Parakeets
Parakeets are a vast group of beautiful colored birds with long tails. To oversimplify, they can be divided into two basic groups. The Grass Parakeets are primarily from Australia, while the Ring-Necks and related Parakeets are distributed across north Africa through the Middle East and even into Asia and parts of China.
Most people feel that while these birds are unsuitable as pets, they do make excellent avian birds. This is especially true of the Grass Parakeets which come in an amazing array of seemingly fluorescent colors. The relative small size of the Grass Parakeets and their usual quiet nature make for an excellent avian bird. There is a vet in Atlanta who has a Princess of Wales’s Parakeet and finds it to be an excellent pet; however, I do not know of many who keep these Grass Parakeets as personal pets.
The Ring-necks and related Parakeets are sometimes kept as personal pets … especially the Ring-necks. Though many disagree, they can prove to be good pets if bought young and if receive daily handling from their owner. A few even claim that their special bird will say a few words.
Personally, I do not have much experience with the group of birds with the exception of enjoying their beauty. Quiet by nature and not destructive they can make a beautiful aviary bird. They are fairly inexpensive and as there are many different species, I strongly suggest that you do a lot of research before making a selection. Click here to see pictures of parakeets.
Budgerigars
Budgerigars are the most popular of all the Australian parakeets and probably the most popular pet bird in the world. They are very inexpensive, have a very friendly nature and excellent powers of mimicry. They rank among the top talkers of the avian world with the exception of the African grey parrot. While the African grey tends to be shy, the budgerigar is very extraverted and loves to talk in front of everyone. Budgerigar calls are not loud, they are not destructive, and they are very hardy little birds. Budgerigars love lots of toys but do not require the very large cages that are needed for parrots. They like small toys and taking a bath. I really feel that these birds should not be overlooked as potential pets. As in all cases, I recommend that you get a young bird from a reputable breeder. Most young chicks are naturally tame and very easy to work with. Some people feel that a male budgerigar is a better talker, and a better pet than a female. Budgerigars come in a multitude of colors and are very beautiful little birds. They are an excellent pet for children. Click here to see pictures of budgerigars.
AlexandrineThe Alexandrine Parakeet is one of the larger parakeets and closely related to the ring-neck parakeet. This bird is typical of the Alexandrine with very beautiful subdued pastel coloring.
Parakeet, RosellaThis print was made from one of my earlier paintings and I am unsure as to which species of Rosella it is. Rosella Parakeets come in a variety of beautiful colors with strong markings. For the most part, I do not feel that they make good pets. I know of one breeder who hand raised a clutch of chicks and they still were not friendly when they matured. These parakeets can live for over 20 years, are fairly inexpensive and make good aviary birds.
Parakeets, Ringneck DuoRingneck Parakeets can make good pets. Be sure to obtain a young chick from the breeder. In fact, I found this young Primose Ringneck riding on her owner’s shoulder at an Atlanta bird show. Ringnecks have a long history of being treasured avian birds which dates back to the Romans and ancient Greeks. There are many different colors and color mutations available. Of interest, only the male Ringneck develops the ring around his neck when he matures.
Budgerigar, BlueThis Budgerigar is what known as an English Budgerigar. The English Budgerigar is much larger than his American cousin, with "fuller" feathering. English Budgerigars are very beautiful birds and will cost more than the English Budgerigar. Many are show birds.
Budgerigar, GreenThis print is of an American Budgerigar. He reminds me of my "Lucky" that I had when a young girl. Lucky was a wonderful pet and developed a very large vocabulary. He not only talked but loved to whistle as well. He was very tame and became a favorite with my entire family. Lucky was a male that we purchased from a local breeder. My husband had a budgerigar as a child as well. His budgerigar loved to fly to the table while the family was eating and snack off everyone's plate. This was curtailed one day when he actually flew into the mashed potatoes.