Australian Ringneck Parrots

Australian Ringneck Parrots

by Mark Holmes, Angaston, S.A.

Classification

The ringneck family of Australian parrots belong to the genus, Barnardius.  They are also referred to as Broad-tailed parrots.  The ringneck group are widespread throughout the drier areas of Australia and there are four main subspecies recognised, namely :

Twenty-eight parrot

Port Lincoln parrot

Mallee ringneck

Cloncurry parrot

A hybrid subspecies between the Port Lincoln and Twenty-eight parrot, the so-called wheatbelt hybrid or the yellow-fronted Twenty-eight parrot, also exists. All are widely kept in avicultural collections and are a worthwhile addition to any fanciers collection.

The Twenty-eight and Port Lincoln parrots and the wheatbelt hybrid are all very similar in coloration and I am sure there has been many a friendly argument on an aviary visit amongst aviculturists as to which is which.

Male/Female

In the Twenty-eight parrot, the sexes are alike in body colouration. It is a large bird, being approximately 40cm in length, of which 20cm is tail. The male however, is slightly larger than the female and has a broader head. Its head is dull black; lower ear coverts violet blue; it has a narrow yellow collar around the nape; the back and wings are bright green; the outer webs of the primary feathers are dark blue; the throat and breast are dark green; the belly is green; the underwing coverts are blue; the eye is brown; bill is pale grey; legs and feet are grey.  Both sexes have a red   frontal band across the top of the bill, as do the wheatbelt hybrids. The wheatbelt or yellow-fronted Twenty-eights as they are often called have the same colourings and markings, except the belly is yellow grading to a pale green towards the vent.

Immatures of both the Twenty-eight and the wheatbelt hybrid are duller than the adults with a brown hue about the head. The Twenty-eight has a tri-syllabic call, sounding like 'twenty-eight', as the last note is higher in pitch than the first two. This call has given rise to their common name.

The Port Lincoln parrot is also known as Bauer's parrakeet, Banded parrot or the Yellow-naped parrot, although these names are not widely used.

Once again the sexes are similar with the male being slightly larger with a broader head. They are 37cm in length, including 19cm of tail. The head is dull black; lower ear coverts are violet-blue; narrow yellow collar on the neck; back and wings are green; outer web of primary feathers are green, becoming blue towards the tips; the lateral feathers are blue edged with pale blue; the throat and breast are blue green and the belly yellow changing to a yellow green as nears the vent and undertail coverts.  Underwing coverts are blue; the eye is brown; the bill pale grey and the legs and feet are grey. Neither the male or female Port Lincoln has a red frontal band although some individual birds may have a small red spot above the bill. This is due to interbreeding, as the Twenty-eight, the wheatbelts and the Port Lincoln will readily hybridise. This is most noticeable in large numbers of trapped birds that dealers have on hand at times.

Immature Port Lincoln's are once again duller than the adults with the head having a brown hue.

The contact call is a high pitched whistling note, repeated rapidly several times. The alarm call is harsh and metallic, being very similar to that of the Mallee ringneck.

The Twenty-eight and Port Lincoln breed from August to February, mainly in central and southern Australia. Birds in northern Australia are known to start nesting as early as June, but this often depends on the rainfall. They often double brood in the wild although I have rarely heard of them double brooding in captivity.

Mating

There is a great activity at the start of the breeding season as the pair inspect every hole and hollow in the branches of a living or dead     eucalyptus tree, chattering incessantly and wagging their tails.  Once a breeding pair have selected a hollow they defend it vigorously against other parrots.

During the mating display, the courting male crouches in front of the female, squares his shoulders and wings and vibrates them slightly, with his tail fanned and moving quickly from side to side. While doing this he chatters constantly.

Nesting

They nest in a hollow limb of a eucalyptus tree, laying four to seven (usually four), rounded, white eggs 31x25mm in size.  The bottom of the   hollow is lined with wood dust as a soft bed for the eggs. Hens sit for 21 days and young fly after 30 days.

Distribution 

The Port Lincoln is widely distributed on the west coast of South  Australia around Kimba, north to Alice Springs, west from Alice Springs to the Western Australian coast, and the whole of WA below that line, except the south-west corner.  They are most common in most types of lightly     timbered country, from eucalypt woodland to mallee and dry acacia      scrubland of the central regions.

The Twenty-eight inhabits dense eucalyptus forests in the south-west of Western Australia.

Feeding

Twenty-eights and Port Lincolns feed on the ground or among the branches of trees and shrubs, eating a variety of seeds and plant food.

