These colorful, graceful birds are full of energy. Being flock birds, budgies are very social with each other and with people. They love attention, make wonderful pets and are some of the most popular pet birds.
Budgies belong to the parrot family and the word “parakeet” means long tail. Budgies are known to inhabit warmer climates like grasslands and are indigenous to Australia. On average, a budgie life span will range from 8-12 years. Budgies are small parrots with long, tapered tail feathers and are very colorful. The Budgie or Budgerigar, which is called often called “Parakeet” in the United States, is one of the best-known parakeets. However it is just one of more than 120 species of Parakeets.
Cockatiels have been ranked as America’s Number 1 pet bird, due to their outgoing personality and mimicry of whistles. Cockatiels are also well knows to talk short phrases. Some people say the males are more easily trained to talk. Average life span for cockatiels is 15-25 years. These popular birds originate from Australia and favor wetlands.
Cockatiels feature a distinctive crest that will express their emotional state and have long tail feathers that roughly make up half of its total length. Normal cockatiels are gray, with white patches on the wings. They have a yellow/white face with a bright orange patch over the ‘ear’. Cockatiels have a powder to keep their wings water resistant.
Variations include:
Pied – Increased amount of white patches of feathers cover body
Pearl – white pearls size dots that stay with the adult female, the male loses these dots after 8 months old.
Lutino – Bird body is white and yellow with yellow/white/ orange face
White Face – Grey and white body, no orange patch on face. Males have white face. Females have all grey face.
White Face Albino – Totally white — absence of other colors.
For the Cockatiel Record Book: We are impressed to learn of a Cockatiel that lived to the oldest age on record for a Cockatiel of 32 years as reported by Jim and Nancy of Tucson who on March 5th, 2009 purchased a replacement Cockatiel from us.
Indian Ringnecks are easy to train and learn concepts quickly, not to mention, they love to show off. Along with being intelligent, they are great at talking. Ringnecks have been reported to master vocabularies of up to 250 words.
Typical wild Indian Ringnecks are a larger parakeet with green with yellow feathers showcased under their wings and tail when fanned open. Both males and females look very similar, however, the male has a black ring around his neck. These birds have a hooked beak, a long tail, and are roughly 16 inches in length. Typical lifespan for these parrots is 20-30 years. Ringnecks are originally from parts of Africa, Malaysia, India and Indonesia.
Of all the Conures, the most popular and playful is the Sun Conure. Known to be very affectionate and charming, they are also investigative and curious. Sun Conures can be easily trained to perform a wide variety of tricks. Many Sun Conure owners say it is possible to train the birds to be quiet.
Sun Conures have beautiful red/orange/yellow feathers with accents of green and blue feathers in their wings. The younger birds are more green, and their brighter colors appear gradually over a period of 18 months. All Sun Conures have a white skin patch around each eye. Average lifespan for these birds is 25-30 years. Origin for this species of conure is South America.
The African Grey parrot is a popular companion pet. These parrots are extremely talkative, intelligent, and sensitive birds. In fact, it’s known to be one of the best parrots at talking and mimicry. Studies have shown that the Grey can actually understand and use human language. African Grey’s tends to bond to one person.
The African Grey parrot, as the name suggests, are predominantly grey. They have dark gray wings with a featherless rim of skin around the eyes which is whitish to light gray. The Congo African Grey, particularly, has red tail feathers. This medium size tree-dwelling parrot lives mainly in the west African lowlands. Life expectancy for African Grey’s is 50-75 years.
Goffin
The Goffin Cockatoo has a white crest and is a slightly smaller parrot than the Lessor Sulfer Cockatoo below. Of all the cockatoos, the Goffin is surely the most active, playful, and gentle. Incredibly popular as a pet, cockatoos eat seeds and ground foliage as well as digging for roots. They make great pets.
Lesser Sulfur Crested
The Sulfer Crested is quite beautiful with a yellow crest and yellow cheek patterns. This cockatoo is easy to train to learn tricks.
Citron Crested
A related species to the Lesser; they have an orange crest and orange cheek patches. It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful bird than the Citron Crested cockatoo. Originally from the island of Sumba in Indonesia, this subspecies of the Lesser Sulfur Crested cockatoo has become rare throughout its range because of deforestation and trapping for the pet trade.
Umbrella
The Umbrella Cockatoo is large fully white bird with a umbrella style white crest. Small females weigh as little as 420g, and large males as much as 700g. The Umbrella is known to be a very friendly bird and are also generally quiet birds. Many Umbrella Cockatoos learn to dance to music and love to snuggle up.
Rose Breasted Cockatoos
Also know as Galah Cockatoos. Rose Breasted Cockatoos have a distinctive pink and grey plumage. These lovely birds are no doubt beautiful, playful, and fun. Rough size of a Rose Breasted is 14 inches in length, 300 grams in weight. Worth every penny spent on them and considered the premium Parrot you can own.
Moluccans
The word “Respect” applies to this large Cockatoo. It is the largest of all normally available cockatoos. A weight of 1100 grams is not uncommon for this very large white bird with a pinkish tinge to their feathers. The Moluccan has possibly the most beautiful “definitive” cockatoo crest of all cockatoos. The crest is a deep pink/red color. The Moluccan becomes very affectionate after only a short time. They are known to be good talkers.
Blue and Gold
The Blue and Gold is a large bird whose head, back, and wings are covered with a blue-green color. The frontal body plumage is yellow and the face is a white skin mask. The Blue Gold Macaw is large (approximately 33 inches from head to tail). Their wing span is approximately three and a half feet. They have the average lifespan of most macaws, which is anywhere between 50 to 90 years. Blue and Gold Macaws can be trained to be active talkers and are able to repeat simple words and phrases. They need lots of space given their large size to move around and exercise. Those who share their lives with these magnificent creatures know that they contain surprisingly soft and loving hearts and sensitive natures. A nutritionally balanced diet and regular veterinary health exams can help keep your blue-and-gold macaw healthy and thriving.
Military
The Military is a mostly green bird, that can get to about 27 to 29 inches long. Although the Military Macaw isn’t quite as brilliant in its mixture of colors as those found on many of the other large macaws, it’s a very impressive parrot in its own right. This is a favorite Macaw to keep as a pet because of its social and affectionate demeanor, and being very intelligent, it is readily trainable.
Catalina
The Catalina is a cross between a Scarlet and a Blue and gold Macaw. Hybrid macaws are bred for color. The behavior and temperament of hybrid macaws are more unpredictable and uncertain than the coloration. The personality of a Scarlet is such that it requires good socialization and a firm consistent hand in training, especially as it matures. The Catalina can have these characteristics, but it can also have the gentle nature and the speaking ability of the Blue and Gold Macaw mixed in. It can be a very affectionate, inquisitive, and fun pet that is beautiful.
Miligold
The Miligold is a large Macaw that is result of cross breeding between a Military and a Blue and Gold macaw. As all other macaws it requires socialization and consistent training to make a good pet. They tend to be gentle in nature and have a good speaking ability.