BIRDS BEAUTY

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Parrotlets



These small, playful birds are fairly uncommon as pets but are becoming more popular recently. They have small beaks like Budgies, and so are fairly easy for children to handle. These would be good pets for someone who wants a bird approximately the size of a Budgie, with a short tail, and more exotic.


Lovebirds
Lovebirds look like miniature parrots. They come in a variety of species and colour mutations, and are cheeky, active birds. One prevalent misconception about Lovebirds is that they should be kept in pairs. Lovebirds are no different than other Parrot family members, in that they will bond to each other and to some extent become wilder if there are two, but one will make a tamer pet.


Another misconception about Lovebirds is that they are good pets for children. Generally, this is not the case, although I have seen some gentle Lovebirds. Almost always, these sweet ones are males. The females are usually more dominant in a breeding situation, and therefore more aggressive as pets. Breeders who understand genetics can determine the sex of babies by their colour in some nests, depending on the colour of the parents. If there is more than one person in the house interested in handling the bird, I would recommend trying to obtain a male.


Cockatiels
Cockatiels are probably the most popular pet bird today. This is because they have a gentle, affectionate nature, and are known for getting along well with families and children. They love to put their head down and have you scratch it, and will sit happily for fairly long periods of time on someone's shoulder.






Like Budgies, males make better talkers than females, but their forte is whistling. The males have a natural whistling call, so it's very easy for them to pick up whistling, and some can perform entire songs. If you want your Cockatiel to talk however, it is recommended that you not whistle to it at all in the beginning. After it's talking well, you can begin to whistle some tunes. Females tend to be sweeter and more affectionate and somewhat less independent.

The problem with determining the sex of a baby Cockatiel, is that they are all marked like females when they are young. The males don't get their different plumage until they go through their first moult at around 7 months to a year old. If you see a Cockatiel with adult male plumage, it is much older than the normal weaning age of 8 weeks. This older bird may not be as tame as it should be, and if it isn't already talking, it may never start. For the most part, I believe it's better to get a young one of unknown sex and be assured of a nice pet, than to get an older bird that is definitely a male.

Caiques
Caiques are active, playful birds which have distinct markings that give them a comical appearance. They are highly social, and need a lot of attention, but their vivid personalities and clownish antics make them a riot to own. My pairs like to strut upside down on the ceilings of their cages, walk backwards on the floor, and hop when they are called; they love to show off. They are semi-noisy, and need a large cage with good toys and lots of attention.


One interesting aspect of Caiques is their ability to stay tame in a breeding situation. If you get them young and have some time to spend with them, the pair can stay handleable even when bonded to each other. Another interesting point is that my pairs and youngsters all sleep in their nest boxes, and I would recommend that if you buy one, you should provide it with a box to sleep in at night.

A Caique would make a good pet for adults who want to spend their time at home interacting with their bird, or sometimes take their bird with them when they go out. It would not do well if it was left in the cage a lot when you were home.

MEYER'S PARROT
The Meyer's is the second most gentle bird in the group. They are a greyish colour on the back, with yellow at the bend in the wing and on the forehead, green bellies, and a bright blue patch on the rump between the wings. I find them to be more gentle than the Senegal or Red-bellied.




RED-BELLIED PARROT
This member of the Poicephalus group is dimorphic (males and females look different). In most parrots where there is a plumage difference between the males and females, the juveniles are marked like females and if they are males, they get their male plumage during the moult. In Red-bellieds, this is reversed! The juveniles are marked like males with an orange belly, and when they moult, the females lose the orange. Adult males have pale green bodies with grey heads, a bright pumpkin orange belly, and red eyes. The females are the same, except their bellies are a grey-green colour. In my experience, these are the best talkers of the four smaller Poicephalus.

JARDINE'S PARROT
The Jardine's Parrot is a larger bird than the four previously mentioned, approximately the size of a pigeon. They are green, with black edging to their feathers on the back, and the adults have a bright orange forehead. They have brown eyes. As youngsters, they go through a phase where they like to use their powerful beaks to test everything, but with patience, they pass through it and learn to be more gentle. They are good talkers, and unless spoiled, are quiet birds by nature.