by Robbie Harris
The ever popular grey-cheeked parakeet is part of a genus of birds called Brotogeris. This group has seven species, with the grey cheek now being the most popular.
More than 30 years ago, the bee-bee parrot (also known as the orange-chinned parakeet) was the member of the Brotogeris genus that most people sought out as a pet. Bee bees were offered for sale in most pet shops, and even today, people over the age of 70 are still calling me looking for bee-bee parrots. This bird was a very popular little pet back in its time. The orange-chinned parakeet also goes by the name of the Tovi parakeet, but the bee bee nickname is the most common name used for this bird.
Many years later, over a decade ago, a new little bird was imported here into the United States. These cute little birds stole the hearts of almost everyone who came into contact with them. The birds would beg for human attention, practically screaming, "Hold me, hug me, love me!" For years, the import stations would sell out quickly--many times in just a couple of days. The name of this charming import was the Grey-cheeked parakeet.
The grey cheek imports were hand-reared babies, and that is the only reason they came into the country so tame. Grey cheeks are far from naturally tame birds. A wild-caught adult bird can be just as nippy and feisty as a wild lovebird imported grey cheeks were very young babies that were hand-reared in Ecuador and Peru. For years, the chicks were hand-fed right here in U.S. quarantine stations by employed hand-feeders. Babies were hand-fed a baby food formula two to three times a day until they were able to eat solid foods on their own.
The general care and breeding of all Brotogeris is the same. All the birds in this family make excellent pets when purchased as very young hand-fed babies. The most commonly available is the grey cheek, followed by the canary wing, the Tovi, the cobalt wing, and the golden wing. Until very recently, these were the only Brotogeris being bred in the United States. Now, the Tui parakeet--the most beautiful to me--is being bred here, too (by me). These birds will not be available as pets for many years; aviculturists must establish pairs of them for future breeding. Establishing breeding pairs first and selling pets second is very important for all uncommon species.
Some of the young and adult Brotogeris will tame with much patience and time, but nothing can compare to a hand-reared baby. These by far make the best pets. Grey cheeks and their relatives are highly intelligent, which has contributed to their popularity as house pets. They are very bold, and even though they are only 7 to 8 inches long with a weight of 50 to 60 grams, they will challenge a parrot three times their size.
Members of the Brotogeris genus often become very attached to their owners. Their chattering voices can become loud at times (this happens more frequently with grey cheeks than with the other species). A single bird kept as a pet, however, is usually not very noisy. Most birds learn to vocalize because their new owners run to pick them up or remove them from their cages at the first sound of a peep, thinking, "How cute, he's calling me." Soon, the bird learns to expect attention when it calls. If the bird is ignored, it just continues to scream louder and longer, hoping someone will hear and come to play with it like they used to do. Remember, birds, like all animals and people, learn by association. Take your pet out to play when it is being quiet, never when it is being noisy. Don't teach your bird to call you, and you could end up with a quieter pet.
When purchasing a young, weaned bird, try to be sure of its age. Once the babies of most Brotogeris are fully feathered and weaned, they resemble their adult parents. If you are a novice with birds, you may find it difficult to determine the true age of your fully feathered pet; many young and older birds look very much the same. Healthy baby Brotogeris are feathered by the time they are 7 weeks of age. The most important thing is to buy your bird from a reliable source, whether it's a breeder or pet shop.
Grey-cheeked Parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhopterus)
The most common of all Brotogeris, the grey cheek has also been referred to as the pocket parrot, the orange-flanked and the orange-winged parakeet. This brightly colored green bird is paler on its underparts. The gray chin, forehead and cheeks are what give this bird its name. The primary coverts are blue, and the crown is bluish. The grey cheek is the only Brotogeris with a bright-orange patch on its underwing coverts, which sometimes can just be seen as a touch of orange on the shoulder tips. When a grey cheek lifts its wing, the large orange area can clearly be seen.
