Article supplied by Rosemary Low (Thank you)
Who are the Chalcopsitta Lories?
Asks Rosemary Low
The genus Chalcopsitta, among the largest of the lories, is notable for the fact that all four species
have totally different plumage coloration. Indeed, in no other genus of parrots is this so marked. The basic colours are brown,
black, green and red. However, I believe that the red member of the genus, the Cardinal Lory (C.cardinalis)
does not belong to this genus.
How is the genus defined? In Parrots of the World, Joseph Forshaw describes them as "medium-sized
parrots with rather long, rounded tails". This could also be applied to the larger Eos lories. Then
he states: "Naked skin surrounding the base of the lower mandible is the most conspicuous external feature". This is also
true of the Dusky Lory (Pseudoes fuscata), the only member of its genus.
In fact the most conspicuous feature of the three species which I believe belong in the genus Chalcopsitta
is the prominent shaft-streaked feathers on the head and nape.There is a prominent streak down the center of the feather,
usually(but not always) of a different colour. In no other parrots is shaft-streaking developed to the degree that seen in
silhouette the head feathers often appear to be raised slightly from the head like little spikes. This is not true of the
Cardinal Lory in which shaft-streaking is totally absent. This decorative feature is seen on the head of the Green-naped Lorikeet
(Trichoglossus haematodus) and it's many sub-species (especially the two Australian forms) but the
streaking is much less developed. Strangely, it is also present in one member of the genus Lorius,
the Purple-naped Lory (L.hypoinochrous) in which some feathers of the cheeks and nape have streaks
of virtually the same shade of red as the rest of the feather.
The Cardinal Lory differs from the three "true" Chalcopsitta species in having the beak mainly orange-red,
only the base of the upper mandible being black, while that of the other three species is totally black. I believe that is
more closely related to the Dusky Lory, which also has an orange beak, than it is to the Chalcopsittas.
They might not belong in the same genus but they have factors in common including voices that differ from the extremely harsh
and penetrating calls of the Chalcopsitta.
The three members of the genus come from extreme western (Black), northern (Duivenbode's) and southern (Yellow-streaked) New
Guinea. The Black Lory (C.atra) occurs in quite open habitats, such as coastal plantations and coconut
palm, grasslands, forest edge, mangroves and lowland swamp forest. It is less common inland and in areas of more complex vegetation.
The highly unusual brown, yellow and violet Duivenbode's Lory (C.duivenbodei) is irregularly distributed
throughout lowland primary forest and occupies the mid-storey. The Yellow-streaked Lory (C.scintillata)
occurs in lowland savannah, rainforest and second growth forest. There is quite a lot of variation in it's plumage, probably
dependent on where it originates from. In some birds the streaking on the breast is yellow; in others it is orange. The two
sub-species known in aviculture are the nominate race from southern New Guinea and Irian Jaya, and the sub-species rubrifrons
from the Aru Islands. The latter has the streaks on the breast wider and bright orange, not yellow, and is the most colourful
form. Both have scarlet under wing coverts. A lot of parrots were exported from the Aru Islands in the late 1970s and 1980s
when, for the first time, this species became fairly common in aviculture. The male of my pair originated from an importation
in the mid-1970s.
The sub-species chloroptera is apparently the least colourful with narrower streaking on the body
feathers (see the illustation in Parrots of the World) and green, or red and green, under wing coverts.
I cannot recall ever having seen this sub-species which is not surprising as it occurs mainly in Papua New Guinea, from where
few parrots have been exported.
If you stop and look closely at the plumage of an adult Yellow-streaked Lory you will see what an incredibly beautiful bird
it is. There seems to be no appreciation of this fact in the UK: I stopped breeding from my pair when I found there was no
interest in the young. In the last couple of years this situation might have changed with some newcomers to lory keeping looking
for the most colourful species.
The all-red Cardinal Lory is found only in the Soloman Islands and inhabits lowland savannah and adjacent forests, rainforest
and second growth forests. It is a common species, probably more so than the three previously mentioned. Its flight is described
as swift and direct, in contrast to that of the (other) Chalcopsitta species. In Birds
of New Guinea Beehler, Pratt and Zimmermann comment on the slow flight that gives the impression of
much effort being expended to propel themselves through the air.
