Info on Bourkes please

[kalypso123]

I am thinking about adding another bird for company for my cockatiel. I heard Bourkes parakeets have a very easy going personality and they could get along with cockatiels. I just want to hear some advice from yall.

 

[RavensGryf]

My mother has a pet Rosy Bourkes. His name is Pinky (I know, so original lol). Pinky (and I'm sure the species) is about the most unintimidating parrot there is. My mom had always been afraid of birds, until she decided to let me convince her otherwise when she was already a senior. I bet she wishes she had opened herself up to birds earlier. Anyway, when we were looking for a first bird, nothing could have been easier than a Bourke's!

First, Pinky is a little "different" from most parrot species in several ways, and I'm assuming this is true of the other grass parakeets in the genus. They are usually seen as aviary birds since they aren't exactly cuddly. A very tame hand raised one will sit on you, though Pinky doesn't.
Pinky also doesn't climb, and he doesn't hold food in his foot like a parrot. He hops more like a canary or finch.
He also doesn't play with toys! Pinky is so spoiled, he has tons of toys, but my mom's other bird plays with them instead.
One really nice attribute is that Bourke's don't screech or make loud noises. His loudest noise is a 'chirp' and is not near as loud as a Cockatiel can be. He will softly sing a twittering song.
Also, he's no more likely to bite than a finch. Maybe if one was wild and you had it in your hand and was in fear of his life - but even finches will try to bite in that case!

I think Bourke's are adorable and beautiful. Not as interactive as you'd expect from a parrot species though. That's why the Aussie grass parakeets are usually seen as aviary birds.

They're a nice, easy, quiet little companion if you don't mind a half parakeet/half finch type bird

 

[kalypso123]

I think my Kalypso would love a quiet and easy going buddy. That was very useful. I would like a conure or a Ruppells but I think my mom is okay with a possible cage mateinstead of another bird.
Thanks
Logan and Kalypso

 

[Mike17]

I think Bourke's are delightful birds. As Raven has noted, they can't climb, so need lots of perches, and spend quite a bit of time on the ground, or presumably, floor of the cage. I have a pair, a "red" male and a rosy hen; the hen has gone down twice on 4 eggs but the latest clutch she seems to have given up on, like the first. I so much want a baby to hand-raise! They are very quiet apart from the pleasant chirrupping. Our pair shares a small aviary with a pair of 'tiels, with no issues although I also had a pair of budgies in the same aviary and they bothered Mrs Bourke when she was on the nest (sticking their heads into the box and doing their budgie talk in her face ).

 

[RavensGryf]

I also had a pair of budgies in the same aviary and they bothered Mrs Bourke when she was on the nest (sticking their heads into the box and doing their budgie talk in her face ).

Haha that's cute.That sounds like something Budgies would do! They're a lot more aggressive than Bourke's that's for sure.

 

[RavensGryf]

Why not add another Cockatiel? I'm sure it would be your bird's first choice if it was up to Kalypso!

 

[kalypso123]

Why not add another Cockatiel? I'm sure it would be your bird's first choice if it was up to Kalypso!

Ya I really like lutino cockatiels so I might end up doing that.