Behavior

These conspicuous birds are noisy and inquisitive. When disturbed they fly to a nearby tree, call excitedly and evaluate the danger before flying away. The alarm calls given by one bird quickly attracts others and soon the disturbance, be it a snake, goanna or other, is being investigated by a dozen or more chattering parrots.

Twenty-eights and Port Lincolns in an aviary have been known to be very aggressive towards their young when they have fledged and it is best to isolate the young as soon as they are independent. They have also been known to continually chase their young from the feed bowl, resulting in the death of the young birds.

Names

The Mallee ringneck parrot is also known as the Mallee parrot,   Ringneck parrot, Barnard's parrakeet or buln buln. It is often confused with its close relative, the Cloncurry parrot.  Both the Mallee ringneck and the    Cloncurry are the same size but their body colourings are different and more distinct than the Twenty-eight and Port Lincoln.

Size

They are approximately 34cm in length including 17.5cm of tail.

The male Mallee ringneck has an overall blue-green body plumage, a red frontal band above the beak and blue cheeks. They have a V-shaped brown-blue band extending from the eyes, back around the head, to meet a narrow yellow collar at the nape. There is an irregular band of orange-yellow across the belly, with the back and mantle a deep blue-black. The shoulders are yellow; the outer webs of the flight feathers blue, the underwing coverts also blue. The central tail feathers are blue with a faint edging of white. The eye is dark brown; bill is pale grey; feet and legs are grey.

The female is very similar to the male, but the back and mantle are a dark grey-green.  The hen is slightly smaller, especially in its head size.     Immature birds are duller than the female. The normal call sounds something like 'Kwink-Kwink-Kwink' and, when disturbed, the alarm call is a harsh     metallic shriek.

If feeding in branches or shrubs, they will utter a subdued chattering.

Mallees blend extremely well with their surroundings, either when feeding among the outer branches of eucalyptus or mallee or on the ground.

Diet

Their diet consists mainly of the seeds of grasses and herbs, fruit, blossoms, leaf buds and insects and their larvae, They are usually seen in pairs or family groups.

Breeding

The breeding season is usually August to January, but may be triggered by heavy rain. After choosing a hollow, the pair spend considerable time preparing it, lining the bottom of the hollow with decaying wood dust and making a shallow depression for the eggs.

The courting male crouches in front of the female, squares his  shoulders and wings and vibrates them slightly, with his tail fanned and  moving quickly from side to side. He also chatters constantly.

Four to six white eggs are laid (usually five); they are rounded and are 29x23mm in size. The female incubates the eggs for 20-21 days and the young leave the hollow after about 30 days.

While the female feeds in the early morning and late afternoon, the male sits in a nearby tree and warns of approaching danger.

The Mallee ringneck is common in mallee scrub, open woodlands

and in trees along watercourses and is distributed from the Murray Flats and Murray Mallee of South Australia, to the sunset country of north-west Victoria and western NSW. They are also seen in southern Queensland.

When seen in an aviary, their colouring may seem a bit ‘ordinary’, but when seen in the wild they are very impressive.

Soon after sunrise they leave their roosting perches, drink and move out to the feeding areas until mid morning. During the hottest part of the day they shelter in the trees or forage in the shade for seeds, fallen fruit and the like. Towards dusk they become active and feed and drink before roosting for the night.

The Cloncurry parrot is often confused with the Mallee ringneck in captivity. In the wild the Cloncurry parrot is restricted to the Selwyn Ranges in north-west Queensland.

The Cloncurry is of similar size and stature as the Mallee with the sexes alike.  The Cloncurry has a general plumage of pale green; no red   frontal band; a wide pale yellow band across the belly; the wing coverts are green; and the tail feathers get darker as they go down the tail, almost to a blue. The feet and legs are grey-brown. The female is paler than the male and slightly smaller. Immatures are duller than the adult birds and may posses a russet frontal band which disappears after a few months.

They have a call, courtship and mating habits very similar to a Mallee.  They seem to be a quieter bird and more docile among my collection of    ringnecks. The male Cloncurry is the clown of my collection, as he usually hangs upside down on the aviary roof and moves from one side to the other. He is usually seen to roost this way too.

Feeding

As far as feeding is concerned, ringnecks like a diet of small parrot mix comprising, for example, plain canary seed, grey sunflower (not black), hulled oats, pannicum, white millet and safflower.

They also relish a regular supply of fresh apple, silver beet, orange quarters, carrot, seeding grass, wheat, barley grass, millet sprays and sunflower heads.  Be careful with grass from the roadside as it may have been sprayed by the local Council.

They also enjoy almonds and nuts. Do not feed almonds that have been left to get damp. Make sure they are stored in a dry place and cracked when needed.

