Help with rainbow lorikeet

Hi, I got given a rainbow lorikeet yesterday by a guy who found it hopping around his backyard (my mother-in-law knows him)

Anyway this bird has hardly any wings, he can't fly, someone has cut his wings right back and he can't even stretch them out.

He is very scared around people and he makes a horrendous screeching noise whenever anyone goes near him. I'm not sure if he was somebody's pet and they cut his wings or if they caught him wild.

I'm usually good at transferring birds from cage to cage with minimum stress to the bird and little or no bites to myself, anyway I couldn't get this bird into the bigger cage and when I tried to cover him with a towel and pick him up he somehow got his head out and nearly latched on to my finger, if he had of I would have no finger left. In the end I just wrapped him up really quick and sort of threw the bird, towel and everything into the cage.

He is really good by himself and I put the cage close to the cockatiels and he seems to like it, he eats and drinks great and is really calm when there is no people around. I was thinking he might be a young bird as the tail feathers aren't very long.

Will this bird grow to trust people and what is the best food to feed it. Any other advice is appreciated too. Thanks

 

Sounds like he may have been someones pet and has escaped.

I would move the lorikeet into a different room away from the cockatiels as you do not know if he has any diseases plus he will put the cockatiels off sitting on there eggs.

If you try to tame him and he wont allow you to touch him hold him in a towel for about 10-15minutes and try and gently rub his head keep doing this a couple of times a day and hopefully he will settle.

You can feed him a parrot food or cockatiel mix, Lorikeets also love fresh fruit.

Mike

 

Wow, those are beautiful birds!! Do you think it's a young bird by chance? Maybe that's why the wings are so short? Just a guess, as I know *nothing* about these birds. It must be so neat living in a country where those birds, as well as many other beautiful birds are native! Well, I'm sorry I couldn't be of help, but I'm here to wish you luck at getting the bird back to health.
-mandi

 

No, his wings have definitely been chopped, they are all ragged looking and uneven

I don't know if he is a young bird or not, he walks funny too, like his backbone is crooked, his body sort of curves as he walks, it's really weird!!

He doesn't look beautiful at the moment, although he has all his colours, blue head, red beak, red eyes, red/orange chest, green back/wings and a yellow belly and tail.

I am hoping he will get used to me soon and stop making that awful noise, I didn't know they were native to Australia, I don't know much about the wildlife of birds.

Thanks Zarate.

 

I just did a google search on them and they are Australian. DUH *SLAPS FACE* :mrgreen:

I don't know much about birds really only cockatiels (sort of). It appears that they have a brush tongue for nectar so I'm off to whip up some fruit for the cranky thing!!!

 

He ate half an apple in 15 mins!!! :shock:

I guess he really loves sweet fruit, when I get groceries later today I'll have to get some grapes and oranges and stuff. I've got watermelon so I'll give him some later.

I'll keep you's posted.

 

Glad to hear he is doing well. Lorikeets love there fruit but try not to give too much as this can cause watery poop and he will become dehydrated.

Mike