Very young chicks are easy to identify by their prominent black beaks. The black-colored beak will soon turn to the horn color of an adult, usually by the time the chick reaches 6 months of age. Range: Western Ecuador and northwestern Peru
Canary-winged Parakeet (B. versicolurus chiriri)
This is a bright apple-green-colored bird, lighter colored on its underparts. A large band of bright canary-yellow color appears on the secondary coverts. This, of course, gives this bird its common name. There is a slight tinge of blue to the flight feathers. I often see canary wings offered for sale as domestic babies. Range: Parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina
White-winged Parakeet (B. v. versicolurus)
This bird, the nominate race of its species, differs from the canary wing in many ways, almost so much that it seems hard to believe they are just different subspecies rather than entirely different species. First of all, the white wing's green color is darker and slightly more olive-colored. The white-winged parakeet also has a canary-yellow color on the wing and a large patch of white as well. With this bird's wings folded, the white often does not show. White wings also have less facial feathering around the beak and eye areas.
My son Larry has a domestic white wing for a pet, which I raised. This little bird just adores him and will fly to him when he calls her. Larry plays with her as if she were a toy. She'll lie on her back and stand on her head, and stay in that position until he stands her back upright. She has complete trust in him. She also speaks a few words that were not taught to her, things she heard and picked up. Her favorite word is "Larry," which she yells when he is not around. Range: Parts of Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru
Orange-chinned Parakeet (B. jugularis)
Back in the 1950s, 1960s and even the 1970s, it seemed like anyone who knew anything about a bird knew what a bee-bee parrot (also known as the Tovi parakeet) was; these birds were commonly kept as pets. Many were brought in the country and tamed for pets. They are mainly a bright-green color with lighter shades of green on the underparts. A bright-orange spot can be seen right under the lower mandible, which gives this bird its common name. A large yellow patch can be found on the underwing coverts. There is a blue tinge to the crown, lower back, rump, thighs, and under the tail and flight feathers. Range: Areas of Mexico, Columbia, and Venezuela
Cobalt-winged Parakeet (B. cyanoptera cyanoptera)
Like the orange-chinned parakeet, this bird has an orange chin spot. The forehead is yellow, and the crown is a bluish color. This birds earns its common name from the wing flights and primary coverts, which are a bright cobalt blue. The central tail feathers also have blue, and the underside of the tail is a yellowish green. The overall color is a dark, almost olive, green.
Back in 1983, I received the first U.S. breeding award from the American Federation of Aviculture for breeding the cobalt-winged parakeet. Since then, I've bred large numbers of these beautiful birds, with my third generation now producing young. Range: Part of Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia
Golden-winged Parakeet (B. chrysopterus chrysopterus)
This bird gets its name from the small orange patch on its outer primary wing coverts. A brownish-orange chin spot is present just under the lower mandible. The forehead has a band of dark brown. The main color of this bird is a very dark shade of green. The crown has a blue tinge, as do the cheeks and flights. This is the shortest Brotogeris, at about 6 1/2 to 7 inches, and the stoutest. Range: Areas of Venezuela, Guiana, and Brazil
Tui Parakeet (B. sanctithomae sanctithomae)
This beautiful bright-green bird has a forehead that is yellow, and this yellow extends to the crown. It looks very much like a small 7-inch version of the yellow-crowned Amazon parrot.
Most Brotogeris have a light-colored beak when mature, but the Tui has a very distinctive chestnut-colored beak. The wing flights are a bluish green, brighter blue on the primary coverts. A tinge of blue can be found on the nape, cheeks and undersides of the wing flights.
My young chicks, when just feathered, had dark eyes. As they grew, now more than 6 months of age, their eyes have lightened. When mature, the iris is a glowing golden color. All other Brotogeris have very dark eyes.
