Lineolated Parakeet | Barred Parakeet

Lineolated Parakeet is also recognized as “Barred Parakeet”, “Catherine parakeet” or shortly “Linnies”. Lineolated Parakeet is a minor parrot found typical in upland forestry from southern Mexico to Panama, Venezuela to southern Peru & Bolivia in the Andes. Lineolated Parakeet is also found in “Santa Marta” mountains in Colombia and Venezuelan Littoral Range. Its down is typically green with various black and dark green stripes or bars, and the parrot has a pale-horn colored beak. The dark lines differ in fame between its two categories. Numerous color mutants are existing in the aviculture.

Size and Weight

The length of Lineolated Parakeet is around 16 cm (6.5 inches), and the normal weight ranges between 42 to 52 grams.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of Lineolated Parakeet is expected to be 10 years, but some individuals can live up to 15 years.

Appearance

Lineolated Parakeet is generally a green parrot with black lines over the upper parts of the body except on top of the head. The lower parts of the body are olive-green with extremely dark-green bars on its edges. The wings shoulder is black but some blue on underneath the wings. The tail of Lineolated Parakeet is dark-green. Its irises are dark-brown, the beak is horn-colored, and the legs are pink. The adolescents have less-marked dark lines, which become black or dark with the age. The males and females are usually similar in outer look, but males may occasionally have more obvious black lines than females. Generally, there is no discriminating feature to distinguish gender. The two categories vary in the fame of the dark lines.

Habitat and Status

The habitat of Lineolated Parakeet is the jungles and mountains up to the height of approximately 3,300 meters (2.1 miles) above the sea-level. Lineolated Parakeet spends most of their day time on the ground but they sleep top in the trees. Lineolated Parakeet can accept cold weather and they have been seen taking snow-baths. Lineolated Parakeet has a huge population that is believed to be stable.

Behavior and Breeding

The female lays 2 to 4 eggs which hatch after 18 to 21 days of development. The chicks leave the nest around five weeks after hatching from the eggs. Lineolated Parakeets are seen in the wild in crowds of six to thirty birds, although larger crowds (up to 150 parrots) are known. Lineolated Parakeet eats mostly fruits, dried and grown seeds, and insects’ larvae.

Lineolated parakeets are recognized for their tranquil natures and odd postures. Unlike various birds, Lineolated Parakeet normally rests in an early flat position with their heads exactly harmonized with their tails. They are usually very quiet birds and naturally mutter silently, and their noises are not high-pitched or loud to the ear.

Aviculture

Barred Parakeets are very famous as pets due to their silent and calm nature, and also due to several color mutations. Green series birds, typical green (wild-type), dark-green, olive and green series named yellow. The turquoise series birds include turquoise, mauve, cobalt, and the turquoise ino called creamino (usually of white color). Grey wing, where the excepting and the general color is weak is an alternative mutation that can found in any color mutation, even the inos. Violet, misty, and cinnamon are found in European aviculture, but infrequently in the USA. They are gifted mimics of humanoid dialogue.

One of the greatest familiar and charming features of Barred Parakeets is that they like bathing and being mist over the water. Barred Parakeets particularly like these mist baths; they will hang upside down and open their wings excitedly. Pet linnies are also famous to have a distinctive characteristic of liking to burrow or hide in or under sartorial for hours on end and will occasionally fall asleep in their established hiding places.

Learning to Talk

Lineolated Parakeets are famous for their soft talk and low sounds which make them suitable domestic pets. They can occasionally make louder sounds but this is usually due to distress or their food bowl running low. Lineolated Parakeets are also recognized for their skill to talk and reproduce sounds. Not all parakeets will speak and generally, the males are more vocal but there are some techniques to increase the learning skill of words or sounds comprising:

(a)    Starting learning when the Parakeets are young. Generally, they learn numerous words when they are below 2 years of age or moved to the new environs.

(b)    Using simulated games which start by gratifying the bird after it copies a noise that the bird is already familiar with and then starting words or sounds once the Parakeets has taken interest in the speech.

(c)    Saying slogans in an enthusiastic sound or when the Parakeets is in an excited mode.

At times Parakeets will mimic an exact person’s tone, usually the individual who spends most of the time with them. Lineolated Parakeets might further learn to copy the sounds that are unwanted for them to repeat. Undesirable dialogs can be lessened by not gratifying the bird with laughter or care or redirecting the bird to do another famous trick.

Food for Pets

Pellets are the perfect food for Lineolated Parakeets as well as for various other pet birds. It consists of several important vitamins and nutrients that the birds need. Seeds are the partial diets for Lineolated Parakeets, but it can cause obesity in the birds, starvation, and kidney failure. Green-leaved vegetables like kale, collard greens, and turnip leaves in addition to broccoli, carrot, and cauliflower are largely consumed. Some common fruits are also given to the Lineolated Parakeets which contain banana, papaya, apple, apricot, and orange, etc. Some foods having protein and calcium can also be given such as scrambled or boiled eggs (along with the shell). Hemp, baked soybeans, potatoes, strawberries, green peas, coconut, pumpkin seed, alfalfa, and sunflower seeds are also the desired foods for Lineolated Parakeets. It is better to give various types of food to maintain the nutrition balance. Different types of foods keep the Lineolated Parakeets from getting bored.

Toxic Foods

The holders of Lineolated Parakeets must not feed their birds with high salt, sugar or fat. Some common poisonous foods comprise avocado and guacamole, caffeine, fruit pits, and apple seeds, persimmons, onions, mushrooms (which can cause ingestion disorder and liver failure), dried and raw beans, stems, vines, the leaves of tomatoes, and eggplant are toxic foods for the Lineolated Parakeets.