Lineolated Parakeet

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Lineolated Parakeet
Lineolated Parakeet.jpg

Lineolated Parakeet ( Bolborhynchus lineola )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : True parrots (Psittacidae)
Tribe : New World Parrots (Arini)
Genre : Big- nosed Parakeets ( Bolborhynchus )
Type : Lineolated Parakeet
Scientific name
Bolborhynchus lineola
( Cassin , 1853)
Lineolated Parakeet, head in side view

The Katharinasittich ( Bolborhynchus lineola ) is a type of arini . It occurs in Central and South America .

The Lineolated Parakeet, which looks like a parrot, owes its name to a small translation misunderstanding. The name giver is not the dedication to a certain lady named Katharina. 'Catarina' is the Creole term for parakeets in general. Even today, the green South American in Mexico is called Catarina listada or Catarina rayada (ie "marked / striped parakeet").

Appearance

The Lineolated Parakeet is about 16 to 17 centimeters long, with just under six centimeters on the tail. The weight of a fully grown bird is around 50 to 60 grams. The wild color of the Lineolated Parakeet is green. This is mainly used for camouflage in the original environment of the animals. In green foliage, the plumage can hardly be distinguished from its surroundings. The forehead is yellow-green. The parting is tinted blue. In most wild-colored Lineolated Parakeets, the feathers on the back of the head and neck have narrow black borders. The feathers on the flanks and sides of the chest are also lined with green and black. The wing bow is black. The hand covers, hand wings and arm wings are green. The under wing-coverts are bluish-green. The beak is horn-colored. The eye ring is narrow and featherless and gray in color. The iris is dark brown. As is characteristic of the thick-nosed parakeet, the wax skin is not feathered. The feet are light flesh-colored.

The Lineolated Parakeet belongs to the genus of the thick-nosed parakeets . As the name suggests, the beak is the most striking distinguishing feature of these small parakeets. The tail is uncharacteristically short and pointed. It is difficult to distinguish between males and females.

Distribution area and wildlife

The nominate form ( B. l. Lineola ) can be found from southern Mexico to western Panama. The subspecies Peru- Lineolated Parakeet ( B. l. Tigrinus ), on the other hand, is found more south in western Columbia, in the Andean regions of north-west Venezuela, north-west Ecuador and central Peru. However, specimens have also been sighted in Bolivia.

Distribution area of ​​the Lineolated Parakeet
Distribution area of ​​the Lineolated Parakeet

In the summer months, the animals visit the mountain forests up to heights of 2500 m. They prefer to stay above 1500 m. In winter, however, they withdraw to lower areas.

The nomadic Lineolated Parakeets usually appear in small flocks of less than 20 birds or in pairs. Groups of over 100 animals can only be observed outside the breeding season. Hundreds of the small parakeets visit sleeping trees. They fly high and quickly over open spaces with loud, shrill shouts. Lineolated Parakeets, like most parrots, are cave-breeders that raise their young in dead trees.

The Lineolated Parakeet in human care

The Lineolated Parakeet was first imported to Europe in 1886. In the meantime there are no more wild imports, but the Lineolated Parakeet is regularly bred in Germany and Europe. For decades it was the only species of the thick-nosed parakeet that was kept in human care. Its calm manner and quiet voice contribute to the popularity of the Lineolated Parakeet in pet bird keeping. The first breeding (Germany) succeeded a Frankfurt private owner in 1902 .

Color mutations

With the keeping as a house and aviary bird, the Lineolated Parakeet also became more and more interesting for breeders. There are now a number of color mutations such as turquoise, yellow or cream-colored Lineolated Parakeets. So-called dark factors and gray wing factors expand the color palette.

Accommodation in cage or aviary

A major problem with caging the Lineolated Parakeet is its small size and its initially reticent nature. Its need for plenty of exercise is easily underestimated. Like all parrots, the Lineolated Parakeet is excellent at climbing. He needs plenty of room to move around in a sufficiently large accommodation and plenty of activity.

A cage should be at least three feet long. An aviary two meters long is the absolute minimum for the permanent housing of a pair of Lineolated Parakeets. If free flight is granted daily, two to three pairs can be held on two square meters. When keeping a swarm, there should be at least one square meter of floor space per pair.

It is also possible to keep them in outdoor aviaries. It is important to have a shelter, which should be kept at at least 5 ° C in winter.

  • Indoor aviary

  • Outdoor aviary

  • Lineolated Parakeets of various color mutations in an outdoor aviary

behavior

Social and swarm behavior

The two partners of a couple spend most of the day together. Direct physical contact is very important. When cuddling or dozing, both Lineolated Parakeets sit close together, usually tail to tail. During the breaks, the partners scratch each other extensively and very intensively. If a Lineolated Parakeet would like to be petted, it will stretch the back of the head of its counterpart and / or gently nudge it. Most of the time, the other bird cannot resist and begins with social plumage care. If a couple is separated for a moment, for whatever reason, they at least maintain acoustic contact through loud calls. Lineolated Parakeets, like many parrots, are flocking birds and can be kept in groups in an aviary or room. Simultaneous food intake is just as much a part of it as common breaks with cleaning, cuddling and scratching. Nevertheless, life in a flock of Lineolated Parakeets is more colorful and exciting than when kept in pairs. The couples and unmated animals communicate with each other in a variety of ways, there is quarreling, cuddling in large groups or just chatting.