Most books state that there is no breeding of this species in captivity. I am breeding these birds and hope to get breeding pairs well established. The adorable chicks are a real challenge to retain for breeding stock; they would have made beautiful pets. I am resisting this temptation, however, to create and establish large numbers of breeding pairs before I ever consider them suitable for the pet market. Range: Areas of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia
Plain Parakeet (B. tirica)
This bird is also known as the all-green parakeet, with this title describing the bird's basic overall color. The plain parakeet lacks the color of other Brotogeris. A bluish tinge is on the hind neck, mantle and underside of the tail. The upper back and wing coverts have a brownish tinge. This bird is not available in the United States. A blue mutation is part of a bird collection in Brazil. Range: Brazil
Brotogeris Diet
A good diet with a variety of foods is very important for these birds to help them maintain excellent health. An improper diet can result in vitamin deficiencies that lower birds' immunities toward diseases.
A well-balanced diet for Brotogeris must contain a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Many diets on the pet market today are called complete diets--such as pellet-type diets. As nutritious as these foods might be, Brotogeris need fresh fruits and vegetable in their daily diet. Even if the manufacturers of pelleted diets insist their foods are complete, please offer fruits and vegetables along with the pellets. My birds have done very well on their diet for 20 years now. The following is what I feed my breeding birds as well as my pets.
As a staple food, I offer a seed mix containing a medium-size sunflower seed, safflower seed and a parakeet mix (containing 42-percent canary seed). This food is available to my birds at all times. A good cockatiel seed mix should work just fine for pet grey cheeks or other Brotogeris. Included in their dietary needs is fresh clean water and a mineral block. The mineral block I use is the all-in-one mineral block that contains grit, oyster shell and minerals. Each day, various fruits and vegetables can be offered to your birds. Keep in mind different individual birds prefer different things. The various foods I offer are apples, oranges, peas (fresh or frozen), corn (fresh or frozen), beets, carrots, and greens (spinach, collards or Swiss chard). These can usually be found year round at your grocery store. Additional foods, when in season, are also good to include. These foods include grapes, cherries, plums, pears, bananas, peaches, squash, papaya, and sweet potato (baked and cooled). Other nutritious items include multi-grain wheat bread and breakfast cereals.
Never feed avocado. I know of many birds that have died after eating this fruit. Never use spoiled or overripe produce. To ensure that no insecticides remain, make certain all fruits and vegetables are thoroughly washed before you offer them to your birds. Also purchase a good bird vitamin and lightly dust it on fruits and vegetables at each feeding.
Housing
A simple, safe cage--like one for a budgie or cockatiel--will do just fine for a single pet grey cheek or any other Brotogeris. If using a cockatiel cage, make sure the bars are spaced close enough together so that the bird cannot get its head between them. Many birds injure themselves or worse by getting their heads caught.
Playgrounds with toys and various foods make great play areas for pet grey cheeks. Be sure to supervise your curious pet when it is out of its cage. Grey cheeks are known to get themselves into mischief, so keep a close eye on your pet. If enough toys and treats are kept on their play areas, it helps keep these energetic parrots from wandering off. Many good, healthy treats are available at pet shops, and they should keep your pet happily entertained.
Other interesting treats that seem to amuse my birds are different types of breakfast cereals. Trix now comes in different colors and shapes that seem to generate interest from birds. Other fun cereals come in O's, such as Cheerios.
Breeding
Both sexes of Brotogeris species look alike, so picking pairs can prove difficult. I have all my birds surgically sexed by a competent veterinarian who specializes in birds. Yes, problems can arise from surgical sexing, and a bird can be lost, but this is very rare. I suggest that people do not surgically sex their pets, but have the sex determined by other methods available, such as DNA and feather chromosome analysis.
Sometimes the hens seem more petite in the head and face, and the males may be a bit larger in size. Keep in mind this, too, is not always true when picking out birds; there are many large hens and some very small males.
