We’re shining the spotlight on a parrot species each month, and for December it's the Black Lory (also known as the Black Lorikeet) - a striking, velvet-dark parrot with flashes of fiery red, a striking and unique parrot species.

Did you know?

Despite their name, Black Lories aren’t truly black, their deep plumage is a rich charcoal with glowing red highlights on the wings, belly, and tail. In the right light, they almost shimmer. They’re also incredibly agile flyers, darting between trees like little shadows.

📏 Size: Around 25–30 cm (10–12 inches), small but athletic, built for speed and precision rather than bulk.

🎂 Lifespan: Typically 25–35 years in captivity with excellent care, nutrition, and proper nectar-based feeding.

🧠 Special Traits: Exceptionally active, intelligent, and inquisitive. Like all lories and lorikeets, they have a brush-tipped tongue designed for nectar and pollen, meaning they require a very specific diet and high levels of enrichment. For this reason they're complex pets that only thrive with interaction, flight space, stimulation and a specialist diet.

🌍 Native To: The rainforests of New Guinea and nearby islands, where they feed on blossoms, fruit, and nectar high in the canopy.

🌿 Support Tip: Lories and lorikeets are highly specialised feeders and are often misunderstood in captivity, however they are very rarely found as pets.