Many people who want to have a pet and loving birds, having carefully studied the various offers, as a result decide that the ringed parakeet will be their best choice. Why? There are many reasons for this, starting with beauty and ending with a sharp mind. Of course, before making such an important decision, it’s worth to find out what are the interest in ringed parrots, how to care for them, how many years they live.
Appearance
Of course, one of the main reasons why these birds are so popular is their beautiful appearance. Indeed, these parrots are amazingly beautiful, even graceful. Their size is average - the length is usually from 30 to 50 centimeters with a wingspan of about 40 centimeters. An interesting sign by which you can immediately identify this breed is a stepped tail.
The beak is quite large, rounded - it is so convenient to crack small nuts, extracting a tasty kernel, as well as pick out the hard shell of tropical fruits, which basically make up the diet of ringed parrots.
But with the coloring, everything is not so clear. For example, the Indian ringed parrot has a green, saturated color. His Chinese cousin also has green wings, rather even with an emerald ebb. But the head is gray or even blue. Breast and belly gray. Some breeds boast a graceful yellow color, and there are birds with snow-white plumage. But they are all united by the presence of a kind of "necklace" on the neck - a small strip of dark color. Sometimes it takes the form of a “tie”.
The wings are long and sharp, due to which in the wild parrots can develop considerable speed.
But with their feet they were not so lucky - they are quite short and weak. Because of this, when climbing branches, birds actively use their beak as the third pillar.
Where do they live
To some, this question may seem strange. After all, everyone knows that parrots live only in warm countries. However, ringed parrots slightly violated this tradition. More precisely, they originally lived in tropical countries - mainly in India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and a number of small states located on the Indochina Peninsula.
But in the early to mid-20th century, thousands of individuals were exported to Europe - the content of bright exotic birds just came into fashion there. Many parrots flew away due to inept care. Of course, part died due to the unusual climate surrounding the flora and fauna. But, not surprisingly, the part survived and gave birth. As a result, today ringed parrots can, although very rarely, be seen in Germany, England, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Lifestyle
In the wild, they have a pretty strict schedule. In the morning, soon after sunrise, the whole flock, often consisting of hundreds of individuals, flies into the thickets of fruit trees. When they are full, they rush to the pond.
Shortly before noon, when the hottest hours are approaching, parrots hide in the dense crowns of trees to wait out the heat.
A few hours before sunset, they repeat their route - eat and drink before bedtime.
However, once in a cage, ringed parrots quickly and easily change their habits. All night they sleep soundly, and all day they play actively, eat the brought goodies with appetite.
Where to keep them
Before making a responsible decision, you need to find out what kind of bird care it is to buy such a bird as a ringed parakeet.
First you need to determine the place of residence of the pet. Of course, he will be able to live in a small cage, like budgies, but you can’t call such a life happy. The ideal solution would be a spacious aviary. In it, the bird will spread its wings and at least fly a little. Alas, not every parrot lover will agree to allocate half of the room for an aviary. Therefore, at least make sure that the cell is spacious enough. Also, do not forget to let the bird out of the cage at least once a day so that it stretches its wings - this breed is very fond of flying.
Not every cell is suitable. Modern designs, in which thin twigs are connected by flimsy plastic or wooden slats, briefly hold the parrot with its massive beak. He in a few hours or days will sort this cage.
The optimum temperature for living is 20-25 degrees. Yes, although the bird hails from hot Southeast Asia, she does not like the special heat. But the humidity should be high enough - not less than 60%. Otherwise, the development of diseases that affect the respiratory tract of the bird.
Choosing the right food
The happiness, health and life expectancy of any exotic animals in captivity depends primarily on proper nutrition. And the Chinese ringed parrot is no exception, like other varieties.
In the wild, the main diet is made up of nuts and seeds of various plants, which is why they need such a powerful beak to cope with a thick shell. Therefore, the following grain content will be optimal:
- 40% millet;
- 30% oats;
- 20% of sunflower seeds;
- 10% fresh vegetables.