In the wild, Brotogeris nest in termite mounds found in trees. Aviculturists are unable to come up with these mounds in captivity, so we use the next best thing: wooden nest boxes. I line my Brotogeris nest boxes with a soft type of cork that is used for ceiling and wall covering. This cork comes in 12-inch square tiles. I can easily break these tiles into any size when working with them. I attach the cork lining with a nontoxic glue, such as a white school glue.
At the bottom of the nest box, I place a 2- to 4-inch layer of white pine shavings. The birds will toss out any or all that they do not want inside, so don't worry if your Brotogeris thinks you added too many shavings and send them flying everywhere.
I breed and house only one pair of birds per cage. Quarreling can and does happen when two pairs occupy the same cage. These birds are very capable of killing one another when fighting over territory, so keep this in mind when setting them up for breeding. I live in Southern California where the weather is somewhat mild all year. My birds do well outdoors all through the year. In areas where the weather is good, these birds do just fine outdoors, but they will breed well indoors too. I have seen people breeding grey cheeks right in their living rooms with all the family commotions going on. These grey cheeks seemed to feel right at home and went ahead with their own business. When these birds are ready to breed, there is no stopping them.
I have had very young pairs go right to nest and produce young even before they were a year old. I set up my breeding pairs close together so they can see one another. Grey cheeks remind me of the old saying, "monkey see, monkey do." If one pair starts breeding, many times the other pairs follow and do the very same thing. This type of behavior can send the whole colony to nest, so sometimes it is a good idea to set up individual pairs close together within sight of each other.
The average clutch size is four eggs, but they can lay as many as seven. Usually, however, they will not raise that many on their own. If there are large clutches, I step in and help out, usually by removing some of the older chicks for handfeeding. Many times I have even raised all the chicks from day 1, hatching them in my incubator.
I feel an incubator is a must for anyone who owns breeding birds--even one pair. Many incubators are very inexpensive, costing under $150. One life saved will more than pay for that incubator. I use the incubators put out by Lyon Electric. I run at least six of them at all times during breeding season, hatching eggs as small as a parrotlet's and as large as a big macaw's. When incubating Brotogeris eggs in an incubator, I can candle the eggs in just four days and see the embryo developing (I use the M.D.S. probelite). But when candling eggs under a pair, it could take close to two weeks before I can see if the eggs are alive.
Many Brotogeris do not start incubating their eggs until the last egg has been laid. They may look like they are incubating when they actually are not. Usually an egg is laid every other day, so the complete laying process could take almost two weeks.
Don't discard any eggs until you are absolutely sure the eggs are no good. I have known too many people who broke open eggs that they thought were no good because of the length of time they were in the nest box, only to find a live under-developed chick inside. Incubation is about 26 days from the time the hen starts to sit and actually incubate her eggs. Candle yours eggs about one week after the last egg was laid to be sure of what is happening inside of them.
Most of my Brotogeris, which are set up outdoors all year, start to breed in late winter or early spring. Most usually lay one clutch per year. A few will lay two clutches per year, and on very rare occasions, three times per year. Birds set up indoors may breed anytime they please, even nesting numerous times a year. Remember, each pair is different and has its own individual personality.
Sometimes, owners of grey cheeks become upset when their cuddly pets become aggressive and nippy. If this happens, it is usually an indication of sexual maturity and the birds' desire to breed. Instead of getting rid of their pets like some owners do, these people should buy mates for their birds and supply them with nest boxes.
Hand-Fed Brotogeris Pets
Hand-fed Brotogeris make excellent pets. When raising Brotogeris chicks, it is best to remove them from the next box for hand-rearing between 2 to 3 weeks of age. If the parents raise them all the way to weaning, the chicks may not end up tame, and too much work may be necessary to tame them into sweet, trusting pets.