Dusky Lories are found almost throughout New Guinea except for the highest mountains although they probably cross the central
mountain ranges on their nomadic journeys. Like Cardinal Lories they are gregarious birds, with a flight that is swift and
direct. They are often seen in large flocks, in flight or feeding.
I have kept members of this genus without a break since 1971. My oldest birds are between 28 and 31 years of age. The Dusky
Lory also has the potential to be long-lived. In Brazil, my friend Carlos Keller had one that died in 2005 after being with
him for 25 years. I kept a prolific pair for many years from 1972 but I have never kept the Cardinal in my own collection,
though looked after several as curator of Loro Parque in Tenerife. The Cardinal Lory has a much shorter avicultural history
as the Soloman Islands did not permit export of their birds until the 1980s.
The three "true" Chalcopsittas are my favourite lories. It is true that their screams can literally
hurt the ears but they are so affectionate, intelligent and beautiful, and usually very friendly to people, that they are
a great joy to keep. The capacity for affection, towards other members of their species and towards humans, seems to be developed
to an extraordinary degree in the Black Lory. A friendly Black Lory is totally irresistible, with its wonderfully intelligent
eyes and a way of looking at you that melts the heart - my heart anyway!
The true connoisseur of lories raves over this species that might seem very dull in comparison to
the gaudily coloured ones. There is a slight purole gloss to the plumage when seen in sunlight and the underside of the tail
is yellow and red. However, the extent and depth of the purple gloss varies in captive individuals from a dull gloss only
on the tail with wine-coloured margins on the breast feathers to individuals with a bright violet gloss on the nape, tail
and breast and violet rump. There was a female of the latter kind in the breeding center of Loro Parque, Tenerife and she
was amazing to behold in bright sunlight. Iridescent plumage in parrots is non-existent but this is the nearest you can get
to it.
I suspect the birds with this violet sheen come from a specific area or island because she has a touch of red on the lores
suggestive of the sub-species insignis, known as the Rajah Lory (C.a.insignis). This, to my eyes,
is one of the most beautiful birds in the world. I am fortunate enough to keep these birds and their beauty never ceases to
amaze me. Their adult plumage takes some years to develop and then continues to increase in colour for many years. The forehead,
lores, bases of the breast feathers, under wing coverts, thighs and a few feathers around the vent are scarlet. The rump is
bluish-violet and most of the plumage has a violet or wine-coloured sheen. The gloss on the feathers is particularly pronounced.
Compared with all other parrots this species is unique in its plumage, in the appearance of the feathers and in the colours.
There are black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus) in Australia and dull dark grey Vasa Parrots (Coracopsis)
in Madagascar but no other parrot has developed such glossy black plumage. The nearest to it is also from New Guinea - the
magnificent Pesquet's Parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus). it is unique in having large solid
areas of scarlet - on the abdomen and under the wings. It is interesting to note that the narrow black feathers of the head
are shaft-streaked and this is evident only on close examination.
The Chalcopsitta
lories have many virtues from the avicultural viewpoint except their voices which are loud and piercing and the fact that
they, like most lories, are not sexually dimorphic. They are prolific and long-lived --- if correctly fed.
Very special attention needs to be paid to this as, sadly, few are long-lived. There are two points to be emphasized in respect
to their diet. The first is that you cannot maintain these lories over the long term on most commercial diets. They are unlikely
to reach ten years on commercial formulas available in Europe (I have no experience of those made elsewhere), I feed mine
on a recipe that has only been slightly adapted since I first kept these birds in 1971. When they have chicks they recieve
fresh, warm food at least five times daily. They should always be given nectar that is fresh-made and warm, especially during
cold weather. Nectar should be fed in the indoor part of the aviary with, if necessary, a small degree of heating to stop
it from freezing.
