Bluebonnet or Blue-Bonnet Parakeet
Characteristics
Length: 28 cm (about 11 inches). Mostly grayish-brown on breast, black and back of the head. Face, wing edges, and tail are blue; belly yellow with red; red flanks; under tail coverts deep yellow. The red in the females is less vivid. Of four subspecies known, one subspecies is recognized as the red-vented blue bonnet, a second is paler in color, and the third is smaller and colored deeper. They are all quite noisy, monkeylike, and active.
Social Behavior
This species can only be housed and bred as a pair in a fairly roomy aviary by themselves.
Diet
All parakeets and parrots need a large variety of fresh, healthy foods, whether on a pellet or a seed diet. Beneficial foods include dark green, leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli, dandelions, and chard, as well as carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. Healthy table foods like cooked eggs, corn, beans, pasta, and rice can also be offered. Remove perishable foods after a few hours and at bedtime. Grit, gravel, and oyster shells should never be given. A seed-only diet will result in malnutrition. Eventually, a parakeet or parrot should become acclimated to a diet containing specially formulated pellets. An AVIAN vet can help with more information.
Cleaning
Tray liners should be replaced every day and the cage bottom, fittings and dishes regularly washed with hot water and soap. Once a month, disinfect the cage with diluted bleach and rinse thoroughly. Line the tray with black and white newspaper or paper towels. It is unsafe to use pine/cedar shavings, corn cob or walnut bedding.
Fertility
The female lays 4-7 eggs which hatch in about 25 days. They will hybridize with red-rumped parrakeet, mulga parrot, red rosella, and mealy rosella.
Health
All parakeets and parrots should be examined by a qualified AVIAN vet at least once a year or ASAP if any bleeding, injuries, or other signs are noted. It can be hard to tell when a bird is ill, and by the time you notice a problem, the sickness is usually well-advanced. Delaying a visit with an AVIAN vet or using over-the-counter or human medicines may be fatal.
Warnings
All parrakeets and parrots have very sensitive respiratory systems and should not be exposed to cigarette smoke, aerosols, harsh cleaning products, or other toxic fumes.