Handfeeding them at about 3 weeks of age is easy. You can make your own formula or buy a good commercial formula. Many different brands are offered in pet shops. For grey cheeks, as well as any of the other Brotogeris, I would be sure to add some baby food fruits and vegetables. A couple of different varieties are available at grocery stores, and you can add a very small amount to the formula at each feeding. Applesauce, peas, green beans, corn and sweet potato are just a few that may be good choices to add. Add one or two types of fruit or vegetable per feeding.
All hand-reared Brotogeris make excellent pets. Grey cheeks are the most sought after of the Brotogeris because their availability has made them popular. Many people became owners of imported, handfed grey cheeks unexpectedly when they walked into a pet shop to browse. These tame birds just begged for attention, and before the unsuspecting person knew what was happening, he or she became a new bird owner. Soon the word spread that the grey cheek was the only bird to own as a pet. Well, this is just not true. There are lots of really nice birds out there, but the key thing to remember is that they should be hand-fed and tame. Make sure the bird is tame when you get it. You should be able to handle the bird at ease without getting nipped.
There are other Brotogeris besides the grey cheek that are being bred and make just as nice and wonderful pets. Canary-winged and Tovi parakeets are often offered for sale and make great pets when hand-fed. Cobalt-winged parakeets are rarely available, but when they are, they, too, make excellent pets.
Importation Ending
We as birdkeepers and breeders need to be aware of bird-related issues in our world that change quickly. New regulations concerning animals are being drafted all the time, and imported birds that some of us took for granted may soon be unavailable.
A few years ago, new regulations were put into affect that would no longer allow the importation of baby birds unless they were eating on their own, requiring no handfeeding at all during their quarantine stay. All imported birds had to be completely self-sufficient. The day of the real baby grey cheek as a pet may soon end unless they are domestically reared in larger numbers. Most of the grey cheeks imported were still young and tame, because they were hand-reared in their country of origin.
Now there has been an even newer regulation that has just gone into effect pertaining to grey cheeks. This has stopped all imported grey cheeks from entering the United States. Now, anyone wanting a tame grey cheek is totally dependent on grey cheek breeders. The most unfortunate thing about this situation is that there are very few bird breeders keeping and breeding grey cheeks and other Brotogeris. Something must be done quickly to set up pairs for future breeders to enjoy. Right now, there are still large numbers of grey cheeks in the United States. Pairs can still easily be put together. Soon, however, it may be next to impossible to procure these birds.
Look at the very popular bee-bee parrot, a formerly popular member of the Brotogeris group that has practically disappeared. There were large numbers of these birds at one time too. Now it takes some effort to find even one for sale. This is what could easily happen to the grey cheek if people do not start obtaining them and creating true pairs for breeding.
Soon, if not already, the famous grey-cheeked parakeet will be very difficult to find--especially tame sweet babies. Regulations to stop all birds from entering our country may soon be imposed. With all the deforestation, very few birds may be left on earth at all. Domestic breeding of birds is a must!
I can remember telling people that when importation closes, the price of grey cheeks will soar. Well, that time has finally come. The shortage of grey cheeks here may not be felt for some time because of the large numbers that were imported in the past few years. But the number of available baby grey cheeks has now been cut drastically.
Yes, they do take some work and patience to breed successfully, but believe me, they are well worth the effort. These birds should not only be kept as pets but bred as well to assure a future supply. If this does not happen, they may disappear for good.
Article originally appeared in the March 1993 issue of Bird Talk. This is copyrighted material, reprinted with the author's permission. This article may not be reprinted without written consent from the author and Bird Talk magazine.
Showing posts with label golden wing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golden wing. Show all posts
August 28, 2010
August 27, 2010
Pockets Full of Pleasure
by Robbie Harris
Brotogeris is the Latin name for a group of small parrots admired for their tameness and affection toward their owners, as well as their intelligence and pet qualities. More than a half century ago, "bee bee" parrots filled the hearts of many pet bird lovers. These loving pets were actually the orange-chinned parakeets, also known as Tovi parakeets. The pet shops always had an abundance of these birds. Young and adults were quickly snatched up by bird lovers for their ability to be easily tamed into wonderful, intelligent family pets. Tame Brotogeris act like large parrots in compact form, and they crave attention from their owners.
