Furs Chapter: LORIES...Are They Really "Dirty Birds"?

The last time we visited Busch Gardens, we spent a little time playing with and feeding the lories.

Lories are popular companion birds and are quite easily bred. They are entertaining birds, with many unique behaviors.  At times, they will sleep on their back, with feet straight in the air. Very intelligent and trainable, they can be taught tricks.

They are rated by most people as "dirty birds." Their habit of forcibly ejecting liquid droppings that rapidly become foul in odor is sufficient reason. (and YES, I did wear some Lory Poop for the rest of the day...LOL)

In addition, the preparation of the nectar diet generally felt to be necessary to their good health is a time consuming job.

Lories have a major physical difference from other birds. Their gizzards where food is normally digested are weak with very little musculature. They are not able to digest a diet of seeds.  In the wild, lories feed on nectar, pollen, fruits, and the occasional insect. They crush flowers with their beaks and then suck up the juice produced. During this process the pollen released from the flower is packed neatly into wads by their rough tongues and easily consumed. All lories have a tongue that is specially adapted with a brush-like tip composed of elongated papillae. They play a major role in the pollinating trees and flowering plants in their native Indonesia coastal and mountain forests.