Abstract
Editor's note: The Turquoise Parrot
this article refers to is Neophema
pulchella. In American aviculture, it
is more commonly known as the
Turquoisine Pm·akeet.
Neophema is the scientific genus
name given to a group of small,
Budgie-sized parakeets from Australia.
Neophemas are quite beautiful,
all being grass-green except one
member, the Bourke's Parakeet. The
Bourke's Parakeet is light brown with
a soft pink chest and belly and large,
dark eyes. These large, dark eyes give
them the ability to see better at twilight
time than other grass parakeets,
thus earning them the name of the
Night Parrot in their native Australia.
The grass-green Neophemas, who
spend most of their time on the
ground, have been given the nickname
"grass parakeets.''
Grass parakeets are not considered
difficult to raise, in fact, some members
are quite good breeders. However,
like all birds we attempt to raise
in captivity, they have their special
requirements. This article is by no
means the last word on raising grass
parakeets. Birds seem to know when
their keepers are thinking too highly
of themselves and will show us just
how little we do know.
In any new undertaking, trial and
error is the best rule of thumb. Grass
parakeets are no exception. Over the
years, I have certainly made my share
of errors and hopefully I have learned
a few things along the way. I hope
this article will smooth the road for
you and help you have an enjoyable
time with your grass parakeets.
Flights And Nest Boxes
Grass parakeets will reproduce in
just about any size flight, from 2'x 3'
indoor setups to the largest outdoor
flight. Because they will not normally
colony breed, it is best to have only
one pair per flight, so large outdoor
flights are not practical for the serious
breeder. In California, grass parakeets
are kept outside in flights that
are two feet wide by four feet high by
six feet long. Four feet of the flight
should be covered, containing the
feeding and nest box area. The
remaining two feet of the flight
should remain uncovered, allowing
the birds access to any available sun.
Nest box privacy is essential. Therefore,
if you have side-by-side flights,
you must place partitions in the
flights which will provide adequate
privacy. Weather is usually not a
major problem, but cold wind
can be. Many breeders prefer to
cover their flight with plastic neoprene
during stormy weather.
In the wild, grass parakeets are
cavity nesters, using hollow tree
branches and hollow tree trunks
which are their preferred nest sites. I
have used natural nest boxes made
from hollow logs and the birds loved
them, but these natural nests are difficult
to clean and impossible for
banding the baby birds. The common
Budgie box works great, is easy to
clean and easy to repair. Fill the box
three inches deep with pine shavings,
and pack it down smooth. Grass
parakeets like to dig in their nest box.
With the shavings packed smooth,
you can tell if your birds are working
the nest box in preparation for
nesting.
Nesting takes place in the spring
and throughout the summer. The
clutches are usually three to five eggs
in number but can go as high as
eight. Grass parakeets will stop nesting
on their own in late summer and
should be encouraged to do so. However,
in indoor setups where light
and temperature are controlled, they.
will nest all year. In outdoor setups,
leave the nest boxes up all year
because on cold winter nights they
will use them for sleeping.