As the years went on, many other Brotogeris were attached with the common name bee bee parrot--such as the canary-winged and white-winged parakeets. Even cobalt-winged parakeets were once released from a quarantine station labeled and priced as bee bee parrots.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the grey-cheeked parakeet came into the picture as the pet bird to have. Thousands were imported, with almost all of them being tame and sweet. Within days of a shipment of grey cheeks arriving in the United States, the word got out, and the demand was bigger than expected. They were all sold before they were even released from the 30-day quarantine stations. From then on, the demand was big and constant; orders for these birds were coming in from all over the country.
Even now, the demand is great and popularity is still growing. Grey-cheeked parakeets quickly earned the nickname "pocket parrot" as they became household pets because they love to climb inside their owners' shirt pockets and stay there, just poking out their heads. I even heard of someone who walked into a pet store and a grey cheek jumped onto her shoulder and quickly found her shirt pocket and climbed in. The name pocket parrot was soon attached to other birds as well. I have heard people call most Brotogeris pocket parrots, and even parrotlets have been called pocket parrots. But, just as a bit of trivia, remember that the true pocket parrot is the grey-cheeked parakeet.
One can only have high hopes that these wonderful birds will not disappear in the U.S. with many people so enthusiastic about Brotogeris. However, less and less are available following the importation restrictions of CITES. In order to maintain this species in captivity, we breeders must put our efforts into these birds, or they will no longer be available in the states.
Back in the late 1980s, I published a Brotogeris newsletter called Grey Cheek and Company. I continued it for some years, but it became too much work and quite costly for a single person to run. It created lots of phone calls and letters containing questions that need to be answered. My book Grey-cheeked Parakeets and Other Brotogeris (published by T.H.F.) appears to now be out of print due to not enough demand.
In the 1980s and into the '90s, the spread of grey cheeks was like an epidemic. Once a person had one, many of his or her friends and family were soon struck with the uncontrollable desire to own one (or two, or three). Many people took it upon themselves to get two for household pets. With a good diet and a roomy cage containing a nest box, grey cheek lovers hoped that the two would soon have more little grey cheeks. Many have had such luck.
Brotogeris is the Latin name for a group of small parrots admired for their tameness and affection toward their owners, as well as their intelligence and pet qualities. More than a half century ago, "bee bee" parrots filled the hearts of many pet bird lovers. These loving pets were actually the orange-chinned parakeets, also known as Tovi parakeets. The pet shops always had an abundance of these birds. Young and adults were quickly snatched up by bird lovers for their ability to be easily tamed into wonderful, intelligent family pets. Tame Brotogeris act like large parrots in compact form, and they crave attention from their owners.
As the years went on, many other Brotogeris were attached with the common name bee bee parrot--such as the canary-winged and white-winged parakeets. Even cobalt-winged parakeets were once released from a quarantine station labeled and priced as bee bee parrots.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the grey-cheeked parakeet came into the picture as the pet bird to have. Thousands were imported, with almost all of them being tame and sweet. Within days of a shipment of grey cheeks arriving in the United States, the word got out, and the demand was bigger than expected. They were all sold before they were even released from the 30-day quarantine stations. From then on, the demand was big and constant; orders for these birds were coming in from all over the country.
Even now, the demand is great and popularity is still growing. Grey-cheeked parakeets quickly earned the nickname "pocket parrot" as they became household pets because they love to climb inside their owners' shirt pockets and stay there, just poking out their heads. I even heard of someone who walked into a pet store and a grey cheek jumped onto her shoulder and quickly found her shirt pocket and climbed in. The name pocket parrot was soon attached to other birds as well. I have heard people call most Brotogeris pocket parrots, and even parrotlets have been called pocket parrots. But, just as a bit of trivia, remember that the true pocket parrot is the grey-cheeked parakeet.