The Chalcopsitta
lories are very different to the other large lories in the way in which they feed. If you offer a small amount to last several
hours they will drink the lot and sit with bulging crops. If you offer a container brimful of nectar they will drink rather
little. If you offer nectar in one or two dishes that are half full, and enough to last about four hours, they will drink
it all but take only a sensible amount of liquid at one time. In this case you never see them with bulging crops. The latter
indicates a state of anxiety because they are under-fed. When eventually more nectar is given they rush at the dish and drink
the lot. I hate to see this. They look bloated and this could be confused with being overweight. Incidentally, the three true
species weigh between 195g and 240g, the average being about 220g. If they are underfed they become very stressed and this
makes them susceptible to infection. They should not be given dry foods of any kind (such as lory pellets or seed) as they
do not recognize this as food and would starve to death.
These lories will
also eat fruit, mainly apple, pear, sweet orange or satsumas, grapes and, their favourite, pomegranate. I offer fruit twice
daily -- in slices (never in small pieces as this can deteriorate into a soggy mess that attracts fruit flies in the summer
or fall through the mesh bottom on to the floor below in a suspended cage.) They prefer to feed from large pieces or slices
rather than on small pieces. One pair enjoys a half orange or satsuma daily that I place on a steel fruit hanger. Some pairs
also like frozen sweetcorn kernels that have been thawed. Mine are offered sweetcorn daily at midday and some will also eat
small pieces of wholegrain bread that they have dunked in the nectar. Occasionally they nibble at greenfood but usually without
any real enthusiasm. Several times a week I offered sultanas or dried figs that have been soaked in water for about six hours,
so that they are plump and succulent. They love these!
If you want to
see them really enjoying themselves, give them something with which they can "anoint" their plumage. This might be a piece
of pomegranate, a fresh-cut branch of apple (or any suitable tree) or a wild plant such as dock. They will bite at the item
and then distribute the sap or juice over their plumage in a frenzied manner.
Some of these lories,
especially Duivenbode's, can be extremely aggressive when they are rearing young. In my pair, it is the female who is the
aggressor. Also in my Yellow-streaks, it is the female from whom I receive the occasional nip, not the male. In my Rajahs,
the male will occasionally bite me if I have been away, or if I am wearing something with which he is not familiar. I hand-reared
both birds (from different pairs), the male in 1995 and the female in 2000. The female's behaviour is still quite immature
and she will resort to juvenile food-begging if anything upsets her. Only once, when she was about to lay and probably feeling
a bit unwell, did she nip me, whereas the male is a little unpredictable in this respect. This may be partly because he is
very protective of the female.
In a well bonded
pair, male and female hardly ever leave each other's side, sitting together for hours gently preening each other, or even
just licking each other's beaks. Their devotion is very touching to observe. My Yellow-streaks are not such a strongly bonded
pair. The male's first female died some years ago and, in recent years, I had to part the male from his second female for
two years, because she was so aggressive at times he became afraid of her. This spring I decided to reunite them in an aviary
7ft square, instead of 15ft long, and this was successful, perhaps because it is not easy for the female to chase the male
in this shape aviary. He is nearly 30 years old and the female is half his age so the problem might stem from the fact that
he is not assertive enough.
How can one sex
Chalcopsitta lories? In mature Duivenbode's the yellow streaking on the nape is more pronounced
in the male. In all three species, with the exception of the insignis sub-species of the Black Lory,
the male's head and beak are larger and, if viewed from above, it is easy to see that the male is broader. Males generally
weigh about 15g to 20g more that the females. In Parrots of the World Joseph Forshaw states of the
Yellow-streaked Lory that the red is less extensive on the forehead in females. This might be but the degree of difference
is minute.
Sadly, the numbers
of Chalcopsitta lories in aviculture have declined significantly. I blame this partly on the advent
of commercial lory foods and the inability of many keepers to understand that the dietary requirements of various lory species
are as different as the diets of cockatoo are from those of Amazons or Neophemas. While Rainbow
Lorikeets will thrive and breed on any "standard" lory mix, Chalcopsittas will not. Lory keepers
in Australia are fortunate in having access to many species of flowering eucalypts and other trees on which lories feed in
nature. They should take advantage of this fact and offer blossom-laden branches on a regular basis. There can be no finer
foods than fresh pollen and natural nectar -- and nothing more enjoyable for the keeper than watching thses magnificent birds
foraging among blossom.
