Just had a sudden new arrival - Species?

[Steph182]

I've just ended up with a parakeet. I have a cockatiel already so I'm not new to having birds, but this is the first parakeet I've had! I have no idea on the different species but it'd be nice to know exactly what she is.

I *think* she's a red rumped?

I said I wouldn't have any more birds but a friend of a friend has terminal cancer, so a friend took her on... The friend has two birds already and is disabled themselves so was worried about how to cope with three... So of course she came straight to live with me.

She is being kept away from my cockatiel for now of course, but hopefully they will tolerate living in the same room eventually. My house rabbits are not impressed with the noise she makes though!

 

[MikeyTN]

It is a grass parakeet but I'm not sure of the proper name. I can only expand this poster so large to look on my phone. I think there's one similar to yours if your on a computer you can expand the picture. I know its a selling site but its the only one I can find with variety of different ones.
Grass Parakeets (Poster) | Avizandum Bird Magazine

 

[Betrisher]

Where do you live? If you're in Australia, then I'd say no, she doesn't look like a typical Grass Parrot. Not enough green and flight feathers are too dark. My first thought was a hybrid Bourke Parrot, but I think she's a bit big for that. Can you put up any more photos showing her colours more clearly? I do love a mystery!

 

[Betrisher]

Hmmm... Just found this:

My Opaline Red Rump Grass Parakeet | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

D'you think that looks like your birdie?

 

[Mike17]

Where do you live? If you're in Australia, then I'd say no, she doesn't look like a typical Grass Parrot. Not enough green and flight feathers are too dark. My first thought was a hybrid Bourke Parrot, but I think she's a bit big for that. Can you put up any more photos showing her colours more clearly? I do love a mystery!

The Neophemas can't hybridise with Bourke's, can they, Trish? Bourke's now have their own genus. I can't identify it, other than to say it looks mostly like a Turquoisine. Do Neophemas hang on cage wire though? Bourke's don't. The beak looks too long, as well.

 

[MikeyTN]

Betrisher,

Bourkes are part of the grass parakeet family.

 

[crimson]

I just so happen to have a very new pair of opaline red rump parakeets I got from the bird show.

female is on the left, male is on the right

 

[MikeyTN]

I viewed it on the computer where I could do more then on my phone. It looks like a Rainbow Bourke Parakeet!!!!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EfrVp4cKlJ4/S3BkaCueo_I/AAAAAAAAAPY/8wXTUAIorIE/s1600-h/RainbowBourke.jpg

 

[Betrisher]

What's the consensus then? Opaline Red Rump? Mikey17, I don't think it's a Bourke - too long and not 'Bourkey' enough. I guess what I was trying to say is that I reckon it's an aviary bred hybrid, not a naturally occurring species. What do others reckon???

 

[Mike17]

I'm no expert, possibly a hybrid between Neophema species. I doubt it's Bourke's, head and beak look wrong and I'm not sure Neophema X Neopsehotusgenus would be viable.

 

[Steph182]

Hmmm... Just found this:

My Opaline Red Rump Grass Parakeet | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

D'you think that looks like your birdie?

Yes it does, I'm not sure if she's dull enough to be a girl or bright enough to be a male though!



Thank you everyone, I'm in the UK so I don't know if that might make a bit of difference!

 

[MonicaMc]

I would say you have a red rump!!!!



I have a bourke hen sitting right next to me! None of the bourke mutations look like a red rump!


Now, as far as whether or not bourkes can hybridize? Apparently they can! However, I have yet to see a photo of a bourke hybrid... (so still waiting on proof of that! - considering some other hybrids I *have* seen, it wouldn't surprise me)



The scientific name of the bourke parakeet is Neopsephotus bourkii. It can be argued that Neopsephotus is a combination of Neophema and Psephotus. I guess some believe that bourkes are naturally occuring hybrids from eons ago. Likewise, bourkes are different to the Neophema family, and the new scientific name could be an indication of the color pattern in the wings.

Neopsephotus Bourkii. - Neophema Breeder : De Kweker



Anyway, as far as diet goes, she (he?) should be able to eat about the same thing as your cockatiel does. Seeds. Pellets. Fresh and cooked foods. And the little one could use a good bath!

 

[Steph182]

Yes she (maybe, I don't really know... She doesn't look bright enough to be a boy but brighter than a lot of photos of girls!) has been eating well, enjoying her seed. I'm introducing fresh food too.
S/he is called Barley (was called Charly on arrival but my house rabbit is called Charlie, so had to change it to something similar!) so at least that will work for either gender.

My cockatiel is very unimpressed, she hasn't seen her or been near her yet obviously but she can hear her... Willow refused to let anyone touch her for 24 hours. She's normally very vocal but she's barely made a noise, just pretending I don't exist. She did the same when I last got rodents and she saw them for the first time. I hope she can tolerate Barley eventually!

So far Barley's very loud but very interested in me. She hasn't paid much attention to anyone else but when I'm in the room with her, she sits on the perch closest to me and makes little noises back when I talk to her.

I really hope she's friendly, Willow has some issues that developed when she laid eggs and she never went back to letting people cuddle her so it'd be nice to have a snuggly bird. Of course I'll love her either way, but I can hope!

 

[MonicaMc]

Grass parakeets aren't very well known for being cuddly birds. Sweet, yes, but not cuddly. They are mostly aviary type birds that enjoy flying around (and for this reason, I do not recommend clipping!)

Red rumps are actually a little more aggressive than bourke parakeets, but they can still make nice pets.


I guess I've been lucky with my female cockatiel, Casey. She's 12 years old and next month I'll have had her for 12 years. She's still demanding of head scritches and attention, even after all these years. She has also laid eggs, but her demeanor hasn't changed. She didn't care if I picked up her eggs and handled them either! But then again, she doesn't quite understand the concept of sitting and incubating! LOL

 

[Steph182]

I don't expect a bird to really snuggle up, just to be able to give my bird the odd stroke would be nice, I miss it!

Willow likes to sit near you, and she wants you there, but she just doesn't like being stroked. She doesn't even really like being picked up, she'll only step on your hand because she knows she's expected to I think.

I wouldn't clip a bird, Willow was never clipped. Willow is mostly in my bedroom when she's out (decent size) but when no one is going in and out she just has free flight of upstairs (cats live dowstairs). I'm hoping that Barley will just be able to go about things the same eventually so that they can both be out as much as they want.

 

[MonicaMc]

When you say stroke, how do you mean?

 

[Steph182]

Willow used to put her head down and let you stoke the back of her neck/head, she loved it. Used to beg for it!

 

[MonicaMc]

From my experience, bourkes aren't very hands on in that way. Some of the rare birds may enjoy allopreening, but I haven't noticed it within bourkes. If any of the other grass parakeets are similar to bourkes, then allopreening (and thus scritches) isn't something that's readily accepted. I did have two bourke parakeets that enjoyed it, but only because they learned from a budgie that it was enjoyable and nice. One of these two tried to preen one of their relatives and it was not accepted!

 

[Steph182]

I did notice her lower her head when I was talking to her, so I wondered if she was used to it. Like I said if she doesn't like being touched it's no problem, it would just have been nice. She can be the most aggressive bird in existance if she wants - she still isn't going anywhere!
I don't know loads about birds, I have a happy and healthy cockatiel but don't know much about the behaviour of other species! I've only ever had the one cockatiel and my ex had a cockatiel. No other experiences - I've never even known anyone with anything other than a cockatiel or a budgie.

 

[MonicaMc]

With having experiences with cockatiels already, I think you'll enjoy learning about grass keets!