YELLOW BIB LORY

Lorius chorocercus

 

“ONE VERY BOUNCY CHARACTER”

By Kellie Stewart

 

A general overview on keeping Yellow Bib Lories in New Zealand

 

ORIGIN: Solomon Islands

WEIGHT: 150g

LENGTH: 24cm

IMMATURES: beak and iris brown in colour, less yellow on upper breast

AGE EXPECTANCY: 20-25 years

ATTITUDE: bouncy, nippy at times, affectionate (females being better pets and appear to be not as nippy as the cock bird.)

APTITUDE: Harder to breed than some other lorikeets can be good as a pet depending on the bird. Very intelligent.

MUTATIONS: No mutations but they are related to the purple-capped lory, black-capped lory and the chattering lory.

INTERESTING FACT: Yellow bibs have good night vision and fly quite well around the aviary in the dark.

SEXING: Cock birds have dark blue going nearly all the way round the base of the leg and the hen has a small amount of blue with more green round the base of the leg.

 

Breeding and Housing

Sexually mature at 3 years old, if it takes a bit longer then I would not be too concerned. Breeding season starts around September and goes on for several months producing at least 2-4 clutches depending on how you manage your breeding season. The clutch size is 2 and incubation is 25 days. The young are in the nest from 8 -10 weeks. It seams to differ between breeders. Yellow Bibs are known for being harder to breed than your average rainbow or scaly. They have a tendency to eat their eggs or play a game of football with them. Many a yellow bib breeders have had complete frustration attempting to rescue the eggs before they come to an untimely end. I have seen some amazing nestbox designs to counteract this problem. One breeder’s design had a channel in which the egg would role down gently into a collection dish outside the aviary, ready to be put in the incubator or under foster parents. Another breeder suggested to me the reason why the bibs break the eggs is they accidentally jump and step on them as they enter their way into box. What he has done to prevent this is by placing a shelf inside the entranceway so the birds have to squeeze through to get to the egg chamber. The eggs have not been broken since the shelf was put in.

 I have seen people having success in breeding these birds in various size aviaries from quite small to very large. This is also the same with nesting box size. The nesting box I provide would be 60cm high x 28cm x 28cm.The nesting material used is one which contains pieces of bark and wood chips. The yellow bib takes great delight in chewing the nesting material while making the nest. I’ve noticed also the like to chew the wood parts of the aviary structure, not to completely destroy it but having a good nibble in the process. Adding rotting wood and bark, bugs and all also go down well with the Yellow Bib when they are preparing the nest. The yellow bib takes great delight in chewing the nesting material while making the nest. They also line the nest with small soft feathers and down. I house my pair in a larger than normal flight, as I find in my opinion the yellow bibs need the space to cavort around like they do. I provide them with various ropes, swings, and branches and play things to entertain themselves. You will find yellow bibs are on the move 75% of the time.

 

Diet / Feeding

Most fruits apples, pears, grapes, tangelos, kiwifruit, sultanas, banana, watermelon (no avocado) Fresh veggies (frozen bags of mixed veggies and frozen corn are ideal) Dandelion leaves and the flowers, puha and thistle are eaten regularly. Wet and dry mixes are available from pet shops, or choose the option of making your own. At least with this you know what you are giving them. Cooked chicken and chop bones are relished by the bib and please leave some meat on too. Grained breads, cooked pumpkin, malt biscuits and cereals can also be included. Millet spray makes a good nibble as well as a good toy. Soaked seed can also be  given. Because of the liquid and fruit diet lorikeets aviaries and cages have to be cleaned regularly. Food containers must be changed or washed between feeds each time. In the hot months offer enough food for the morning feed so it is all eaten within the first 3-4 hours, offer some more food later in the day when it is cooler. I have found Yellow Bibs to like things slightly on the sour side tomatoes kiwifruit and fruits with large pips like mangos and papayas. Soaked Dates are another favorite. Have water available at all times. Bibs love to bath and to be hosed down in the hot weather.

Some breeders and also trays of garden soil with bugs and crawly things in it offer live food. The bibs love to pick in the soil, this is a great tonic for them not to mention fun, depending on the percentage of selenium the soil contains but this is also a plus as selenium promotes healthy breeding and general health benefits for bird. (Before offering soil make sure it has not been sprayed or a blitzed type products has been used in the area)

 

Pets

Yellow bibs can make good pets. Cheeky, intelligent, affectionate and playful it’s like having four seasons in one day having a bib as a pet. The only thing I have found is the cock birds can get very nippy as they get older. Hens tend to be the better pets but can still give the odd hard nip if over excited or not getting their own way. Yet again it all depends on the bird. They can talk and a very good mimickers and whistlers. Bonding with one person. I do recommend them from personal experience. They are comedians they will never fail to entertain you.

2 month old (fe)male yellow bib, just at the right age to obtain for a pet. For a pet a handraised bird is most suitable. And what a black beak!

Favourite perching place

 

Health

 

Yellow bibs are normally very active you would quite easily be able to notice if something was wrong.  If are general level of hygiene is maintained with feeders, cages and aviaries normally you will encounter very few problems. Worm your lory on a regular basis every 6 months. This is for pets and aviary birds.

 

General Health problems

·        Fungal crop infections – poor housing – contaminated food – poor hand rearing methods

·        Bacterial Septicemia – poor housing – contaminated food – poor hand rearing methods

·        Nutritional diseases – incorrect or inadequate diet

·        PBFD – ( Cirovirus ) – contracted from an infected bird being bought onto your section ( PBFD can also be carried on clothing and footwear from one place to another). PBFD can sustain itself in the environment for long periods of time. Thus making it difficult to eradicate once birds and aviaries are infected. Young birds under 3 year of age highly susceptible.

·        Polymavirus – an opportunist infection taking hold when the bird immune system is low. The virus has to present on the property or carried and shed by another bird for this to occur.

·        Paralysis – diet deficiency – poisoning from lead and zinc. (Lead and zinc have a sweet taste to the lories, making it even more of an attractive nibble or lick)

·        Feather Plucking – stress  - boredom – inadequate diet

·        Worms – Some people say lorikeets don’t suffer from worm problems, I advise to worm your lorikeets especially aviary birds and birds with grass dirt floors. Worming can be done with a very lorikeet friendly wormer purchased from your chemist. Combantrin. Administered in the wet mix once a year. (After their moult and just before the breeding season)  then repeat again in 10 days to 2 weeks after first dose

·        Chills – inadequate shelter / housing - being left in a direct draft.

·        Cooking fumes – Teflon fumes – cigarette smoke – chocolate - coffee – alcohol -burning candles/incense – fly spray - Avocado to name a few can be highly detrimental to your pet some times fatal if consumed or inhaled.

·        Iron storage disease ( Hemochromatosis ) This is a metabolic disorder when large amount of iron accumulates in the body tissue of the bird, eventually ending in death. (This occurs when feeding a diet to high in iron)

·        Egg binding - inadequate calcium supplied in the diet also egg binding can be related to stress.

 

Breeding pairs sell for $2000-3000. Handreared babies $1000-1500. I would suggest yellow bibs would be more of a bird to attempt to keep if you are a birdkeeper with some experience in keeping lories or lorikeets in the past. If you are a first timer think about it and get some advice first!

Male 4 year old yellow-bib bobbing too fast for the camera, his head is a blur. Note the blue colour above feet.

Three year old hen yellow-bib giving the camera a serious stare before taking a lunge. Note green colour above feet.