but he ran right over it. He was so small, that I was afraid to touch him directly to try to prevent his movement. He was a very nice little bird. After I left the store, I noticed a poop on my jacket. Ian Kerfoot
Response:
Is there anyone that has a red lorie? i am thinking of getting one and want to know about caring for it and any information about the bird. thanks, maggie
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