Housing

The floor of the aviary should consist of a sand or grit base, and cuttlebone and shellgrit should always be available. They also enjoy a fresh branch of mallee or other gum in the aviary every so often, chewing off the leaves and climbing all over it.

In all, I have found my collection of eight pairs of ringnecks, comprising three pairs of Port Lincolns, two pairs of Mallees, and one pair each of the Twenty-eight, wheatbelt hybrid and Cloncurry, a rewarding addition to my aviaries. One pair of Port Lincoln's are laying, and another is working their hollow, as is the pair of Mallees and the Cloncurry.  Most of my ringnecks are only 12 months old, so I am not over hopeful of achieving success just yet.

Some of mine are housed in adjoining aviaries, with heavy gauge 13mm mesh. I hope to have them in every second cage by next season as I build some more cages. My aviaries are all 2.4m deep, 0.9m wide and 2.1m high, except two which are 3.7m deep, 1.1m wide and 2.1m high. Their hollows are all 60-90cm long and hung at 45° angle, away from the afternoon sun.

Category › Australian Ringneck Parrots , Cloncurry , Mallee ringneck , Mallees , Parrot , parrots , pet bird , ringnecks

Rose-Ringed Parakeet

Most of us will see this bird in a pet store or in a cage as someone’s pet. Along with other parrots, they have been imported into our country and other countries because people like them as pets. Not only are they beautiful birds but they are very smart and can be taught to talk.   Some of these birds have escaped captivity and have been able to find their way to an environment where they have formed  breeding colonies.  Bakersfield, California has  one of the largest colonies of Rose-Ringed Parakeets in North America. [SinglePic not found] We went to Bakersfield to try to find them, but discovered that they are camouflaged in the tree canopy most of the time. However, since they are very social birds, we were finally able to locate them from all the noise and squawking they were making.

Description

The Rose-Ringed Parakeet is bright green with a yellow wash on its under parts, wings, and tail.  The tail is very long, and makes up the majority of the bird’s length which is about 16″.  The tail has a blue central tail feather bordered by green feathers also washed in blue.  The male has a black chin and neck band, and a rose colored ring around the nape of his neck.  This ring doesn’t develop until he is about 18 month old.   He also has a red hooked beak with a black tip and a black mandible.  A line goes from his yellow-white eye towards his beak. He has a red eye ring.  His feet and legs are grayish-green.  The females and juveniles do not have the ring unless it is just a faint darkening of the green feathers.  The female has shorter tail feathers and her back is washed in blue.  The juvenile looks like the female but has a pinkish beak with a pale tip and a whitish eye.

Range and Habitat

Rose-Ringed Parakeets are native to Asia and Africa; they are not native to the United States.  We have feral birds that have escaped captivity which have established stable populations in Florida, Hawaii and California.   In the wild they can be found in forests and arid environments.  In the United States, they are found in forests, marshes, farms, and grasslands and city parks.

Behavior

They are very noisy in groups with much screeching, whistling and squawking.  They travel in small flocks to find food.  They eat fruit, blossoms, nectar, nuts, berries and seeds.   They are very social, roosting, feeding and interacting together. Their flight is fast and direct and is very distinctive, with the head and body held in a straight line. These birds have been captured as pets for hundreds of years.

Breeding and Nesting

These birds do not mate for life but are monogamous.  The male courts the female by swaying from side to side, repeatedly lifting one foot, and leaning towards her stretching his body and neck.  He utters soft, low notes. They nest in tree cavities, usually abandoned woodpecker holes.  The female selects the nest and lines it with wood chips.  She lays 3-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for about 22 days.  Both parents care for the young.  The young birds leave the nest in about 30 days.

Category › common parrot , parakeets , Parrot , parrot diet , parrot facts , parrots , Ring necked parakeets , rose ringed parrot , Rose-Ringed Parakeet , Rose-Ringed Parrot

Blue-winged Parrot

                                                Distribution
The Blue-winged Parrot (Neophema chrysostoma) inhabits the whole of Tasmania, the islands of Bass Strait, the whole of Victoria and the South-eastern portion of South Australia. The northern extreme of the range being roughly a line drawn from Gawler in South Australia through Broken Hill in New South Wales to the Victoria-New South Wales border on the east coast.

Description

The Blue-wing is approximately 200 to 225mm in length, which is about average for all the Neophema groups.  The upper surface is olive green, the underparts yellow, the wings are blue with black flight feathers, the nose-band is blue.

