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View Full Version : Found a baby Lorikeet with broken wing, need some advice



Joshua
09-21-2014, 10:08 AM
Hey,

We recently found a baby Lorikeet on the side of the road. We think its Musk Lorikeet. It has a broken wing and I doubt very much he will be able to return to the wild. Were currently feeding him with a Necter supplement and he's eating and drinking well. My biggest concern is the health of my other birds. There both quite young, a Princess Parrot and a Quaker Parrot. For the time being we have the Larikeet separate as he is not well enough to be with the others however if we are going to care for the Lorikeet long term they will all need to live together. Is this possible?

When and how should we introduce them and what risks are involved with regards to disease? What can we do to avoid these risks? The little Lorikeet defiantly has some little mites which were going to treat him for tomorrow using a bird and mite spray.

The parrots are both hand reared and are out the cage for most of the day and this again would need to be possible with any new bird that we care for.

Im also reading some things online about having a permit to keep a wild Larikeet. Does anyone know what the go with that is in SA. To be honest im probably not going to do anything like that but I dont want to end up in big trouble?

Any advice is good advice.

Thanks,
Joshua

PlaxMacaws
09-21-2014, 03:57 PM
Hi Joshua...

I can't help you concerning the legality of keeping a native species in Australia. However, I know people living there who in fact keep some of the indigenous parrots and there are a few Aussie members on this message board. I'm guessing there may be a different requirement when a bird is acquired from the wild than when one is acquired through a breeder or a pet dealer. Hopefully some of the Aussie folks or someone with specific knowledge on this matter will chime in.

I think the safest thing for the injured Lorikeet (and for your own birds) may be to seek medical assessment and advice from an avian veterinarian. There are likely some important health concerns to address now for all of the birds in your custody. I have a personal friend in Australia who recently rescued an Eastern Rosella that she found incapacitated on the road beside its mate which was unfortunately deceased and horribly spattered. She knew what to do and where to take the little guy. If you like, I can put you in touch with her. Just let me know. Another thought is that you may be able to locate a wildlife rehabilitation facility in your area and either seek advice from them or give them custody of the Lorikeet.

Lastly, I would not risk allowing the Lorikeet near your other birds until an adequate isolation period has passed. Isolation should probably endure for at least several weeks. It should include careful observation and you should disinfect yourself when moving between the Lorikeet and your other birds. But this is something that I would recommend you discuss with an avian veterinarian.

Please keep us updated about the little guy and let me know if you would like to speak with my Australian friend.


EDIT: I'm unsure which part of AU you are in, Josha. But here is some information on an avian vet in NSW:

Website: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

Facebook page: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

You might contact Dr. Perry and pose your questions to him.

Lady
10-04-2014, 03:07 AM
Wonder how things are going Joshua. Post an update when you can please :).

Joshua
10-06-2014, 11:02 AM
Apologies for the late reply, and thank you very much for the wonderful detailed response.

A bit of an update on the little guy:
When we first rescued him we noticed he had mites and treated him so, so far it looks successful and I haven't seen any lice or mites on or around him for the last few weeks. Some advice I got was to disinfect cage and food containers regularly and respray for mites as they apparently lay eggs which can cause more to appear later on. But so far so good.

He seems very healthy and happy, loves our company and plays with different toys all day. I've been giving him a varied diet of fruits and both wet and dry food mixture, all of which are appropriate for musk lorikeets.

I'm not too sure about the progress of his wing though, as he is still quite young, his left wing is quite drooped to his side, whereas his right one sits properly. I will need to seek some advice from an avian vet here in Adelaide to see if he will be able to fly eventually or not.

We have kept him in a separate room away from our quaker and princess parrots (Timmy and Navi) and have been very mindful of disinfecting hands ect, even changing clothes before handling them. But all seems well.

Any further advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated :).

Lady
10-07-2014, 12:07 AM
Glad to hear an update and can hardly wait to hear what the AV has to say about his wing. IMO you should go to see the vet as soon as you can, maybe it is healing and incorrectly at that :(.

PlaxMacaws
10-07-2014, 04:05 AM
Thanks for the update on your colorful little patient, Joshua. Please let us know what the vet says.

