Bourke's Parakeet
The quiet parakeet that comes alive at dusk: gentle, rarely loud, and pink all over in the rosy form most people buy.
Overview
Bourke's parakeets are small grass parakeets from the dry interior of Australia, about 19 cm long and 41 to 49 g, and they are among the gentlest parrots kept. Most of the day they sit quietly, then come alive at dawn and again well after sunset, which is unusual for a parrot. The rosy Bourke, bright pink all over, is the colour most people buy. It is a mutation of the same species, as are the cream, blue, pied and cinnamon birds breeders sell, so the care is identical whatever the colour.
Temperament
Mellow, social and peaceful. A Bourke's does not chew furniture or scream, and it mixes well with other gentle birds such as budgies, cockatiels, canaries and finches. That makes it one of the few parrots that suits an apartment or a shared wall. It is not a talker and it is not a performer, which is why some keepers overlook it, but a bird handled regularly stays tame even when it is kept with a partner. The one quirk to plan for: because it is active after dark, it can disturb sleeping birds in a shared aviary.
Care and grooming
Seed alone is not a diet. Feed a mix of seed and pellets with fresh vegetables and some fruit, the way Lafeber recommends, because in the wild they eat grasses, seeds, sprouts and insects. Like other grass parakeets they forage on the ground, so a shallow tray of seed and greens on the cage floor suits them, and they put on weight easily, so make their food take some finding. They are hardy birds with no special disease risks, and an annual check with an avian vet is all the routine they need.
Living and exercise
Give them the most room you can: a flight cage at least 24 inches wide, wider rather than taller, or better still an aviary. Bourke's do not thrive in small quarters and they fly across a space rather than climb it. They are not destructive, so an aviary can be planted. Kept outdoors they can get used to cool weather, but the aviary needs shelter from deep winter. They do best in a pair, and pairs bond for life.
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