The Blue-wing is the hardest of all the Neophemas to sex. As with the Elegant (N. elegans) the blue nose-band is the surest method of sexing these birds. It is usually broader and darker on male birds. However, it is possible to get bright females and dull males which look identical. In this case I go by the black of the flight feathers. In the case of the male these are an intense glossy black, while those of the female are a duller grey-black.

Immatures


The young are a dull version of the hen and take about six to nine months to attain full colour. It is almost impossible to sex immature birds.

Breeding

Blue-wings nest later in the season than the other Neophemas. They rarely go to nest before mid-November and sometimes as late as mid-December.  If a pair double broods the second nest is seldom before late    January. As a consequence many young are lost in the nest due to the high temperatures prevailing at this time - December and January temperatures are usually in the 30-35 degree Celsius range.

Clutch sizes vary between four and six eggs, the usual number being four or five, six being very rare.  Good birds in top condition usually have 100% fertility. It is uncommon to find an infertile egg, unless the birds have been inbred. The hen sits extremely tightly. It is often hard to get her to leave the nest if you want to inspect the eggs. I have had to lift hens off on many occasions when inspecting the nest. They do not seem to mind this as they return to the nest as soon as the aviary is vacated. The eggs take about twenty days to hatch. The young spend three to four weeks in the log and take another two to three weeks to become independent.

I have found that the Blue-wing is the only Neophema to prefer logs hung at an angle. I give all my parrots a choice of logs when they first go to nest, one at an angle and one vertical.  All the other Neophema species invariably choose a vertical log, but I have only had one pair of Blue-wings do so.

Diet

As with the other Neophema species the staple diet consists of canary seed, millet (white and Japanese), pannicum, hulled oats and sunflower. They show a preference for the oats and sunflower. This tends to make them fat, but as it does not appear to interfere with their breeding capabilities or affect their life span I give these seeds to them as they want them. They also consume large quantities of seeding grasses in season and much silver beet and milk thistle during the rest of the year. Large amounts of green-feed are consumed when feeding young.

General

Blue-wings tend to be flighty birds and go into mad panic if frightened. This seems to be a natural quirk of this species, as I have found hand reared young very friendly until released into an aviary, they then quickly become as wild as those raised by the parents.

Except for Elegants, they get on very well with birds in adjoining aviaries. I have housed them with Bourkes (N. bourkii) with quite good results. This is probably because Bourkes go to nest as early as September and the Blue-wings not until two months later, thus there is no competition for logs.

Bathing is a favourite occupation. As soon as I place fresh water in their dishes they are in it. They also like to get under a fine spray from the hose.

I offer my birds the following logs:

Vertical  450 to 500mm in length with a 50mm hole 60mm from the top.

Angular  600 to 700mm in length with a 50mm hole 60mm from the top. Both ends are closed and the log hung at an angle of 25 to 30 degrees from the horizontal.

I use nesting material consisting of 50% peat moss, 25% coarse sawdust (not shavings) and 25% sifted dirt. This is mixed and left to stand for six to twelve months before being compacted into the bottom of the logs.
Author: Gerry Solly

Category › Blue-winged Parrot , Blue-winged Parrot diet. , Neophema chrysostoma , Parrot

Parrot Behavior

Ten-year-old umbrella cockatoo Angel rips up the woodwork, and her owners rapidly lose patience with the constant repairs.

Myrtle, a 5-year-old yellow-naped Amazon, screams every morning at sunrise, and her owners can no longer enjoy sleeping late on weekends.

Nine -month-old Congo grey Marti suddenly bites viciously and draws blood “for no reason.”

All of these birds “used to be fine,” according to their owners. What has happened to change them so completely from “good” to “bad?” Is it someone’s fault that things went wrong, and if so, whose?

Angel’s chewing the woodwork is clearly not Angel’s problem. She is obviously having a grand time. The chewing of wood is a natural psittacine behavior, and it is built into parrots’ DNA. Parrots cannot be expected not to chew. So Angel is not being “bad.” Instead, Angel is just being a parrot.

Consequently, chewing woodwork is a human problem, not a parrot problem. By far the easiest way to prevent the chewing of woodwork (and furniture, upholstery, lamps, computers, sound systems, important papers, etc.) is to prohibit the parrot contact with it.

Chewing on wood is a behavior embedded in psittacine psyche. Therefore, wood needs to be provided for safe and satisfying chomping. Indeed, many parrot owners find that frequent offerings of safe woods with bark and leaves (not chemically sprayed, please) can effectively distract that psittacine beak for hours at a time. So instead of trying to change a natural behavior (both impossible and detrimental), look for ways to step around the problem.

