Bourke's parakeet
Bourke's parakeet is a small Australian grass parakeet from the arid interior, named after a colonial governor of New South Wales.
It is unusual among parrots for its soft, dusty colouring — brown above with a pink flush below and blue on the rump — and for being crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk.
It is one of the quietest parrots kept, with a soft warble rather than a call, and one of the gentlest. Bourke's are peaceable enough to be mixed in aviaries with finches, and their calm nature and low volume make them well suited to flats and to nervous first-time owners.
- Origin
- Inland Australia
- Size
- 19–23 cm; 40–50 g
- Lifespan
- 10–15 years
- Diet
- Small-parakeet seed or pellets, greens, sprouted seed
- Temperament
- Gentle, calm, peaceable; not strongly cuddly
- Noise
- Very quiet — among the quietest parrots kept
Related: Alexandrine parakeet
2 bourke's parakeet photos, newest first
Living with a bourke's parakeet
They are most active at dawn and dusk and quieter in the middle of the day, which is normal behaviour rather than lethargy.
Give a long flight cage; these are ground-feeding grass parakeets that need room to fly and appreciate floor space.
They are gentle rather than demonstrative and are better suited to someone who wants a calm, attractive aviary bird than to someone wanting a parrot on the shoulder.
Bourke's are prone to obesity on a seed-only diet. As with all birds, keep away from non-stick fumes, aerosols, scented candles and smoke.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual birds vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
Worth reading alongside this
More birds by breed
Every bird breed somebody has posted a photo of.