From Karen, Milaa Milaa, QLD
Q:
My scaly-breasted lorikeet now for the past 6 and a half years has stayed in my bed until 9.30 at night and then goes into her cage with no problems at all. however in the past week and a half she has been over preening and making very irritating noise and this can go on for an hour or more until I go in and get her out and give her a little nectar. She seems to settled down after a while but not straight away. She manages to pluck out a few feathers every night but not during the day as she is out and has run of the house as I am on holidays at the moment. I have heard that they can suffer from separation anxiety. Do you have any ways in which I can fix this. I have been putting her in her cage earlier and not in my bed. I am making very little progress at this stage. I notice that she has made it sore also where her feathers have came out, but this looks to be healing, but it irritates her at times. Am I on the right tract. Also I notice this year that she hasn’t laid any eggs can you tell me when they stop laying as she has always been a very good layer.A:
Behavioural problems are very common in lorikeets. Try not to make diagnoses yourself (like separation anxiety) nor to get them online as this may make things worse.
The problem could be anything from hormonal issues to simple boredom. Most birds tend to breed (i.e. get a surge of hormones) around or after the Winter equinox – 22nd June this year. Self mutilation can also be caused by boredom – i.e. having little to occupy their beaks.
So, try to offer her lots of grevillea flowers, gum tree flowers, banksia flowers, even sasanqua camellia flowers. Some fresh gum tree branches used as perches can provide hours of happy chewing too. Some lorikeets will also eat leftover chop bones or chicken bones. Maybe research AT AN EXPERT SITE which are the best foods for lorikeets. Please remember many pet birds are killed each year by people using silly and dangerous advice found on chatrooms or forums. Advice from fellow travellers may kill your poor bird.
You might also construct a home gym for Lorikeet gymnastics as well. Try to get a different lorikeet food as well as a supplement.
Good luck,
Don