Lady
11-06-2014, 01:21 AM
:bump3:

Joshua
08-27-2015, 03:46 AM
Hello, just a bit of an update on Jeremy (musk lorikeet) since we rescued him.

Unfortunately the AV wasn't able to do anything regarding his wing and as a result he cannot fly or return to the wild. Mites were successfully treated and the AV said he was otherwise healthy. After several weeks of quarantining him we tried to introduce him slowly to Navi and Timmy (Princess Parrot and Quaker). Navi and Jeremy got along quite well, playing with toys together, but unfortunately Timmy is very adverse to change and became very aggressive when I tried to introduce them so for safety sake I kept them separated and let Navi and Jeremy have supervised play dates.

Musk lorikeets have a very loud screech for such small birds and Jeremy is VERY vocal. This was not ideal for us as we have neighbours in close proximity and a housemate who did shift work. Thankfully my mum agreed to take care of him which is much better for Jeremy as she lives in the country where noise is not an issue. Since then Jeremy has grown to become a very social and friendly bird, he loves the company of my mum and chip (her hand reared budgie) and has a lot of space to run around and play during the day. He has tonnes of energy and is still very loud but much to my surprise he has also learnt a whole lot of phrases such as "who's a good boy" "chip chip chippy" "kiss kiss" "hello Jeremy" and "bye-bye" as well as others. He Loves mimicking and will chatter all day long, I had no idea they had such a great ability to talk!

My mum is friends with a lady who rescues and cares for injured and sick wild birds, she has rescued quite a few baby musk lorikeets and has been able provide mum with a lot of helpful information to make sure Jeremy remains happy and healthy. Due to lorikeets having frequent and runny poo's and having food which they mix with water themselves they are apparently more prone to disease/infections so she makes sure his cage is clean and water bowls cleaned and refilled regularly.

Unfortunately poor Jeremy never got the chance to fly, but he seems very happy and boisterous in his new home running around and playing with his many toys and Chip. He loves anything with bells and will roll around on his back whilst ringing them, he also likes kisses and having baths until he is sopping wet. Next time I visit my parents I will get some photos of him to post on here :)

PeachyDoll
08-27-2015, 01:21 PM
Hello Joshua,

I wasn't a member of this board when you originally posted but I've read through the thread. How wonderful you took this little guy in, he most likely wouldn't have survived without you. It is so heartwarming to hear how your family worked together to find the best home for Jeremy out in the country and that he has a bird companion that he adores.

We would love to see photos of Jeremy and his budgie buddy Chip.

Cheers, RB

PlaxMacaws
08-27-2015, 03:09 PM
Hi Joshua... It's really nice to hear that Jeremy is doing so well :). He sounds to be quite a happy bird and his relationship with Chip sounds wonderful. I'd say life at your mum's place is nearly ideal for him and his special circumstances.

Thanks so much for sharing your update on Jeremy with us! If and when you can do it, photos of Jeremy (perhaps with Chip or Navi as well) will certainly be fun to see :)

spiritbird
08-27-2015, 05:44 PM
Cant wait to see your photos. Too bad about the wing but your little bird will be happy with your excellent love and care.

Mr Peepers
08-27-2015, 05:45 PM
Great update about Jeremy, I'm pleased he is doing well and living a great life with your mom and her budgie buddy Chip. I am really surprised to hear that he can talk, I never thought lori's were able to.

Thank you for saving this bird and giving him a good life. :th_smile:

Joshua
08-28-2015, 01:54 AM
I found some old ones from when we first rescued him and some when we introduced them to Timmy and Navi, hopefully I uploaded photos right :) I will have to take some more recent ones next time I visit my parents :)

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PlaxMacaws
08-28-2015, 01:42 PM
Hey, I love the photos! Those 3 look quite pretty together... the contrast between their color patterns is impressive. They certainly complement each other appearance wise. I can almost see the expressions of anticipation of what to expect from one another on their faces. It's too bad that Timmy wasn't much up for having an additional flock mate.

Thanks for sharing the snaps, Joshua. Now we'll be looking forward to the new ones from Jeremy's current home with Chip :)

PeachyDoll
08-28-2015, 03:48 PM
He's absolutely adorable!

Mr Peepers
08-28-2015, 05:37 PM
He's a beautiful bird, I've never seen a lori of his colors before. :th_smile: