In the wild-
The Lineolated Parakeet is a small South American species, standing only 6-7 inches. They originate from tropical rainforests in areas of high elevation, such as mountain ranges. They are naturally found in flocks foraging for foods. Linnies are a dark green colour with a lighter front and black markings. Pet Lineolated Parakeets have been bred to come in a few different colours such as blue or yellow, however I believe that the natural green colouration is by far the prettiest! They are not as loud as other bird species, namely budgies, which is one reason they are becoming increasingly popular. The noisiest mine ever gets if when she launches attacks on her bell toy! They live up to ten years in the wild, but captive birds with great care can easily live twice as long.
In captivity-
Setup and decor-
Whilst Linnies are small birds, they still need a large amount of space and regular exercise in a safe room out the cage. A 24 inch cube cage is the minimum, but the bigger the better. The cage should have no more than 1/2 inch bar spacing, which prevents birds escaping and prevents them from getting their heads stuck. If you are keeping multiple birds together, make sure you account for this when buying a cage. Stainless steel bowls are best for food and water as they are easy to clean and a chewing bird won't be able to munch on it! I like to give plenty of perch types and sizes, including pedi-perches, platform perches and safe natural wood. It is important to provide a variety of good quality, safe bird toys. Rope boings, natural chew toys and bells are great. Once you start to know your bird and their preferences better, you can tailor toy buying around their needs. You can also provide a bath, but your bird may prefer to be sprayed with a light misting bottle. I am told that Lineolated Parakeets love bathing, but mine didn't seem to get that message! Another thing you may wish to purchase is a play stand for when your bird is out of the cage.
Feeding-
Firstly, it is important to make sure your birds have access to food and water at all times. Water is especially vital as all bird species can die from dehydration in a matter of hours. Keep it topped up and refresh it each day. Birds need a healthy and balanced diet comprising of pellets, seed and fresh foods. The seed portion of the diet should consist of a simple seed mix for budgies. Try to pick a mix with a small amount of sunflower seeds as these are high in fat. Pellets are a very important part of the diet as they contain many vitamins and minerals. It is an expensive process finding a brand and flavour your birds will eat, although some companies offer free samples. Zupreem, Roudybush and Harrisons are all great, high quality products but others are available. As Lineolated Parakeets are a small species, the mini or small sized pellets are ideal. Finally, your bird will need fresh foods such as fruit, vegetables and sprouts. This can be in the form of chop (see the how-to under blogs) or freshly cut each day. Make sure that you are only using safe foods when feeding your bird, as some can be fatal; such as mushrooms and avocado.
Common diseases and conditions-
As with any pet, these birds can contract to a number of different illnesses, including mites, worms, bacterial infections and more. Indoor-housed birds are less-likely to contract certain health issues, however dietary issues such as egg binding are just as likely in either case.
- Mites- there are numerous mites that can affect bird such as Air Sac Mites and Scaly Face/Foot mites. These are often simple to cure using easily-obtained treatments, although it is best to consult your avian vet, especially in advanced circumstances. Unfortunately, scaly face mites is something we have had to deal with in our aviary, although happily the issue was quickly spotted and controlled. Quarantining new birds and using preventative mite treatment will ensure safety of any birds already in your home.
- Egg binding- this is where females are unable to pass eggs, often due to poor diets and lack of essential vitamins/minerals. If immediate vet treatment is not provided, it's likely your bird will not make it, as they often cannot pass the eggs on their own. A proper diet, including as much variety as possible, will reduce the chances of this occurring.
- Bacterial infections- there are numerous bacteria that can cause illness, and far too many to list here. Consult your vet immediately if you see any signs of a bacterial infection, which includes nasal discharge and watery eyes, along with other symptoms. Regularly cleaning enclosures and their environment, along with setting up new birds in quarantine, will minimise risk of such infections.
- Viruses- viruses in pet birds are often highly contagious. For example, Avian Flu is dangerous in wild birds, and if not properly protected during an outbreak, aviary birds can easily pick it up, and your entire flock would have to be culled to prevent further spread. Some viruses are treatable with veterinary care, so contact your vet at the first signs of a virus for diagnosis and treatment.
- There are a number of other conditions, and if you are interested in learning more and bettering your understanding, I would recommend visiting the Melbourne Bird Vet page, linked here.
Buying Lineolated Parakeets-
As with all birds, only buy from reputable breeders. Ideally, you could find a rehome or rescue parrot that is in need of a home. It is rewarding knowing that you have given a bird a home it can have forever. Unfortunately, these adorable birds aren't massively popular as pets, so it can be hard to find a breeder and they come up for rehoming very rarely. Try not to ever buy birds online, more often than not these are scams. Scams are very easy to spot as they have stupidly cheap prices, and often have images and text stolen from other sites. Any website selling fertile parrot eggs is a scam as it is not legal. Don't be fooled.
Important notes-
-All pet birds should have time out of the cage daily. Linnies require at least an hour, but there is no limit on how long they can stay out. If you can, why not let your bird out (supervised of course) all day!?
-Many Lineolated Parakeets meet an early demise when they get sat on by people. They love to burrow behind cushions on sofas, so always check you know where your bird is before sitting down.
-Wing clipping is a very controversial subject and I believe it is wrong. Unless you have valid reason to do this, please don't clip your birds wings. It's like chopping off a human's legs for no reason. It isn't fair on a creature that is meant to fly to stop them from doing so. There are many articles on why you shouldn't clip your birds wings, please do read them.
-Register with an avian vet! Most normal vets don't know what they are doing when it comes to birds and exotics, so find a vet that knows how to deal with your species before even considering buying one. It also is a good idea to keep some money to one side just in case of an emergency, or alternatively to insure your pet.
-Bird grit is not necessary for Linnies and can do more harm than good, please don't feed it.
Thank you for reading my Lineolated Parakeet care sheet and I hope you found it helpful and informative. Good luck with your new bird!
References-
My care sheets are mostly written from experience, however to make sure I give the best possible advice, I will compare with other owners views and successes. For this care sheet, I cross referenced with-
The Spruce Pets (www.thesprucepets.com)
The Lineolated Parakeet Society (Lineolated Parakeet Society - LPS (linniesociety.org))
Natural Inspirations Parrot Cages Wingspan Info for cage sizes (https://naturalinspirationsparrotcages.com/p/wingspan-info)