periwinkleparrots

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just an actual angel, no big deal

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Male Or Female ?

For mature budgies it’s pretty easy to recognize the gender! But what about the smaller ones?

Mature female budgies have a light brown/tan cere!

Mature male budgies have a blue cere!

But what about the young ones? Usually baby females have a light blue or almost white cere. Males have a light pink or light purple cere! An easy way to be sure the baby budgie is female it so check if it has white cyrcles around the nostril.

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Bird of the week- Budgerigar

Budgerigars, also known as budgies or parakeets, are one of the most popular pet birds.

Lifespan: 5-10 years, occasionally more

Latin name: Melopsittacus undulatus

Diet: Primarily grass seeds, but will feed opportunistically on lawn grass seeds and certain crops.

Personality: In the wild, budgies are social birds and live in flocks, sometimes shared with cockatiels. They are small birds and prone to predation, which may be why they tend to be adverse to new objects or foods in captivity. They tend to like things to stay the same. They are friendly birds and relatively easy to tame and care for, not usually developing behavioural issues like larger parrots. They are, however, best kept in pairs due to their social nature!

Native to: Dry parts of Australia

Habitat: Scrublands, open woodlands and grasslands. They are nomadic and move on when habitats become unsuitable.

Conservation status: Least concern

Fun facts: Having a male and a female budgie does not necessarily mean they will breed- some budgies just don't fancy each other!

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Hyacinth Macaws are so beautiful...

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❤

Our E family is happy and growing fast! 💛

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Work in progress...

Hyacinth Macaw

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Source: http://animalia-life.club/other/kakapo-parrot-gif.html

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Bird of the Week- Kakapo Parrot

Kakapos are the heaviest parrot, as well as one of the most endangered.

Lifespan: Around 90- 95 years

Latin name: Strigops habroptilus

Diet: Plants, seeds, fruits, pollen and sapwood, particularly the fruit of the Rimu tree.

Personality: Unusually for a parrot, Kakapos are nocturnal. Although not kept as pets, Kakapos in captivity are said to have a wide range in personality, from friendly, cheeky and curious to grumpy and aloof. They are also said to enjoy their food! In the wild, Kakapos are solitary and ground foragers, although they do have a strange habit of jumping from trees and flapping their wings ineffectually.

Native to: New Zealand (endemic)

Habitat: Tussocklands, scrublands and coastal areas, as well as forests.

Conservation status: Critically endangered (around 209 birds left)

Fun facts: Kakapos have a musty-sweet scent; this helps them to find each other in a forest!

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My African Grey, making business calls. 

(source)

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Bird of the Week- African Grey

Lifespan: Around 40- 60 years

Latin name: Psittacus erithacus

Diet: Seeds, nuts, berries and vegetation; they particuarly like fruit from the African Oil Palm.

Personality: Their behaviour in the wild is not well-documented, as they are secretive birds (perhaps due to being prey animals, preyed upon by a number of raptors. However, they are very social, and rely on a flock-type structure. In captivity, they tend to be good talkers, and are highly intelligent. Due to their complex needs, they can be prone to feather plucking, amd need plenty stimulation to prevent this. Unlike some other parrots, greys are not 'cuddly', and will usualy only tolerate head-scratching.

Native to: Also known as the Congo Parrot, they are native to equatorial Africa.

Habitat: Greys favour dense forest, but are also found at forest edges, and in more open savanna forests.

Conservation status: Endangered, numbers decreasing. This is largely due to deforestation and the pet trade.

Fun facts: Some African Greys are said to live in Florida- however, these are escaped pets, and no evidence of breeding has yet been discovered. One of the most famous African Grey Parrots was Alex, who could identify, request, refuse and categorise around 100 items.

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hey guys I am super excited to announce that my parents have decided to go green and get an organic shredder machine! it takes a little longer than a mechanical one and sometimes it’ll insult you in an unknown language to your face, but I’m really proud of them for going the extra mile ^_^ clean energy for the win

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Destruction is the only thing that soothes the beast

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Bird of the Week- Sun Conure

Lifespan: 15- 30 years old

Latin name: Aratinga solstitialis

Diet: Fruits, nuts and seeds.

Personality: Sun Conures are very expressive and extremely loud birds- sometimes known as the loudest medium-sized bird. They are playful and easily trained to do tricks, as well as usually being affectionate and cuddly (though they are, like most parrots, prone to mood swings). As pets, they don't tend to pick a 'favorite person' as some parrots do.

Native to: North-Eastern South America.

Habitat: Inland, tropical habitats, dry savannah woodlands and coastal forests; especially areas with fruit trees or palm groves.

Conservation status: Endangered, population decreasing

Fun facts: Conures have a tendancy to dive bomb anyone they don't like the look of!

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Cockatoos (Cacatuidae)

The Cockatoos are a group of parrots of the family Cacatuidae. They are endemic to the Australasian region, ranging from the Philippines to Indonesia to New Guinea and Australia. Many are fairly large for parrots, and the group sets itself apart from other parrots with its movable headcrest. Cockatoos have generally duller coats than other parrots, often white or black with yellow or pink highlights. There are 21 species, but in today's drawing i chose to highlight some of my favourite species.

-The smallest bird in the family is the Cockatiel, which can 33cm long as an adult, and is a very popular household pet; the most popular parrot pet second only to budgerigars.

-Galahs are also one of the smaller species, and are one of the most widespread species of Cockatoo in Australia today, with range all across the country.

-Major Mitchell's Cockatoo is a bird more common in arid and semi arid parts of Australia. A lot of their habitat has been replaced by environments more favouring Galahs and other species.

-The Long Billed Corella is a widespread species that is popular as a pet in Australia for their ability to mimic human speech very well.

-Sulfur Crested Cockatoos are one of the more iconic parrot species in Australia. They are large, reaching 55cm in length, and very long lived, often reaching 70 years of age in captivity.

-Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos have a shorter crest than other large species, and unusually, much of their diet consist of grubs. They are common in the thicker forests of Queensland.

-Red-tailed Black Cockatoos have a wide range over much of northern Australia, and often travel in huge flocks numbering 100s of birds. They breed well in captivity, but are very expensive, to buy and keep. They can reach 60cm in length.

-The Palm Cockatoo is native to the Northern tip of Queensland and throughout Papua New Guinea. It is sometimes cited as the largest Cockatoo species, approaching 70cm in length. They do not flock in large numbers, and eat palm fruit and nuts.

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A birb goes to bed.

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Bird of the Week- Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Macaws are one of the most beautiful and iconic species of Macaw, being both large and vividly coloured in red, blue and yellow.

Lifespan: 40-50 in the wild, up to 100 in captivity.

Latin name: Ara macao

Diet: Nuts, leaves, berries and seeds, but also flowers, nectar, and some insects/larvae.

Personality: Though social, birds are typically seen alone or in pairs, though flocks are sometimes seen too. They are monogamous and mate for life. Scarlet macaws are very lively and have a lot of 'personality'- they can be nippy even when tame. As pets they can tend towards being one-person birds, perhaps due to their bonding for life in the wild.

Native to: Central and South America.

Habitat: Humid, evergreen forest, such as the Amazon rainforest.

Conservation status: Least concern, population decreasing.

Fun Facts: Like all parrots, these macaws can 'blush'- and their featherless faces mean this is visible. This can indicate excitement or stress.

(Blue-and-Gold Macaw blushing).