  • Loving Lineolated Parakeets

  • Be careful

  • Resting on one leg (color mutation)

  • Cuddling and cuddling (color mutations)

  • Dozing together

  • Lineolated Parakeet pair (color mutations)

volume

Lineolated Parakeets are certainly among the more calm representatives of the parrots . Lineolated Parakeets are calm, peaceful animals and are therefore suitable for keeping indoors or in outdoor aviaries. Your voice is pleasant, only in the morning and in the evening your voice is more active. When keeping a pair of Lineolated Parakeets, you will usually not have any problems with the volume of the animals. If the number of birds increases to form a small flock, it can get louder, especially in the morning and evening.

If in the morning the first laps outside of the cage or the aviary are made in pairs or in groups, the Lineolated Parakeets let out a common, loud shouting.
With these loud calls, Lineolated Parakeets maintain acoustic contact. Often these contact calls only stop when both animals sit next to each other or when the acoustic contact is completely interrupted.
During the breaks and while dozing, there is sometimes quiet chatter. Cracking sounds and a dark growl alternate. These noises are difficult to record due to the low volume.
In the case of small disturbances, however, this rustling quickly changes into an excited chatter, with all members of a swarm taking part.

Breeding behavior

Lineolated Parakeets willingly brood in standard budgie or large parakeet nesting boxes. The female incubates firmly, usually after the second or even after the third egg. The number of eggs is usually between three and eight, on average four eggs are laid. The incubation period is around 21 days. The male feeds his partner during the brood. The female seldom leaves the clutch to drop poop and drink. When the young are around eight to ten days old, the female occasionally leaves the nest too. The young birds stay in the nest for between four and six weeks. Often the young are fed by the parent animals for two to three weeks after they have left the family. The family association is firm, the nest box is often used by the young and old animals together as a place to stay overnight. Every now and then there are reports of couples who share a nest box with another couple. It can also be observed that the young of the previous brood as well as completely uninvolved birds feed the chicks of the new brood. Most parents tolerate this. In general, Lineolated Parakeets tend to become more argumentative during the breeding season.

Fearful and flight behavior

Lineolated Parakeets' fear and flight behavior is quite unusual. Do you notice something unusual in your environment, e.g. B. foreign noises or visual stimuli, the Lineolated Parakeets freeze immediately. The plumage is tightly laid out and full attention is focused on the disorder. If the disturbance persists, an attempt is now made to escape the possible danger very slowly by changing the location by running or climbing. Only if the Lineolated Parakeets still feel threatened after a while do they fly away. The tail is often fanned out as a sign of fear or insecurity. However, if the Lineolated Parakeet feels frightened or acutely threatened, it flies off aimlessly with loud screams. Such a panic attack is dangerous, the birds fly with full force against obstacles, windows and walls. It is therefore advisable to always approach the birds carefully and to speak to them early on.

nutrition

Basically, the food for the Lineolated Parakeets consists of 50% fruit and vegetables, 10% green forage and herbs and 40% dry seeds. The abundant ingested food is digested and metabolized wastefully at an enormous rate. Accordingly, the excrement of the Lineolated Parakeets after a fruit-containing meal is lush and has a rather mushy to liquid consistency. Different types of grain mixes and other seeds are ideally complemented by plenty of fruit and vegetables. In the summer months there are also fresh grasses. As with many other parakeets also applies to the Katharina parakeets millet as a special treat.

  • Food bowl with vegetables and greens

  • Lineolated Parakeet on a melon

  • Lineolated Parakeet (color mutation) millet is offered

  • Freshly cut grass as a food offer

  • Natural colored Lineolated Parakeets feed on an apple

  • Color mutation on a firethorn branch

  • Lineolated Parakeets on a water bowl

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Strunden, Hans: The names of the parrots and parakeets. S. 17 .
  2. ^ March, Sigrid: Lineolated Parakeets - Extraordinary parrots in small format . S. 10-11 .
  3. ↑ Arndt, Thomas: South American Parakeets - Encyclopedia of Parrots and Parakeets . S. 77 .
  4. ↑ Arndt, Thomas: South American Parakeets - Encyclopedia of Parrots and Parakeets . S. 83 .
  5. ↑ Arndt, Thomas: South American Parakeets - Encyclopedia of Parrots and Parakeets . S. 78-79, 83-84 .
  6. ↑ Arndt, Thomas: South American Parakeets - Encyclopedia of Parrots and Parakeets . S. 76 .
  7. ↑ Arndt, Thomas: South American Parakeets - Encyclopedia of Parrots and Parakeets . S. 79 .
  8. ↑ Arndt, Thomas: South American Parakeets - Encyclopedia of Parrots and Parakeets . S. 81 .
  9. ^ March, Sigrid: Lineolated Parakeets - Extraordinary parrots in small format . S. 12-15 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Lineolated Parakeet ( Bolborhynchus lineola )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files