The situation of Myrtle’s early morning singing/screaming also falls into the pet bird owners problem not bird’s problem. Myrtle, the yellow nape, is only doing what comes naturally to many species of birds when she performs her morning arias. Ornithologists have repeatedly documented a phenomena called “The Dawn Chorus,” when many avian species loudly proclaim the joy of the new day, the rising of the sun, their survival through the night, the borders of their territory, etc.

Does this mean anyone who lives with psittacines has therefore signed away his or her sleeping late for as long as they both shall live? Not necessarily. Circumventing an apparent instinct, however, should only be done occasionally and only with forethought.

Rather than give up his beloved languorous sleep-in Sunday morning, one ingenious client hit on the perfect compromise with his green-winged macaw. Every Saturday night, he would put his macaw to bed per usual in his sleep cage, which was set up in an unoccupied guest room. This room was equipped with blackout shades and a white noise machine. The shades totally blocked out the light, and the white noise machine blocked the early morning sounds of the birds outside, allowing blissful late sleep on Sunday mornings. So this sensible gentleman developed a compromise between his once-a-week luxury and his macaw’s natural behavior.

The situation with Marti, the 9-month-old Congo grey that bites for no reason is a sad example of blatant cross-species miscommunication. It is a misconception that any animal does something “for no reason.” Instead of, “for no reason,” the words should be rephrased to say, “for no reason the humans understand.”

Because all animals do things for a reason, there is a rationale for the grey’s aggression. The human needs to figure out what that motivation is, and eliminate it.

In Marti’s case, after much analysis, the owners were startled to realize that Marti’s aggression was totally predictable. He was most likely to bite when someone was trying to pet him. More scrutiny revealed that there were multiple steps that led up to the grey’s assault.

Prior to biting, if he could, Marti would scamper away from the hand that was trying to pet him. If he could not move away, he would lean way back and growl when the hand tried to reach around him to stroke him. As the human persisted in the attempts to pet him, Marti would gently, but firmly push away the offending hand repeatedly. Then he would escalate to nipping, and finally resort to drawing blood.
When analyzed in this manner, the picture changes quite dramatically. Instead of the grey viciously attacking, we have an animal that is simply trying to politely discourage a behavior he does not enjoy, only resorting to violence when the human completely fails to understand the bird’s multiple attempts to communicate politely.

If your answer is that the parrot should want to be petted, then I am afraid you misunderstand something very fundamental about psittacines and animals in general. I have worked with many different species of animals over the years, both avian and mammalian, domestic and wild, and I have come to a uncomplicated conclusion regarding petting.

Simply put, there is only one animal on this planet that is likely to want to be petted whenever a human wants to pet it, and that animal is the dog. (We cat owners already know what happens if we try to force ourselves on a cat when it is not in the mood to be petted!) And a parrot is not “a dog with feathers.”

Marti’s owners wish to interject that it is a recent development that Marti stopped wanting to be petted, so they are justified in their confusion as to his motivations. After all, if he used to like it, then why doesn’t he like it now?

This raises another issue entirely. The reality is that parrots are extremely long-lived, intelligent animals, and with intelligence and long life come the ability to change. For several years, my niece used to eat only one brand of cereal for breakfast. She can’t even stand to look at the box, now. As a young adult, I adored putting together plastic models, but those little, teeny pieces drive me buggy, now.

We humans generally change a lot through the years and so do parrots. Marti is starting to grow up, which is not to be confused with “becoming hormonal.” As an integral part of no longer being a baby, Marti is beginning to develop some independence (visualize an 8-year-old boy, here) and form his own opinions about things.

For instance, he is changing his attitude toward being petted. He may have enjoyed cuddling and stroking as a baby but, like most 8-year-old boys, he is developing a strong resistance to it now.

Just because Marti’s owners want to pet him does not make Marti bad because he does not wish to oblige. I am not someone who wishes to be touched by lots of people, and I have the perfect right to enforce my beliefs if someone steps over that line. So do parrots.

When we parrot people find ourselves in conflict with our psittacines, we need to step back from the situation and try to gain some perspective as to what is actually happening. Careful and perceptive observation of psittacine body language is immensely useful.

By paying careful attention, we often find that our birds are clearly communicating why they are doing what they are doing. By watching for patterns, we can learn what situations can get our parrots into trouble and easily avoid them. With careful analysis, we usually find that parrots are only being parrots and, as the “higher life forms” that we like to consider ourselves to be, it is up to the humans to figure out a compromise.

Living with a parrot means living with instinctual behavior. Expecting a parrot to be something other than a parrot is futile and sure to end in failure for all concerned. Some behaviors are instinctive (like chewing and vocalizing), and instinctive behaviors are not “bad.” Caretakers need to evaluate each situation and determine the basis for the behavior and proceed accordingly.