One can only have high hopes that these wonderful birds will not disappear in the U.S. with many people so enthusiastic about Brotogeris. However, less and less are available following the importation restrictions of CITES. In order to maintain this species in captivity, we breeders must put our efforts into these birds, or they will no longer be available in the states.
Back in the late 1980s, I published a Brotogeris newsletter called Grey Cheek and Company. I continued it for some years, but it became too much work and quite costly for a single person to run. It created lots of phone calls and letters containing questions that need to be answered. My book Grey-cheeked Parakeets and Other Brotogeris (published by T.H.F.) appears to now be out of print due to not enough demand.
In the 1980s and into the '90s, the spread of grey cheeks was like an epidemic. Once a person had one, many of his or her friends and family were soon struck with the uncontrollable desire to own one (or two, or three). Many people took it upon themselves to get two for household pets. With a good diet and a roomy cage containing a nest box, grey cheek lovers hoped that the two would soon have more little grey cheeks. Many have had such luck.
Appearance and Distribution
The following birds, listed by their common names, are part of the genus classified as Brotogeris: grey-cheeked, canary-winged, white-winged, orange-chinned, cobalt-winged, golden-winged, tui, and plain parakeets. The members of Brotogeris are distributed from southern Mexico down through central South America.
They range in length from 7 to 9 inches, somewhat similar to lovebirds in size, but more slender. Brotogeris have full-feathered wedge-shaped tails varying in length (some have short tails, and other species have longer ones). The wings are long and pointed, which enable them to be swift fliers.
All these birds are mainly green in color with many having other colors on the forehead, chin, primaries and under the wing coverts. The beak is a similar shape to an Amazon parrot (but much smaller, of course) with the upper mandible deeply notched in a hook-like fashion. Their small, naked eye ring makes them resemble the conure family. Both sexes are alike, and the young babies closely resemble the adult birds.
Many Brotogeris species are overly abundant in their native lands. Thousands had been brought into the U.S. quarantine stations in the past, but this importing practice is over. The first and most frequently imported Brotogeris was the orange-chinned parakeet (more commonly referred to as the bee bee parrot). They were well known as extremely good pets. Later, other Brotogeris were imported in large numbers into the U.S., such as the grey-cheeked parakeet and canary-winged parakeet.
Sometimes stragglers of the less common Brotogeris were in these large batches. Many years ago, I received a phone call from a pet store owner to come down to the shop to see the unusual bee bees that had just come out of quarantine. They were not bee bees--they were cobalt-winged parakeets.
After carefully examining the birds, I purchased four that I hoped to be two pairs. I chose them correctly (using the pelvic bone method). Soon, one pair nested, rewarding me with the U.S. First Breeding Award for this species. Years later, I acquired a few tui parakeets that came into quarantine; that, too, gave me another U.S. First Breeding Award.
Personality
Brotogeris are quite bold, even though they are compact parrots. One may challenge a parrot two to three times its own size. Many learn to talk quite clearly and can be taught tricks. Some grey cheeks will make a cooing sound when very content, usually when they are resting quietly on their owner's shoulders. Some have also been successfully "potty trained" by being instructed to go back to their cage with a keyword, or by the owner saying a keyword letting the bird know it is all right to do its thing.
I know of a baby female grey cheek that I sold for a pet that learned to speak more than 30 words. Not only would she speak, but she learned to associate words with meanings very much like many African grey parrots learn to do.
The grey-cheeked parakeet, as well as most any Brotogeris, can make an excellent family or single-person pet. Most birds bond so closely with their owners that they are considered family members.
Sometimes problems arise when a bird first receives a lot of attention, and later is neglected when the newness wears off. Remember, they love attention, so try not to forget that they need time with their owners. Because they are very intelligent and playful, these birds can become bored when just left in their cages. They can start the nasty habit of feather plucking.
