Bird

CLASS: Aves
ORDER: Psittaciformes (parrots)
FAMILY: Psitttacdae—Loriini (wax-billed parrots) Beaks of this group of parrots have a wax-like sheen and smoothness

SIZE:
11 inches

RANGE:
Indonesia, New Guinea, NE Australia, and Solomon Island

HABITAT:
Lowland rainforests, savanna, nesting in holes in high up on tall tree trunks

DIET:
Wild - Nuts, fruits, berries, leaf buds, flowers; feeding above ground prevents confrontations from humans and competition from aggressors such as the cockatoo

Zoo - Fruits, vegetables, seeds, and hard biscuits

DESCRIPTION:
Sexual dimorphism

Males -- primarily green feathers; when matures males have orange eyes; has a more prominent yellow upper mandible washed with bright orange and black lower mandible.

Females -- red; yellow eyes; black beak

Medium sized, stocky bird; tails rather square; wings long with rounded tips; feathers are usually fine and look like hair on a head and breasts more than other birds

FACTS:
Not generally known for destructive chewing or picking on cage doors

Strong fliers

Like people around but usually do not like to be touched or petted.

Moody dispositions

Females aggressive enough to protect eggs, chicks, food, and self

Some will talk

STATUS:
CITES App. II; not threatened; common in some of its range but declining and becoming rare in parts of its range due to trapping for the pet trade

REFERENCE:
"Grzimek's Animal Life Encylopedia", Vol. 8 Birds II, Dr. Bernhard Grzimek