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- Thread starter Gwythiel
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- screaming. sudden biting
- Aug 29, 2018
- 28,152
- 40,763
- Parrots
- Fang ({ab}normal grey cockatiel), Valentino (budgie), Jem (cinnamon cockatiel), Lovejoy(varied lorikeet), Peach (princess parrot)
Hello Gwythiel and welcome to Parrot Forums to you and Adrian.
My first question to you would be, is Adrian actually an olive-headed lorikeet? Or is he an olive mutation of a rainbow lorikeet? The olive mutation of the rainbow lorikeet can be the result of a hybrid of a rainbow and a scaly-breasted lorikeet. The reason I ask this is because it may make a difference in terms of when your bird reaches sexual maturity, which can result in changes to his/her behaviour.
My second question is are you certain he is a male? Most lorikeets show very little difference between the sexes so unless he has been DNA sexed (or until he goes and lays an egg!) you really can’t be certain.
If Adrian is the rainbow/scaly hybrid you may find that he is around about an age where he is entering his first flush of hormones which may cause aggression. He may be trying to fend of what he sees as an intruder and a threat to the bond the two of you share. Lorikeets are particularly fearless and the larger ones like yours can inflict quite serious bites when they get over-stimulated or excited, which is easily done with lorikeets! So in terms of whether this kind of behaviour is “normal”, I would say for an already excitable species experiencing his first hormonal rush and on a sugary diet and who may just be a bit bored if, as you say, “I let him out to play sometimes” and he is cooped up for too long in his cage on his own, then yes its normal behaviour.
In terms of what you can do to remedy it, now theres a $64000 question! More toys, more time out of his cage, more exercise, less fruit, more green vegetables (my Lilly LOVES her broccolini, bok choy, celery, kale and assorted leafy greens) and LOTS of patience on your part. The lorikeet breeding season seems to span about half the year (even more with some species!) so this hormonal thing might become the new normal for you – it certainly has for me with my Lilly!
My first question to you would be, is Adrian actually an olive-headed lorikeet? Or is he an olive mutation of a rainbow lorikeet? The olive mutation of the rainbow lorikeet can be the result of a hybrid of a rainbow and a scaly-breasted lorikeet. The reason I ask this is because it may make a difference in terms of when your bird reaches sexual maturity, which can result in changes to his/her behaviour.
My second question is are you certain he is a male? Most lorikeets show very little difference between the sexes so unless he has been DNA sexed (or until he goes and lays an egg!) you really can’t be certain.
If Adrian is the rainbow/scaly hybrid you may find that he is around about an age where he is entering his first flush of hormones which may cause aggression. He may be trying to fend of what he sees as an intruder and a threat to the bond the two of you share. Lorikeets are particularly fearless and the larger ones like yours can inflict quite serious bites when they get over-stimulated or excited, which is easily done with lorikeets! So in terms of whether this kind of behaviour is “normal”, I would say for an already excitable species experiencing his first hormonal rush and on a sugary diet and who may just be a bit bored if, as you say, “I let him out to play sometimes” and he is cooped up for too long in his cage on his own, then yes its normal behaviour.
In terms of what you can do to remedy it, now theres a $64000 question! More toys, more time out of his cage, more exercise, less fruit, more green vegetables (my Lilly LOVES her broccolini, bok choy, celery, kale and assorted leafy greens) and LOTS of patience on your part. The lorikeet breeding season seems to span about half the year (even more with some species!) so this hormonal thing might become the new normal for you – it certainly has for me with my Lilly!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #3
Question 1; I'm fairly confident that Adrian is a olive lorikeet. The person I got him from said nothing about him being mixed when I asked.
Question 2: About the gender of Adrian is where I'm really unsure. He was too young to tell the difference when I got him and i never wanted to hurt him by drawing blood or pulling out a feather to get a test.
Edit on previous post: I think I reworded my previous post wrong when I said 'i let him out sometimes' rushed writing.
Adrian gets out I'd say.. like 70% of the time. (Mostly because getting him in his cage is really hard, aha.. )
My question to you: Let's say Adrian is a full olive lorikeet, would there be any other reason as to why he would suddenly bite someone that played with him? Or is it the same thing? Flush of hormones?
Food: it's very hard to get Adrian to eat anything else other than wet food. I very much try my hardest to get him to eat anything else than that. The only other thing he'll eat in moderation in an apple, but nothing else.
Toys; as for toys it's like the same thing. I've brought him balls that have bells in them (loud toys,) I've got him toys that he would wreck. And toys that move around (cat mouse toy) which he sort of played with for a bit then stopped.
I can say for sure he loves playing with the dogs (they don't hurt him, they're very aware of how little he is)
But he has a love for my jewelry so he normally plays with that.
Maybe you'd be able to tell what he is (breed) with a photo, but I've yet to find out how to do it.
Oh yeah I might as well add I'm still a young bird owner so i may not know all the tips and tricks. I'm only 17 but I've had 4 lorikeet in total. All olive as far as I know
Question 2: About the gender of Adrian is where I'm really unsure. He was too young to tell the difference when I got him and i never wanted to hurt him by drawing blood or pulling out a feather to get a test.
Edit on previous post: I think I reworded my previous post wrong when I said 'i let him out sometimes' rushed writing.
Adrian gets out I'd say.. like 70% of the time. (Mostly because getting him in his cage is really hard, aha.. )
My question to you: Let's say Adrian is a full olive lorikeet, would there be any other reason as to why he would suddenly bite someone that played with him? Or is it the same thing? Flush of hormones?
Food: it's very hard to get Adrian to eat anything else other than wet food. I very much try my hardest to get him to eat anything else than that. The only other thing he'll eat in moderation in an apple, but nothing else.
Toys; as for toys it's like the same thing. I've brought him balls that have bells in them (loud toys,) I've got him toys that he would wreck. And toys that move around (cat mouse toy) which he sort of played with for a bit then stopped.
I can say for sure he loves playing with the dogs (they don't hurt him, they're very aware of how little he is)
But he has a love for my jewelry so he normally plays with that.
Maybe you'd be able to tell what he is (breed) with a photo, but I've yet to find out how to do it.
Oh yeah I might as well add I'm still a young bird owner so i may not know all the tips and tricks. I'm only 17 but I've had 4 lorikeet in total. All olive as far as I know
Last edited:
Flboy
Well-known member
- Dec 28, 2014
- 12,603
- 4,120
- Parrots
- JoJo, 'Special' GCC, Bongo, Cinnamon GCC(wife's)
Hi! It really sounds like hormones! For now , have him in his cage whenever anyone is coming over! When they come in, have them greet Adrain with a treat! Cage. You have to reassociate it with fun and treats! Right now it is, "Oh jeezs, I have to stop playing now?"
Treats, cage! Throughout your times start putting him in for a few seconds/minutes at a time, with a treat! My JoJo goes in and out of his cage throughout the day. At night, he goes to bed and waits for me to tuck him in! It wasn’t always this way, he hated his cage!
The dogs. They will kill him!
Treats, cage! Throughout your times start putting him in for a few seconds/minutes at a time, with a treat! My JoJo goes in and out of his cage throughout the day. At night, he goes to bed and waits for me to tuck him in! It wasn’t always this way, he hated his cage!
The dogs. They will kill him!
I have 2 thougts: 1. Olive mutation of rainbow lorikeet (as lamanuka mentioned) 2. Olive lory (I noticed many people use "lory" and "lorikeet" in different ways not always correctly. They are a one tribe but have different names)
Wysłane z mojego Redmi 5 przy użyciu Tapatalka
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