Swainson’s, Rainbow or Blue Mountain Lory
Characteristics
Length: 30 cm (about 12 inches). Dark blue to violet head with lighter colored shafts. Nuchal collar yellowish-green. Thighs yellowish with green edges. Undertail coverts and underside of the tail yellow and green. underwing coverts orange. Eyes orange-red, beak orange to dark red, legs greenish-gray to dark gray.
Social Behavior
Prefers to be kept in pairs or colonies.
Diet
All parakeets and parrots need a large variety of fresh, healthy foods, whether on a pellet or a seed diet. Beneficial foods include dark green, leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli, dandelions, and chard, as well as carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. Healthy table foods like cooked eggs, corn, beans, pasta, and rice can also be offered. Remove perishable foods after a few hours and at bedtime. Grit, gravel, and oyster shells should never be given. A seed-only diet will result in malnutrition. Eventually, a parakeet or parrot should become acclimated to a diet containing specially formulated pellets. An AVIAN vet can help with more information.
Cleaning
Tray liners should be replaced every day and the cage bottom, fittings and dishes regularly washed with hot water and soap. Once a month, disinfect the cage with diluted bleach and rinse thoroughly. Line the tray with black and white newspaper or paper towels. It is unsafe to use pine/cedar shavings, corn cob or walnut bedding.
Fertility
Majority of breeding paris are very prolific as long as they are housed in a long aviary with a roomy night shelter. The temperature must be maintained at 24 degrees C. The birds will use nest boxes of 25x25x40 diameter (10 cm entry), or may dig holes in the ground. The 2 eggs are incubated for about 24 days.
Health
All parakeets and parrots should be examined by a qualified AVIAN vet at least once a year or ASAP if any bleeding, injuries, or other signs are noted. It can be hard to tell when a bird is ill, and by the time you notice a problem, the sickness is usually well-advanced. Delaying a visit with an AVIAN vet or using over-the-counter or human medicines may be fatal.
Warnings
All parrakeets and parrots have very sensitive respiratory systems and should not be exposed to cigarette smoke, aerosols, harsh cleaning products, or other toxic fumes.
