Princess of Wales Parakeet or Princess Parrot
Characteristics
Length: 35 cm (about 14 inches). Crown and area around the eye a vague sea-blue. Yellow-gray-green on the back of the head and neck, shoulders, and back. Throat, breast, and part of the cheeks pinkish red. bright sky-blue rump. Pinkish-red feathers around the legs. Underwing coverts green; wing coverts greenish-yellow. Yellow-green tail margined in blue-green; tips of tail feathers white. eyes orange, encircled with red (not in the female); beak red, legs brown. The hen is grayish-blue; the entire tail is often shorter. Beak is not as red as in the male; there is less sky-blue on the rump. Not until they are 6 months old the young start to show differences in color.
Social Behavior
Prefers to be kept in pairs or colonies.
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 hen usually lays 4-6 eggs which she incubates for 3 weeks. Put mulched wood (from willow or poplar) in the nest box or hollow tree trunk, along with grass, wool and hay. Place nest box or trunk at a forty-five degree angle. Fasten some mesh on the inside so the bird can leave the nest without difficulties. After 35 days the young leave the nest, and after about 15 months they will be ready for breeding themselves.
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.
