Vernal Hanging Parakeet
Characteristics
Length: 13-14 cm (about 5-5 1/2 inches). Both sexes are mostly green. The adult male has a sky-blue blotch on his throat. Rump red. Tail blue underneath. The beak is red with a yellowish tip, the iris is yellowish-white, the legs pale orange. The female’s bill is pale orange, the iris is brown, and the legs are light brown.
Social Behavior
Prefers to be kept in pairs or colonies. Best kept in a large cage or indoor aviary.
Diet
Nectar; boiled rice; soaked sultanas; ant’s eggs; chopped-up hard-boiled eggs mixed with biscuits; sweet apples; berries in milk soaked rusk; bananas; pears and opened figs. Talk to a qualified AVIAN vet for a full list of appropriate foods for these unique birds. Their excreta will be quite liquidy so clean cage, perches and so on daily.
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
Breeding is difficult. A pair uses a small cardboard (budgerigar) nesting box; the female lays 3-4 eggs which hatch at around 24 days. As nesting material they use strips of willow bark and such, which they carry to their nests tucked under their feathers.
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.
