You can find a Lorikeet enclosure at most zoos. A beautiful, friendly, fearless, and boisterous flock available to anyone that would want to enter their domain and interact. Walk in with a cup of nectar at your own risk. Lorikeets are not shy. Particularly a Lori who's learned the ropes, in a zoo or a house. It's their color and personality that makes them the interactive parrot of choice in zoos. Zoos are an excellent place for a Lori. Professionals on payroll clean bowls, offer feedings, inspect, clean, sweep, wash water bowls, clean, sweep, inspect, and wash more bowls. Tireless pros at the ready. That's the trick to knowing if you are the right fit for a Lori. Are you prepared to be at the ready, for a few decades? They require a different level of care and sticky mess than other parrots. They are nectar and pollen eaters. This changes everything.

Lorikeets are an Australia native, along the eastern seaboard between Queensland and South Australia. Rainforest, coastal bush and woodlands are their terrain. They've been introduced over time to Western Australia, Tasmania, Auckland, and New Zealand. A few made the jump to Hong Kong. Prolific and adaptable, Lori's conquer hearts and lands fast.

The Lorikeet's diet set them apart as parrots as well as companions. Nectar, pollen, fruits, seeds, and insects in the wild. Nectar and pollen primarily. Soft berries, young seeds, and insects when nectar and pollen is in shorter supply. Best practices in zoos feed nectar during the day supplementing with apples, pears, and bananas. Specialized powder mixed with water delivers proteins, vitamins, and fiber. Considering the mash, sauce, and sticky nectar mix Lorikeets are the messiest of all parrots when it comes to feeding time. You won't be using a broom. You'll need a mop.

Caring for your Lorikeet parrot:

1. You'll want a large flight cage or aviary. As large as possible with bar gauge appropriate to a cockatiel or other medium sized parrots. Perches placed for ease and access to water bowls and food cups. A location where floors, windows, and walls can be easily cleaned. Things are going to get consistently always messy and sticky.
2. Since their diet consists of sugary nectars, mash, and fruits, bacteria will be your arch nemesis. Cleaning surfaces, bowls, cups, perches, cage bars, and walls is the crux of the matter with Lorikeets. Keeping their environment, bowls, cups, and food sources clean to prevent bacterial crop infections is high priority.
3. You'll need Lorikeet Dry or Wet mix. A nectar and pollen mimicking mix. Offer at least one, always. Offering both types give your lorikeet a choice. All parrots thrive with choices.
4. You can supplement with apples, pears, strawberries, grapes, melon, peaches, and cherries. Skip the citrus. Consider oats, edible organic flowers, and green vegetables as a twice daily supplement for variety. Do not offer seed or pellet mix. Hard foods can damage their delicate brush-like tongue.
5. Fresh water is essential. The more the better. If you are offering dry diet mix as pollen, they will need to dip their tongue in the water after dipping into the dry nectar (pollen like) mix.
6. Multiple clean water bowls are mandatory. Lorikeets love water bowl bathing. Multiple water sources allow them to choose that day's bath sight. Don't expect your Lori to stick to one bowl for bathing. That's not how any of this works.

Lorikeets are parrots. They'll learn speech if they want. They'll get loud. They will fly, play, climb, and think like a parrot first. They will create glorious sticky messes. They will fill your life with sweet chatter and sweeter love. There's just one thing you'll need to ask yourself when considering a Rainbow Lorikeet. Can you keep up?