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THE
LINEOLATED, or barred, parakeet (Bolborhynchus lineola) is a unique
little parrot. At seven inches long, it's about the same size as the
budgerigar and parrotlet, but that's where the similarities end. For one
thing, "linnies" have lovebird colors and short tails that are fanlike,
not pointed like the budgie's, or flat like the parrotlet's. And unlike
the feisty budgie and parrotlet, the linnie has a quiet, tender
personality. That doesn't mean it's boring or stupid. Active and even
talkative, the linnie is just as smart as either of the other two.
I consider linnies the perfect apartment birds because of their
disposition and needs for only the basic things in life. The linnie is
friendly and happy to be with people - but can keep itself amused with
toys and swings when no one is around. As an added member to a family, it
really cannot be beat.
A bird of a different color
The lineolated parakeet is native to Central and South America where it
lives in flocks in monogamous pairs. The wild linnie is green with some
dark barring that runs down its back and rump. However, breeding has
brought about color mutations varied enough that anyone can find a color
they prefer.
The wild coloring itself has branched off into some mutations, such as
olive. Bred mutations include a blue series, which includes a turquoise
color, a cobalt, and a mauve (which is a dark blue or slate). There is
also a lutino (yellow), and cremino, which is a light yellow or cream
color. Both lutinos and creminos have red eyes.
Linnies are difficult to sex visually. Although you can identify males by
looking for the central tail feather, nearly all black, some hens will
have a darker area on this feather, too, so I recommend DNA sexing to be
sure. However, gender does not seem to matter in the least when looking at
one of these little creatures as a pet. Both are good natured. If kept on
a good, varied diet, linnies live 15 years or longer.
Soulful eyes and a big heart
I was completely taken with these little birds because of their unique
posture and behavior. The first thing I noticed was they were incredibly
quiet, just emitting a "mumbling" much like the budgie. They very rarely
gave off even a hint of noise, so much so I thought they had escaped! But
as I grew accustomed to them, and them to me, it was clear that they were
quite happy, even happy enough to go to nest.
At day twenty-four, I pull these chicks from the nest in order to
handraise them. These were one of the easiest and calmest chicks I had
ever raised. They look at me with their large, soulful eyes, a trait they
never lose, and quietly allowed me to feed them.
They positively love the sight of people, hobbling over in the brooder to
see who was entering the nursery. Always curious, they tilt their heads to
the side to get a better view of anyone looking down into their warm,
temporary home. Nevertheless, they welcomed any person who wanted to
play.
Eating: Their favorite pastime
Most birds detest certain foods and fling them out of the cage with
disgust. But linnies love food in all forms, rarely leaving anything in
their bowl untouched. I tried everything that I had fed my other birds and
both my chick and adult linnies easily accepted new foods. A linnie's
typical daily diet should include one tablespoon each of cockatiel-size
pellets; a cooked mix of pasta, rice, beans and corn; freshly-rinsed
organic sprouts; and diced fruits and vegetables.
Though I do not feed a great deal of seed, I do give my linnies some
millet spray and some organic parakeet seed mixed in with their sprouts.
They are not as active as parrotlets so they do not seem to require a
great deal of high-energy seeds in addition to their already varied
diets. Other experts have had success with a greater percentage of seed
in the diet but my pairs love the dietary diversity and it shows when they
feed their chicks or clean out their feed cups. PARENT
DIET INCLUDES:
Organic seed mix consisting of raw hulled millet, hulled sunflower, blue
poppy, kamut, spelt, quinoa, whole oat groats, soft wheat berries,
buckwheat, amaranth, green pumpkin (pepitas), golden flax and other
available organic seeds. Within this mix is added organic,
unsulphured coconut, dried greens and dried red peppers.
In a separate tray every morning, the linnies receive some cooked food (L'Avian
Bean Cuisine), fresh, organic vegetables like mixed leafy greens, green
beans, yellow squash, and corn on the cob, and, their favorite, fresh
organic fruits like apples, pears, papaya (important!), banana, kiwi,
grapes, tangerine, and other seasonally available fruits. We will
add lory powder to the mix as well at times as a dietary supplement.
HANDFED
BIRD DIET INCLUDES:
The diet is the same as the parent birds except that pellets supplement
the diet and replace the bulk of the seed diet. We do NOT recommend
feeding pellets alone for any bird as they eat a hugely varied diet in the
wild which should be replicated as much as possible in their domestic
environments.
Home, sweet home
I typically use a cage that has more length than height. A 30-inch long
cage that has a height and depth of 18 inches each seems to be the perfect
size for movement and play. Linnies tend to forage on the ground so a
frequent cage cleaning or a grate that can keep them from eating soiled
food should be considered.
In addition to providing large feed cups and perches that are easy to
clean, I also give my linnies a swing and toys from which they can hang.
They seem to love the simple, colored plastic links - they can keep them
busy for hours. Some linnies like the plush huts so popular with
lovebirds and parrotlets. Most importantly, a network of perches where
they can move about is vital. Linnies like to walk up and down, back and
forth, among different perches. Linnies will sit on a stand like a larger
parrot if you clip their wings. I always recommend wing clipping and
supervised play to eliminate household disasters.
Primatelike walk
Linnies' soft and gentle nature is mesmerizing. They have an almost
primatelike walk, bobbing along a perch, one foot over the other. Their
large rounded heads always welcome a scratch and it shows in their dark,
round eyes. Linnies continue to be playful as adults, playing with toys
while hanging upside down from one foot, or carefully plucking pieces of
string or straw from toys.
Friends and I, like my friend Pat, have found linnies to be surprisingly intelligent and
patient. One of my birds, a cobalt I named Gidget, is positively in love
with children, crawling about the front of the cage in my classroom any
time a new class enters she said. She, like many other linnies, loves to cuddle
inside collars. A friend’s little male loves to sleep under her hoop
earrings.
At first impression, you might think a linnie would not be an accomplished
mimic. However, linnies only a few months old can be quite good at
reproducing sounds like whistles, words and phrases. My friend Pat's bird
surprised her one day by greeting her with a perfect, "hi," in a cute
little voice when she walked in. He now says quite a few things like
"pretty, pretty boy" and laughs with a "hee, hee, hee." Males seem to
mimic more than females.
Behaviorally, linnies have very little that would be seen as undesirable.
They are not known to feather pick nor do any other type of stressful
behavior. They seem to be content with their toys, hanging from them when
they can, and playing with a shiny bell here and there.
Before they're a year old, linnies go through their "terrible two’s," like
most parrot species, with the occasional nip here and there. But this
phase passes quickly and easily with frequent handling and training.
Aviculturally speaking
Linnies have been bred and raised in Europe for some time and are now
becoming more common in the U.S. They are not as common as some of your
other species similar in size and temperament - such as the budgie - but
they should be. I raise 'tiels, parrotlets, lorikeets, quakers and
kakarikis, and it's hard to find anything wrong with linnies. These little
guys are one bird I never have a problem with. They make excellent pets in
a variety of situations for a variety of different people.
Note: This is from an article I wrote for Parrot Chronicles. This
article in its entirety can be viewed in the archives at
www.parrotchronicles.com. |