Thanks to miscommunication and misunderstanding, many companion psittacines behave in unacceptable ways, such as screaming for hours or biting everyone around them. It is important for parrot people to understand that negative behaviors need not be written in stone. These behaviors can be changed with patience, understanding and consistency. In other words, a parrot is never a lost cause.

Category › aggressive bird , bird behavior , birds , parakeet , Parrot , parrot behavior , parrot care , parrots

Bronze-winged Parrot

The Bronze-winged Pionus is very beautiful! The attractive, though subtle, coloring in its plumage is especially apparent in bright light, and the vivid blues on the undersides of the wings can be seen when they fly if kept in an aviary.

   Being curious, personable, and quite intelligent, the Bronze-winged Pionus makes a wonderful family pet. They are also a great pet for people who live in apartments or in close proximity to neighbors (where noise can be a problem) because they have a relatively quiet calm personality.

Scientific Name: Pionus chalcopterus
   (A subspecies of Bronze-winged Pionus P. c. cyanescens was described in 1944 by Meyer de Schauense, however as of 2001, ornithologists tend to view it as identical to the nominate species Pionus chalcopterus.)

Distribution:    These birds are native to the mountainous regions of northwest Venezuela, western Columbia, Ecuador, and northwest Peru. They inhabit forests in the tropical and sub-tropical zones.

Description:    The Bronze-winged Pionus is a medium size stocky parrot with a wonderful personality. Their overall appearance is a dark violet-blue with a white chin, pink tips to the feathers on the throat, and a bronze dusting to the wings. There are many subtle blendings of colors overall. The head, neck, upper back, wings, and upper tail have bronze to bronze-green feathers tipped with blues to purple-blues, while the feathers on the underparts are dark green tipped with violet-blues. The lower back, rump, and tail are a deep blue with the undertail having the bright red feathers distinguishable to all the pionus. The underwings are a blue to bluish-green and the legs are brown. Their beak is yellowish, the eye brown, and their eye ring is a variable greyish.
   Juveniles have much less developed color variety and are more greenish overall. The eye ring is yellowish rather than greyish-pink.

Size - Weight:    These birds grow to a length of 11" (28 cm)

Care and feeding:    A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend a good deal of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. The Bronze-winged Pionus should not be kept outdoors where temperatures fall below 41° F (5° C).
   They eat a variety of seeds, fruits, berries, and greenstuffs. Including a formulated diet would also be beneficial. 

Social Behaviors:    These birds tame very easily and are very sociable. They are not loud like many conures and amazons. They have very steady personalities and do not tend to bite. 

Breeding/Reproduction:   There is no visible means of sexing these birds, though their eye rings will turn a darker pink during breeding season. The Bronze-winged Pionus form a very strong pair bond, sometimes resulting in over-zealous preening and plucking around the back of each others' necks.
   They are a relatively difficult bird to breed as they tend to be rather nervous. A nest box should be approximately 10" x 10" x 24" (26 x 26 x 62 cm) and to encourage breeding, placed it high up in a dark area of the aviary.
   The female will lay 4 to 5 eggs which incubate for about 26 days. Pairs may take mealworms and greenstuffs when they have chicks in the nest. Corncob is a favorite weaning food. The young leave the nest in the wild after about 8 weeks but can take a little longer in captivity, up to about 10 weeks. 

Potential Problems:    The Bronze-winged Pionus is a relatively healthy bird, though the pionus parrots have been known to be more susceptible to the infection aspergillosis than other species. The main symptom is heavy, belabored breathing. 

Availability:   This bird is available from time to time. Though they are relatively common in captivity, the Bronze-winged Pionus are not as widespread in the pet trade and so not as frequently available as some of the other pionus.
Author: Clarice Brough, CAS

Category › Bronze-winged Parrot , Bronze-winged Parrot pictures , Bronze-winged Pionus , Parrot , pionus