An adult, healthy individual should eat at least 30 grams of such a mixture per day. If the appetite has deteriorated sharply - do not hesitate to visit the veterinarian.
Also do not forget to regularly add mineral supplements for parrots - they can be purchased at any pet store. Lack of minerals often causes feathers to stain.
Once every two to three days, you can give a little boiled sweet corn, sprouted wheat, almonds or walnuts. But not too often! These are quite high-calorie foods, and the bird, not having the ability to fly, burning excess energy, can make itself overweight.
But sometimes you can give soft food - in nature, parrots often enjoy various fruits. Will fit:
- skim cheese;
- oatmeal in the water;
- hard-boiled chicken eggs;
- White bread.
But they should be given no more than once a week.
Follow the rules of feeding and do not give foods that you are not sure about. In this case, the parrot will delight you with its beautiful appearance and well-being for many years.
Determine the gender of the pet
Many people decide to start a parrot in the expectation that it will bring not only positive, but also a certain profit. Not surprisingly, for such an exotic bird as ringed parrots, the price is set in the region of 4 thousand or more. So, selling even a couple of fledged chicks per month, you can strengthen the family budget pretty well.
Of course, for this you need to buy a couple of parrots, and better - one male and several females. Accordingly, you have to learn to determine their gender.
And here a serious problem arises. The fact is that ringed parrots acquire noticeable differences only at the age of three years. Prior to this, only an experienced ornithologist can determine where the male and where is the female.
By the age of three, the necklace that gave the name to the whole breed becomes clearly visible - it was already mentioned earlier. It begins to form earlier, but until that time it is almost impossible to distinguish a female from a male.
How to breed them
You finally got the long-awaited birds, for example, a small ringed parakeet breed. Now you need to create them all the conditions for reproduction.
The selected pair (if you have a whole flock) is separated into separate cells. They practically should not come into contact with each other and especially with other birds. After a week of seclusion, they can be reduced to a common cage - quite spacious. There should be a wooden house with a hole of about 7-9 centimeters. The bottom needs to be covered with shavings or sawdust - you cannot find a more suitable litter.
If everything goes well, then in a few days the female will lay eggs - usually from 2 to 4 pieces. Care for them is exclusively the expectant mother. Papa takes care of the "beloved", feeds her, spins nearby all day.
The incubation period varies significantly depending on the variety and can range from 22 to 28 days. The larger the breed, the longer the female hatches the eggs. Small parrots will begin to leave the nest (and, accordingly, the house) after about 6 weeks. Make sure that all this time the female, like her cubs, receive the best, fresh and balanced diet.
Average life
A very important factor that many breeders consider before acquiring a new pet is their lifespan. It is not surprising - one does not want the parrot, to which the owners only had time to become attached, to suddenly die. And the other, on the contrary, does not want to have a pet that can live for decades - after all, this is a serious responsibility.
Well, the ringed parrot will be a good choice for serious owners who want to get a friend for many years. Most varieties have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years. The larger the individuals of the breed, the longer they live. Long-livers are considered to be large ringed parrots.
Can they be taught to talk?
One of the first questions people ask when they decide to have a parrot is: "Will he talk?" It depends on the breed - some are able to master dozens and even hundreds of words. Others are not even able to voice a couple.
Fortunately, ringed parrots are smart - individuals with which the owners are diligently engaged, are able to remember 50-60 words and even phrases. To speed up the learning process, you can give some tips:
- Start learning with the simplest words - short, preferably monosyllables.
- Reward the bird for any success - stroke, give some treat.
- Never yell at a parrot if he has not succeeded in achieving success for a long time - there will be no benefit from this, but fear of you may appear.
- Conduct lessons in silence when nothing will distract the bird from your words.
Conclusion
Now you know enough about ringed parrots to decide whether to get these pets or to give preference to others. One thing is for sure - if this beautiful, large and smart bird appears in your home, you will never have to regret the decision made.