Rainbow Lorikeets Diet

Rainbow lorikeets are a tropical Australian bird, so named for for their beautifully colored plumage. Only consider owning a rainbow lorikeet if you are up to the challenge of caring for the bird. A rainbow lorikeet's diet is highly specialized and messy and requires a greater level of care than other bird species. If you can care properly for the rainbow lorikeet and meet its special dietary needs, it will make a great companion animal.

Diet

A wild rainbow lorikeet's diet typically includes flowers, nectars, fruit and seeds. Replicate this diet for your pet rainbow lorikeet by making nectar or buying a commercially produced nectar. You will have to take special care with the nectar, as it can spoil rapidly and needs to be changed many times per day to avoid getting your rainbow lorikeet sick. In warm weather you must give your rainbow lorikeet fresh nectar roughly every four hours.

You will also need to provide foods that replicate the other parts of a wild rainbow lorikeet's natural diet. Feed your rainbow lorikeet organic, chemical-free fruits like kiwis, pomegranates or apples. Flowers are an essential part of a wild rainbow lorikeet's diet, so provide yours with roses, pansies or dandelions. Be sure the flowers, like the fruit, are chemical- and pesticide-free.

Feed your rainbow lorikeet dry foods like oats, seeds or multi-grain cereals. Bread softened with honey and milk makes a special treat or food for infants after breeding season.

Considerations and Warnings

Due to the high volume of liquid in their diet, rainbow lorikeets are messy eaters. They also produce large quantities of wet, messy droppings. You will have to clean your rainbow lorikeet's cage at least once daily. Keep the cage or aviary away from carpet and on a surface that you can clean easily.

Several foods are poisonous to all birds, including your rainbow lorikeet. Never feed your rainbow lorikeet avocado, alcohol, caffeine, human junk foods, or dairy products. Most importantly, never feed your rainbow lorikeet chocolate as even a small amount can be lethal.

A wide variety of household plants and fruit pits can also be harmful to your rainbow lorikeet. Some of the more common examples include aloe vera, apricot pits, daisies, plum leaves and pit, tomatoes, and hydrangea. For a full list of harmful household plants and foods, see the third link under references.