Australian King Parrot

Australian King Parrot
Scientific Name:
Alisterus scapularis.
Origin:
Australia.
Size:
Australian King Parrots are rather large birds, averaging between 16 and 18 inches in length from the beak to the tips of the tail feathers.
Average 
Lifespan:
In captivity, Australian King Parrots live an average of 25 to 30 years with proper care.
Temperament:
Australian King Parrots are not overly affectionate birds, and most tend to prefer not to be handled. While there is the occasional exception, even King Parrots who were hand-fed as babies tend to not bond as strongly with their owners as some other parrot species, such as Cockatoos. This is not to say that these birds are anti-social -- to the contrary, many Australian King Parrots do enjoy interacting with their owners and even learn to say to a few words. If you are looking for a "cuddly" parrot, however, then this is probably not the best species for you.
Colors:
Australian King Parrots are a dimorphic bird species. Male Australian King Parrots have bright red plumage on their heads and chests, vivid green feathers on their backs and tails, and blue feathers underneath their wings. Females of the species have green feathers on their heads, backs, and chests, red on their bellies, and a patch of blue on their rumps. Both sexes have dark gray skin on their feet and legs.
Feeding:
In the wild, Australian King Parrots feast on a diet of fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, and flowers. In captivity, as with all pet birds, proper nutrition is essential to a King Parrot's health. Most King Parrot owners offer their birds a high quality commercial pellet and seed mix, supplemented with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables such as corn, carrots, mango, bananas, and leafy greens like spinach. Although high in fat, nut treats such as almonds and peanuts are a favorite of these birds. Whole grains like oats, millet, and quinoa are also readily accepted at feeding time.
Exercise:
Australian King Parrots, being large birds, need plenty of room to exercise. These birds love to climb, swing, and chew, so a very large cage with plenty of safe toys is the optimum environment for them. Although they generally don't crave human interaction as much as some other parrot species, they still require a minimum of 3 to 4 hours of supervised out-of-cage playtime per day. This should take place in a large "bird-proof" area of your home, as Australian King Parrots are very curious and intelligent and can get themselves into trouble if precautions aren't taken to ensure their safety.
Australian King Parrots as Pets:
While they are large parrots, Australian King Parrots are known to be among the more quiet parrot species, and tend to not scream as much as other large hookbills like Macaws. Instead, they tend to pleasantly vocalize at an audible but very agreeable level, and will entertain their owners with their whistles and chatter. When properly socialized and motivated, Australian King Parrots can learn to talk, but they are not especially noted for remarkable speaking ability. 

Although the vast majority of Australian King Parrots prefer minimal handling, they can be hand tamed by patient owners and are reported to be among the most gentle large parrots in the world. This is not to say that an Australian King Parrot will never bite, because all parrots will bite. However, these birds seem to prefer more peaceful methods of interacting with their human caretakers. 

While highly sought after due to their quiet nature and beautiful colors, it can be hard to find an Australian King Parrot. If you are looking to adopt one as a pet, try contacting your local exotic bird club or aviculture society and ask them if they know of any breeders in your area. Once you are in contact with a breeder, ask plenty of questions and try to make an appointment to visit with them and their birds. It is important to understand exactly what it is like to live with an Australian King Parrot, or any bird, before bringing one home!

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Eclectus Parrot

Eclectus

The Eclectus parrot has grown in its popularity as a companion parrot. Many parrot owners are drawn to them due to their astounding colors and their ability to talk. Many Eclectus owners claim that their Eclectus speaking ability is equal to that of an African Greys.

Pet Quality

If an Eclectus parrot is well socialized, they will go to anyone and make great family pets. There have been Eclectus Parrots placed in homes of families with children and each family member is able to have their own special bond with the bird. They are very affectionate and intelligent parrots, with nice mellow personalities. Their laid back personality is sometimes mis-construed as "boring" when the Eclectus is young and first brought home. That certainly does change as their "little" personalities develop as they mature. Females are violet-blue and red, the males green with red and turquoise under the wings.

Diet

The Eclectus Parrot require a dietrich with fresh fruits and vegetables. This need is attributed to the fact that the Eclectus has a longer intestinal tract than your "average parrot". It has also been proven that the fresh food you provide that is high in vitamin A is much more important than feeding them pellets. For that reason Eclectus need plenty of sweet potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables and almonds in their diet. As a matter of fact, their beaks are not designed for cracking nuts, they are designed to peel fruit. You should always avoid feeding an Eclectus colored pellets.

Noise Level

A very well behaved Eclectus, prefers talking to squawking, in fact many of them are absolutely excellent talkers, learning whole sentences and speaking in different voices at a fairly young age. It is highly recommended that while you are away from your home that you provide your Eclectus with the company of the television or radio.  If their area is too quiet, they will learn to make their own noise.  You need to be sure to equip them with the ability to learn acceptable vocalization.

