my rainbow lorikeet, Sparkey.
by Sarah Price
(Australia)
Rainbow lorikeet Sparkey posing for the camera 8)
if i could rename the rainbow lorikeet, they would definately be something along the lines of a joker or fun-loving clown.
I currently own a four year old male rainbow lorikeet.I have had many species of birds, but this guy, aptly named "sparkey" definately has the biggest personality.
I purchased sparkey early 2006 as a 2 month old newly weaned hand-reared bird. I bought him from a friend who is also a very responsible bird trader. my Sparks was born in his living room.
right from the start Sparkey was always the naughty one. he loves getting into things he knows he shouldnt, and i swear he loves to annoy and tease people. He is extremely rambunctious, he NEVER sits still. sparkey loves his daily baths, playing with toys, and shredding newspaper. but by far his favourite activity is perching on my shoulder trying to steal my food. he also goes to bed at 7.30 every night in his hammock. once he is in there you cant get him out, he tends to be very grumpy if you wake him up.
Sparkey is a one person bird. he treats me as a mate, and can become very possesive at times, lunging at people who attempt to take him off my shoulder. he tolerates my father when i am not around; but he HATES my mother. he will regulary attempt to sweet talk her and draw her towards his cage, only to bite her at the closest opportunity. but he is a sweetheart to me, and thats all that matters, really. LOL.
Sparkey is very messy. lorikeets 'squirt'. they do not defecate like other birds, but rather the droppings are a lot runnier. a good absorbent bedding is a must. i even know of some can even aim at people.(luckily sparks hasnt learnt this. yet.)
Sparkey can talk quite well. he does have a 'bird-voice' but the words are still very understandable. he knows- sparkey, hello, jazzy(my fox terrier), emily(my dalmatian), go away, please, thankyou, yes, no, feed me, and treat. he also makes many sounds such as wolf-whistleing, growling, whining(like a puppy), barking, the telephone. he can dance, and also hop and dance(hard to explain) he can roll over,and when he is in a good mood he will lay on his back and let me tickle his belly. he has also recently learnt to shake hands.
sparkey is quite the character, and adores attention. he is constantly talking to himself, or just mumbling. however, he does get very bad mood swings at times, where he will try to bite and wont let you near him. this is generally when he is woken up early or taken out of his hammock. kinda like me:P. sparkey isnt a bird you can really 'cuddle' the only time he has ever fallen asleep on me was when i took him to the bird store where i bought him and he was tired out from the other birds. he does enjoy the company of other birds, as long as they are an equal match. he will try to attack smaller birds for fun.
having said all of this, sparkey is a joy to own. he is very lovable and craves attenton from me. he is the life of the party, constantly doing something funny. i adore him, he is one of a kind. i have tried to talk about many of his negative aspects too in this post though in order to prepare anyone wanting to purchase one of these birds.
