Parakeets brighten lives in American homes

By Marty Metzger
North Forty News

Parakeets make fascinating pets for a variety of reasons, including variety itself. Native to tropical and subtropical climates, the small parrots brightly color trees in Australia, Africa, Asia, Central and South America.

Of the approximately 120 parakeet species, more than 30 are found in Australia. Among these is the Budgerigar, aka Budgie, the most ubiquitous bird in U.S. cages. Some other Aussie 'keets are the Port Lincoln, Bourke's, Stanley, Mulga, Princess of Wales, Australian King and Rosellas.

Central and South American parakeets, generally less brilliantly colored than their Down Under cousins, include conures, Tui, grey-cheeked and Quaker/Monk species.

While plumage, size and features differ, birds of a feather sociably flock together. Parakeets are keen on company. They're most successfully kept in pairs or small groups. They also enjoy human companionship, cheerfully perching atop shoulders, fingers or heads where they'll chatter away at length in people- or birdie-speak.

To do so, Pretty Bird must be allowed outside its cage. Parakeets should be granted at least two hours per day flight time around the house (with doors and windows closed, of course). This liberty provides required exercise and helps maintain psychological wellness.

Bird owners with young children should carefully supervise cage-free play sessions as youngsters can unwittingly endanger a pet. One 2-year-old boy inadvertently locked a little blue budgie, Scotty, in an infrequently opened linen closet. Bird spent a couple dark, stuffy, hungry, thirsty days incarcerated in the fluffy towel/stacked sheet brig while mate Skippy and human family were frantic. Amazingly, Scotty made it out alive, albeit weak, his undeserved sentence commuted by the toddler's mother. Her quest for fresh towels corrected the initial errant assumption that he'd flown the coop through an open door or window. Scotty recovered fully, flew many more days and years.

While caged, a parakeet should be quite content with food, water, perches, toys, cuttlebone, mineral source and other as-needed supplements recommended by a vet or breeder. Food and water dishes should be cleaned daily; perches, toys and cage floor weekly. Add a birdie bath or shower to the routine several times a week to maintain nice plumage. Simply provide a flat dish for the 'keet to splash around in or gently mist the feathered friend with lukewarm water.

Parakeets enjoy a diverse diet. A commercial seed/pellet mixture provides a good base. To this, add what wild birds would seek out: vegetables, fruits and grains.

Some gourmet choices are dandelions, grapes, corn-on-the-cob, bananas, mangoes, peas and berries. Avoid grapefruit, avocado, lemons, plums, potatoes, cabbages and other toxic/indigestible plants. Veterinarians and web sites can provide lengthier lists.

Owners can easily don a chef's hat. Many homemade goodies requiring a minimum of prep time will thrill a parakeet's little heart. Some tasty, healthy recipes are as follows:

Carrot Salad

Mix all ingredients and sprinkle with vitamins. Stores well in refrigerator several days.

Birdie Pizza

Spread baby veggies on pizza crust. Add cheese, then carrots and vitamins. Warm just long enough to melt cheese. Cut into small pieces.

Training a parakeet to talk or perform tricks requires patience, repetition, frequency and consistency. Use treats to reward and encourage requested behavior. Limit each session to 30 minutes or less.

Monica Bland of Wellington currently has a breeding pair of Indian Ringneck parakeets and, over the past 15 years, has owned Bourke's, red-rumped, and Budgies (English and American subspecies).

The owner of parrots as well, and home-based avian business Macaw Mountain, Bland knows how glib parakeets can be. They're masters of mimicry. She once owned a red-rumped pair that both perfectly imitated the human sneeze.

Bland recounted a story about a confirmed bachelor who owns a parakeet that wolf whistles whenever women enter the house, thoroughly embarrassing him and the women.

And then there was an elderly woman who owned a Budgie and a very old dog. The bird delighted in constantly hollering the dog's name. When the Budgie's canine companion became terminally ill, the woman made the difficult decision to have him euthanized. Bland said the lady was quite afraid that the bird would repeatedly upset her with calls for the dog. Incredibly, the Budgie never even once uttered the name again from the moment the woman returned from the vet without the dog.

Bland touts small parrots as excellent pets: "The parakeet family is a really good choice for people who enjoy parrot traits but don't have the time or space for a larger bird."