Singing parrots (also called singers) are common in Australia. They feel great both on natural and man-made landscapes, and therefore in this country you can meet them almost everywhere. Singing parrots can nest in houses, like our swallows and sparrows, and feed in the fields and on farms, pecking the scattered grains and eating the remnants of food that humans feed animals.
Psephotus haematonotus (the Latin name for these birds) is a special
kind of parrot , distinguished primarily by melodic singing. I must say that only males sing. Females, echoing each other, make sounds resembling a whistle. However, this whistle has many shades and is also quite melodic. But the males' songs resemble trills of our forest birds with a rich set of iridescent sounds.
Singing parrots are quite small, much smaller than most of their counterparts. The size of an adult bird is up to 27 cm. The males are distinguished by a color in which the predominant color is bright green, in addition, they have a bright red tack. The female has a simpler color (brown-brown). Such color variations are purely natural. In captivity, singing parrots with pastel colors (color mutation, the result of the work of breeders) are increasingly found.
The popularity of singing parrots is explained by a peaceful disposition, undemanding to feed and, of course, a pleasant voice. “But the talking parrot sings!” - you say. He sings, however, his singing is the result of imitation of other birds, and not always a successful imitation. But the singing parrots have a natural singing, a voice presented to them by mother nature.
I must say that, listing the other advantages of these birds, we forgot about another, no less important - singing parrots are quite capable of reproducing even in cages. Usually aviaries (usually angular) are built for this, taking up little space. In such an enclosure, if it is spacious enough, you can settle other birds. As an option - budgies. Only males sing in budgies. By the way, they are also able to copy other birds. The only thing that cannot be done is to place several pairs of singing parrots in the same enclosure - during mating periods the males will certainly arrange fights.
As far as nutrition is concerned, singing parrots will use the standard cereal mix for corellas and budgies (from the pet store). In addition, the diet must have greens, berries, fruits, animal feed, clean water. This is important for birds of any age.
For breeding, it is better to use a separate aviary with the nest house standard for small parrots installed in it. The bottom of the house is covered with sawdust or covered with soft, gentle hay. In a year, a pair of parrots can grow three, or even four broods. However, this exhausts the female too much, therefore, after the second brood has grown, the nesting house is cleaned for several months.
Only female incubates eggs (5-8 eggs), very rarely getting up from masonry. All three weeks (the incubation takes so long), the male feeds his girlfriend. He makes the female return to the abandoned nest if she suddenly decides not to warm up on time. Chicks leave the nest a month after birth. The parents feed them for the same amount of time, and from two months young animals can be planted separately.