Housing Requirements

The general rule is that any time a parrot is added to your home that you purchase the biggest cage you can afford and has the appropriate bar spacing. With the Eclectus parrot a large cage I important but because they are not hugely destructive, the strength of the bars is typically not an issue. Despite the fact that the Eclectus is not a strong chewer, they do enjoy pulling apart their toys. It is recommended to provide them with an array of soft wood and plenty of other toys that they can "fiddle" with including bells, swings and toys they can hang from.
When choosing between purchasing a play top ore a dome top cage it is strongly recommended to go with the dome top cape. The dome top cage provides much more room inside the cage that that of the play top. The dome top provides more room to "spread their wings" and have fun while they are in their cage for "cage time". A play top on the cage is not a good idea due to the fact that the Eclectus is predisposed to become quite territorial and should not be allowed to spend long periods of time playing on their cages. When it comes to maintaining your birds pet potential we recommend providing a separate play stand that is away from the cage to enhance their out of cage experience. We personally have play stands located in most areas of our home which enables us to keep a bird or two with us as we go throughout our daily routines. The Eclectus is easily trained to "stay where you put them" and will quite happy hanging out on a play stand that is equipped with lots of stuff for them to do.

Life Span

The life span of an Eclectus parrot used to be the young age of 6 years old. The advances that have been made through out the past several year ha help us to learn the importance of their diet needs. If you are feeding your Eclectus parrot the proper diet, they do have the potential to live as long as an African Grey.

Eclectic Facts


Eclectus Parrots live from 40 to 50 years. They are about 14" long.
Female parrots have red and purple feathers with black beaks
Males are green with orange beaks.
Usually the female of the species is more aggressive than males.
The female may become quite moody during breeding season after they have mature at about 4 years of age.
Eclectus Parrots come from Australia, New Guinea and the South Pacific.
Minimum cage size is 32"W x 32"L x 48"H
Eclectus Parrots are sensitive to smoke and strong odors.
Provide perches of different widths, diameters and textures to help keep a Eclectus Parrot's feet healthy.

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Parrot

The parrot is a medium sized group of birds, with the parrot being best known for it's extremely brightly coloured feathers, and the ability of some parrot species to talk, as these species of parrots are able to mimic sounds made by other animals such as humans.
There are thought to be over 350 species of parrot worldwide, ranging across rainforest regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The parrot tends to inhabit densely forested areas, where the parrot hunts insects and small mammals, as well as eating nuts, seeds and fruits.


The parrot can grow between 8cm and 1m, depending on the parrot species. The pygmy parrot is the smallest species of parrot in the world, growing to around the same size as an adult human's finger. The pygmy parrot is found in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest species of parrot in the world, growing to more than a meter in height and native to the jungles of central and eastern South America. However, the endangered kakapo of New Zealand can often be heavier than the Hyacinth Macaw, with the kakapo often reaching more than 3kg in weight.

The parrot is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all the bird species, mainly in the sense that parrots are able to replicate (mimic) the noises made around them. Some parrots are able to mimic modern sounds and human voices to almost perfection. One African grey parrot was found to have a vocabulary of more than 800 words!

Nearly all of the different parrot species around the world are known to live for a long time, particularly in comparison to other species of bird (even other species of animal). The average lifespan of the parrot is around 60 years although it is not uncommon for parrots to be much older ages, as many parrot individuals have reached the age of 100.

Parrots are identifiable by a number of their features, the brightly coloured feathers of the parrot being the most obvious one. Parrots are known to have sharp, curved beaks which help parrots to crack nuts open more easily and to access fruits on the trees. Parrots also have strong legs, but are most well known for the fact that there are four toes on each of the parrot's two feet, two of these toes face forwards and the other two toes face backwards. These remarkable feet help the parrot not only to perch on tree branches more easily but also aid the parrot in climbing tree trunks or clambering through the dense jungle foliage.

Parrot populations are rapidly declining mainly due to deforestation and therefore destruction of the parrot's natural habitat. Parrots are also a popular animal in the exotic pet trade and are trapped in the wild to be delivered to homes around the world.

Due to their large size (of the majority of parrot species) and intelligence, parrots have few natural predators in the wild. The human trapping and hunting parrots, is the main predator of the parrot along with monkeys, snakes and large birds of prey that tend to feed more on the eggs of the parrot rather than the bird itself.

  

Parrot Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Scientific Name: Psittacine
Type: Bird
Diet: Omnivore
Size (H): 8cm - 100cm (3.5in - 39in)
Wing Span: 15cm - 140cm (5.9in - 56in)
Weight: 10g - 4,000g (0.02lbs - 5.9lbs)
Top Speed: 24km/h (15mph)
Life Span: 40 - 80 years
Lifestyle: Solitary
Conservation Status: Endangered
Colour: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, White
Skin Type: Feathers
Favourite Food: Fruit
Habitat: Rainforests and tropical jungle
Average Clutch Size: 2
Main Prey: Fruit, Nuts, Seeds, Insects
Predators: Human, Monkeys, Large Birds
Distinctive Features: Large colourful body and curved beak

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