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| PET GAZETTE | AVIAN
PET GAZETTE |
PARROTLETS
“WHATEVER KEEPERS PUT INTO THEIR BIRD
IN TERMS OF TIME AND AFFECTION WILL BE
REPAID LIKE FOR LIKE.”
proprietary seed mix supplemented with
varied fresh fruits and green foods. They
particularly like mango, papaya, apple and
pineapple. The diet should have only a small
amount of sunflower seeds but a good
variety of millets and Canary seeds.
According to the PFMA’s 2017 survey 700,000 indoor birds are
kept as pets within the UK. John Courteney-Smith MRSB explains
why the small, sociable Parrotlet appeals to ‘fanciers’
O
ver the past few months we
have looked in detail at some
of the more commonly found
species of Finch and small
songbird that could be placed
back into our shops with the
aim to increase variety and to rekindle some
of our nation’s long affinity with bird keeping.
It has been a tough decade within the
bird keeping hobby. Enforced EU regulation
drove a wedge between supply and demand.
Due to low prices and species abundance
within the hobby very little effort had been
placed on captive breeding across all species,
this led to a crash in availability and an eye
watering soaring of prices. In short, we had
very little stock and that which was available
was so expensive that new keepers found it
hard to start up. The good news is that within
this decade those with stock have worked
hard to produce good numbers of those
species that had been commonly kept pets.
Prices have fallen and we are once again able
to enjoy the hobby or ‘fancy’ of bird keeping.
Humans have had a long affiliation with
Parrots and Parrot-like birds. We all know
how popular the Budgerigar was pre and
post war. Indeed, it has continued to be a
popular pet and is bred in large numbers.
In-fact, British Budgies are the envy of the
bird keeping world, being exported in huge
numbers to add a certain ‘quality’ into show
stocks. The humble Budgie could be thought
of as the ultimate pet Parrot-like bird but
there are other options, especially for those
that prefer the look of a typical short tailed
Parrot, being quite dumpy and comical in
its movements.
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BONDING WITH PARROTLETS
For many, the larger Parrots such as African
greys or Amazons, are simply impossible to
keep. The larger species require sizable cages
and seemingly ceaseless attention. However,
that is not to say that no one should keep
a large species! There are plenty of loving
homes with plenty of space and free time
to devote to these majestic and highly
intelligent birds.
There are, of course, plenty of small species
of Parrot and parakeet. These include the
Cockatiel, Ringneck, Senegal, Rosella, Pionus,
small Conures and many more. We have
also looked at the lovebirds in a previous
issue and how these highly attractive and
intelligent small Parrots from Africa can
become very good pets when hand reared.
They also remain the subject of devotion and
dedication to breeders as show birds all over
the world.
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very sociable birds living in quite large flocks
in the wild. They can also be spotted at
watering points or at sources of food with
other species of Parrot, both large and small.
There are a seven species within the Genus
‘Forpus’, however from these seven only
three are commonly available within the
hobby. These being the ‘Celestial or Pacific’,
the ‘Spectacled’ and the ‘Green Rumped’
Parrotlet. All species are green over much
of the body in the wild form but carry eye,
rump and wing markings, usually in yellow
or blue. These small birds are also dimorphic,
which is a real plus point when it comes to
choosing pairs.
Parrotlets are small birds, with the Celestial
being the largest at around 5”and the Green
Rumped at 4-4.5”. They are seed eaters
faring well on a
good quality
Parrotlets have huge amounts of charm.
They will spend hours every day climbing
and playing with small toys, feeding and
interacting with each other or with the
keeper. As usual with pet Parrots, a bird is
more likely to bond with one owner over
all. In fact, the little chap will become quite
dedicated and almost look forward to
spending time out of the cage interacting
with the owner. Parrots of all species ‘test’
things with their beak, this means that they
commonly bite new items or visitors. These
will, or should not be, full power aggressive
bites but can be misunderstood as
aggression. Learn your Parrot! Work with him
or her. They also ‘punish-bite’, so be careful
not to upset them and
read up on Parrot
behaviour,
SMALL AND SOCIABLE
In this issue I want to look at the ‘New World’
equivalent of the Lovebird being the small
group of species that we call Parrotlets.
Parrotlets originated from south and
central America. They are typical short
tailed Parrots being quite dumpy and
actually resembling miniature
‘Amazon’ Parrots. They are
there are plenty of very good books and
videos on this subject. In terms of biting,
well, it has more power than a Budgie but
nowhere near that of a larger Parrot. Over the
years Parrot keepers have learnt that this is all
part of a rich and fulfilling relationship.
Parrotlets are not noisy as such but like
all birds they do have a call. I have kept
Celestials and Spectacles myself and they
have not become troublesome when kept
in the living room. The thing to remember is
that Parrots call for a number of reasons. The
most common is communication within the
flock. They call to check if others in the group
are ok. So, if a bird has bonded with you and
you walk out of the room they are likely to
call to see where you are. Armed with that
knowledge you can make adjustments and
keep call times to a minimum.
CAGING
These small birds do not require the giant
cages that we have to provide for the larger
Parrots such as Macaws but they still require
space. A good sized wire Parakeet cage
suitable for a Cockatiel or Lovebird with
minimum quarter inch bar spacing would
be more than fine for a pet bird. This should
have horizontal bars for easy climbing and
“KEEPERS MUST KEEP
WINDOWS SHUT AND
WATCH WHERE THEY
WALK, PARROTLETS ARE
ADVENTURERS AND
WILL EXPLORE THE
WHOLE ROOM.”
August 2017
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be decorated with good quality toys to allow
the bird to climb well and exercise. Parrotlets
prefer cages that are longer rather than tall.
The cage should be placed in a safe place
and away from direct sunshine opposite a
window but away from any drafts. Keep in
mind that although sunshine is a positive
thing, UVB does not penetrate through
glass but infra-red or ‘heat’ does. This simply
increases the risk of your bird overheating
on hot days. Perches and ladders made of
wood and perching made from real branches
will also help them to stretch their feet and
chew. Please do keep this in mind, Parrots
chew and it is important that they do so, so
chew toys and ‘shred-ables’ are an essential
stock inclusion. Source good quality natural
toys and perches from your suppliers and be
sure to educate your customers as to why
you suggest they invest in extra perching.
The ergonomic sanded perches are also very
good but should be used alongside wood
and not instead of.
A second smaller cage can also be sold
to allow a keeper to take their bird into the
garden with them when the weather is
suitable. Having access to natural sunlight
and fresh air is very useful indeed. This ‘travel
cage’ also can also be used for holidays and
trips to the vet.
BREEDING
Parrotlets are actually quite simple to breed
and can be bred in flights, wire, metal or
wooden breeding cages. For a single pair a
cage around 30x18x18” would be fine. They
do require a deep nest box for them to lay
in. It is now common to use ‘L’ shaped nest
boxes, similar but larger than those used for
Gouldian Finches. The cock and hen will carry
nesting material to the box, this is usually
spread with wood shavings or even torn up
paper from the floor. The hen will then enter
the box to lay and pretty much stay there.
The cock bird will feed the hen and take up a
position of watch outside of the box. Usually
quite tolerant birds can become very good
at biting and chasing you away during this
period. Chicks should be rung as appropriate
and can be taken for hand rearing if you
should so decide to invest the time and care.
August 2017