What Do Rainbow Parakeets Eat?

The Rainbow lorikeet is a flower and nectar eating bird native to Australia. The vibrant plumage pattern showcases distinct sections of whole colors beginning at the head with blue and moving down the body including vibrant colors such as red, green and some black. Rainbow lorikeets can live to be twenty years of age and feed on a variety of foods depending on its environment.

  1. Flowers and Nectar

    • Rainbow lorikeets that live in the wild feed on flowers, pollen and nectar in their native environment. Urban areas of Australia attract wild rainbow lorikeets with bright red blooming plants such as eucalyptus and kangaroo paws. While these plants may not be available at a local nursery, there are other blooming plants that are safe to feed domestic rainbow lorikeets. However, it is best to consult your avian veterinarian to obtain a list of blooming plants that are safe for domestic lorikeets to enjoy.

    Fruit, Juice and Veggies

    • Fruits such as diced and de-seeded apples, kiwi, cherries and bananas are sweet and tasty foods for rainobw lorikeets to nibble on. Additional fruits and juices such as peeled oranges and pineapples and grapes are also good sources of vitamin C. Sources of vitamin A and Iron are cooked sweet potatoes and fresh carrots and kale. Organic fruits and veggies are free from pesticides that are harmful to birds; natural juices are preferable to syrup and juice flavorings because of the added sugar. The more often rainbow lorikeets have the option of fresh foods over commercial diets the better.

    Commercial Foods

    • Buy breed specific foods because of dietary needs. Most hook bills eat a diet of seed and nuts, however commercially processed foods for lorikeets must include the nutrition required by the breeds natural diet of flowers and nectar. Most commercial lorikeet diets are mini sized to small pellets to make it easy for the lory crumble and digest. You can use a favorite natural juice to soften food, but you need to replace wet foods every few hours to prevent spoilage. Lorikeet foods should also mimic the sweet pollen and nectar taste of their natural foods, so many lory diets are fruity and sweet upon taste and smell. However, lorikeets should obtain sugar from natural sources instead of processed or refined sources.

    Considerations

    • Real sugar is preferable in small servings and from natural sources such as cane sugar, sugar in the raw and fresh squeezed or purred fruits and veggies. Rainbow lorikeets thrive on fresh foods and non-toxic veggies and plants supplemented with a good quality commercial daily pellet diet. Most commercial diets contain all the nutrients required for companion lorikeets in captivity, so additives and synthetic vitamins are not necessary and can be harmful unless prescribed by a veterinarian. Foods that are fatal to birds are avocados, chocolate, alcohol and caffeine. Energy drinks contain chemicals and extracts that are fatal to birds as well.