February 25, 2025, 8:42 am | Read time: 6 minutes
The coconut lorikeet is a colorful and lively parrot that delights with its intense plumage and playful behavior. This fascinating bird species is found in the rainforests of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and other Pacific islands. Its diet is particularly remarkable: it uses its specialized tongue to suck nectar from flowers. But it is not only its diet that makes it unique — its social behavior and high intelligence also fascinate bird lovers worldwide. But is this exotic bird also suitable as a pet?
The coconut lorikeet is one of the most well-known species of lorikeets, instantly capturing attention with its vibrant colors and spirited demeanor. It belongs to the Old World parrot family and lives in tropical forests, mangroves, and agricultural areas. Thanks to its highly specialized tongue, it can extract nectar from flowers, which sets it apart from many other parrots. This adaptation makes it an indispensable pollinator of many plant species in its native habitat. It should not be confused with the rainbow lorikeet, which looks similar at first glance but is a different species.
In addition to its unusual diet, the coconut lorikeet is also known for its social lifestyle: It lives in pairs or large flocks and communicates loudly with its conspecifics. In the wild, it can fly up to 50 kilometers a day in search of food. Despite the popularity of these birds, their care requires specialized knowledge and a diet tailored to their needs to ensure their health.
Origin of the Coconut Lorikeet
The coconut lorikeet was first scientifically described by Carl von Linné in 1771. It was originally considered to be a single species with numerous subspecies, but modern taxonomic research has now classified many of these subspecies as separate species. As a result, there are now nine species, although they are still often listed together under the name rainbow lorikeet. Trichoglossus haematodus haematodus is most commonly found in the pet trade.
The coconut lorikeet’s native range includes Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. Within these regions, they inhabit various habitats ranging from coastal mangroves to mountain forests at altitudes of over 2400 meters.
The adaptability of the lorikeets is particularly remarkable: in addition to dense rainforests, they also live on coconut plantations or in agricultural areas. Due to the international trade in ornamental birds, coconut lorikeets have been exported to many regions of the world, but this may have a negative impact on their population in the long term. They are currently on the Red List as “not endangered,” but the overall population is declining.
Appearance of the Coconut Lorikeet
The coconut lorikeet reaches a body length of 25 to 30 centimeters and weighs between 100 and 155 grams. Its plumage is extremely colorful: the head is dark blue to black-brown with purple stripes, while the nape usually has a green or yellow band. The breast is bright red with narrow blue-black horizontal stripes, while the belly is dark green to bluish.
The upper side of the wings is green, while the underside is orange to reddish in color. The tail is green on the upper side and green-yellow striped on the underside. The strong, slightly curved beak is orange to coral red, while the eyes are red or orange-red depending on the sex.
A particularly characteristic feature is the tongue: it has brush-like papillae that rise up when feeding and make it easier to suck up nectar.
Behavior
Coconut lorikeets are extremely active, social, and playful birds. They are very curious and explore their surroundings with great enthusiasm. Their keen intelligence allows them to learn new behaviors and interact with their environment quickly.
These parrots are known for their loud, shrill calls, which they use to communicate with each other. They live in pairs or large flocks and can be very affectionate when they are used to people. Their playful nature makes them entertaining companions, but they need plenty of attention and activity to prevent behavioral problems.
Correct Keeping & Care
Coconut lorikeets are very adaptive and are easy to train. They can learn simple tricks and respond to positive reinforcement. They particularly enjoy playing with interactive toys that challenge them mentally.
Due to their natural love of movement, they need plenty of space to fly and climb. In captivity, periods of free flight are essential to maintain their musculature and well-being. Intelligence toys and hiding their food provide additional activity and prevent boredom.
Keeping a coconut lorikeet, therefore, requires a lot of space and opportunities for activity, preferably with lots of branches or a tree. An aviary with lots of climbing and retreat options is therefore ideal. The dimensions should be at least 47 × 24 × 35 inches for one pair, and the floor space must be increased by half for each additional pair. As coconut lorikeets are very social animals, they should never be kept alone.
Diet
The birds’ diet poses special challenges for keepers, as they specialize in nectar and pollen. Their natural diet of nectar, pollen, flowers, and fruit should, therefore, be reconstructed as well as possible in the home. Seeds and grain food are not suitable for lorises and could destroy the fine hairs on their tongue, which specializes in nectar intake.
They, therefore, need special lorikeet food that serves as a substitute for flower nectar. This is available from specialist retailers in powder form for self-mixing and in liquid and paste form. The powder is mixed with four or five parts water and fed two to three times a day. The situation is similar to that of liquid or mushy lorikeet food. In addition, fresh fruit, flowers, and occasionally small amounts of starchy, soft seeds can be fed. A varied diet is crucial to avoid deficiency symptoms.
Due to their very liquid diet, the droppings of the coconut lorikeet are also very liquid. The aviary should, therefore, be cleaned regularly as waste accumulates quickly. Plexiglass panels on several sides of the aviary can help to avoid splashes.
Susceptibility to Certain Diseases
One of the most significant health threats to coconut lorikeets is Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), a highly contagious viral condition that impacts their feathers and immune system. In contrast to other parrot species, however, coconut lorikeets often show a natural resistance to the virus. Nevertheless, new arrivals should always be tested for PBFD in order to avoid introducing it into existing flocks.
Coconut lorikeets are also prone to bacterial infections and gastrointestinal issues, often resulting from inadequate nutrition or insufficient hygiene. Regular visits to the vet are therefore important, preferably with an exotic bird expert.
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The Coconut Lorikeet at a Glance
- Size: 25-30 cm
- Weight: 100-155 g
- Color: Colorful plumage with blue head, red breast and green wings
- Character: Playful, social, intelligent, active
- Husbandry: In pairs or groups, requires a large aviary and activity
- Diet: Special lorikeet food (nectar substitute), fruit, flowers
- Special features: Brush-like tongue for nectar intake
- Diseases: PBFD (mostly resistant), bacterial infections