Cockatiel – nymphicus hollandicus
Length: 30-35cms/12-14 inches
Weight: 80-95 grams
Life span: < 20 years
Incubation: 21 days
Age at weaning: 7-8 weeks
Age at maturity: 9 months - 1 year
Natural habitat: Australia
Cockatiels inhabit the savannah and grassland of Australia but nowadays they are also frequently seen in urban areas.
They are generally peaceable birds that are often kept on a colony in aviaries. Cockatiels that are bred in captivity come in an array of colours from grey to white to yellow! And, of course, combinations of all these colours.
A normal clutch is 4-7 eggs.
The plumage of an adult Cockatiel is generally greyish-blue. They have a yellow crest and head with orange-yellow ear markings. Their wing coverts are white and they have brown eyes, a greyish blue beak and dark grey legs. The female Cockatiels are generally duller in colouration. Their wing coverts are greyer and their eye markings are darker than the male.
Jan 22, 2010 | | Birds, Pets
Conures
There are several genus of Conures, the main ones being the Aratinga and the Pyrrhura. Both originate in South and Central America. They are small to medium sized Parrakeets, which mostly live in flocks of 20 or more birds. The Aratinga’s have a mischievous personality and are more parrotlike than the Pyrrhura’s. The best known Aratinga Conures are probably the Sun Conure, Blue-crowned, Red masked and Mitred. In the Pyrruhura Conures the Green-Cheeked and Marroon Bellied. Other well known species of Conures are the Patagonian, Nanday and the beautiful Queen of Bavaria.
Sun Conure – aratinga solistitialis
Length: 30cms/12 inches
Weight: 100-130 grams
Life span: 30-35 years
Incubation: 23-26 days
Age at weaning: 10 weeks
Age at maturity: 2-3 years
Natural habitat: Venezuela, Brazil, The Guyanas, south of the Amazon
Sun Conures frequent palm groves, open forests and savannahs. They are generally seen in flocks and this brilliantly coloured bird, with it’s screeching call, always betrays it’s presence. Large flocks will congregate to feed in trees bearing ripening fruit.Their diet is seeds, nuts, fruit, berries, buds and blossoms.
They nest in holes in trees, wood pecker holes are favoured. A normal clutch is 3-4 eggs.The Sun Conure is mostly bright yellow in colour, darkening to orange colour around their eyes and on their chest. Their flight feathers are blue and green and their tail is yellow melting into green with blue on the tips.
Jan 01, 2010 | | Birds
Yellow Naped Amazon – amazona ochrocephala auropalliata
Length: 35cm/14inches 
Weight: 480-550 grams
Life span: 20-30 years
Incubation: 26 days
Age at weaning: 60 days
Age at maturity: 2 years
Natural habitat: Pacific coast from Northwest Costa Rica North to Eastern Oaxaca Southern mexico
They Yellow Naped Amazon inhabits semi-arid woodland, arid scrub and savannahs. They are generally found in pairs or small flocks gathering together in larger flocks to roost. These birds are strong fliers and fly quite high when travelling long distances. They used to gather in flocks of several hundred or more but this is now rare due to trapping. They spend most of the time perched in the trees and in flight, searching for food. They give a reiterated screech, and whistling notes, when disturbed.Their diet consists of seeds, nuts, fruit, berries, and figs.Their nests are built in unlined hollows in, living or dead, trees. Mating usually occurs from February to May, a normal clutch is 2-4 eggs.
The plumage of the adult Yellow Naped Amazon is mostly green, with large patches of yellow on the napes of their necks. Some birds also have a yellow blaze on their foreheads. Yellow Naped Amazons tend to be a lighter, brighter green than other Amazon species. Their bill is horn coloured and their legs a pale grey. Immature birds have no yellow on their napes. The yellow nape begins to molt in when they are between 18 months to 2 years old. It continues to get larger as the bird ages
Oct 08, 2009 | | Birds