Keep them occupied with safe toys and bird treats, such as chew sticks or a cracked open walnut. Rotate toys and playthings so they do not get bored. Chewable toys can help keep their beaks in proper shape. Some birds do tend to develop overgrown beaks, and an experienced avian vet or bird groomer can easily trim the beak if needed. Also, supply a water bowl large enough that they can bathe at will.
Sometimes their chattering voices can become an annoyance. But, a single bird kept as a pet is usually not too noisy. The main thing here is to not teach your bird to be a screamer. Many people, without realizing it, teach their bird that screaming gets them attention. Never reward your bird in any way if it is screaming. Do not take it out because it is noisy or offer a treat just to quiet it down. Take them out of their cage for play time only when they are quiet.
Brotogeris Species
The following are descriptions of the various Brotogeris. Some birds can be smaller or larger, depending on their sex or the individual bird itself. Mature males do, at times, seem to be a bit heavier.
Orange-chinned Parakeet
The 7-inch orange chin (B. jugularis) is also commonly known as the tovi parakeet and the bee bee parrot. This bird is the true bee bee parrot. It is a small bird of 58 grams, m4erainly green in color, lighter on the throat, breast, undersides, and abdomen. The flights and tail feathers have a hint of blue. There is a blue tinge on the crown, lower back, rump, thighs, under the tail and flights. There is a bronze patch on the wing shoulder area. A distinct small orange patch can be clearly seen just under the lower mandible, giving this bird its other common name. The under-wing coverts are yellow. The iris is dark brown, the beak is horn-colored and the legs are a flesh-gray color. Both sexes look alike. There is one subspecies with a paler orange chin spot. Immature birds are similar to adults.
The orange chin inhabits parts of Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela. We have been fortunate to have some small shipments of orange chins imported to the U.S. some time ago. Years ago, they were being imported by the thousands, and most of these wild-caught birds were sold for pets. They could be easily tamed and made excellent house and family pets.
Golden-winged Parakeet
This stout 6 1/2-inch bird (B. chrysopterus chrysopterus) is a deep green, with a deeper shade on the back and wings. The crown has a bluish tinge with a brownish frontal band. The primary wing coverts are bright orange. A dull spot of orange-brown is on the chin. The iris is brown, and the beak is horn-colored. The feet are a pale yellowish-brown.
There are four subspecies, which all vary in color and/or size. An average weight is 65 grams. The four subspecies are B. c. chrysosema, B. c. solimoensis, B. c. tenuifrons, and B. c. tuipara.
White-winged Parakeet
This 9 1/2-inch white-winged parakeet (B. versicolorus versicolorus) is sometimes also referred to as the canary-winged parakeet or yellow-winged parakeet. This bird weighs about 65 grams and is mainly an olive green, with a tinge of blue surrounding the eyes, forehead, and upper parts of the cheeks. The outer primaries start off as blue-green with the remaining primaries white. The secondary coverts are yellow. Usually when the wings are held against the body, the white patch is not visible; only yellow can be seen. The legs are pinkish-gray, and the beak is horn-colored. The sexes are alike in appearance. Immature birds are similar to adults in color.
The true white-winged parakeet has bare facial areas (no feathering) around the beak and eyes, giving it an appearance of old age. Most of these birds available now have been hybridized with their close cousin (a subspecies) the canary wing; so, most birds available now have a well feathered facial area. Most also seem to be a bit more green as well because of the canary wing influence.
I find the white-winged parakeet's personality very similar to the grey cheek when it comes to hand-fed pets. Lately, I have seen many of these birds available in pet stores for moderate prices. They seem to be more available in large numbers in California and Florida. If one is interested in setting up any of these birds for breeding, now would be the time to get them before they disappear, and their prices soar.
Canary-winged Parakeets
This 9-inch, 60-gram bird (B. v. chiriri) is a subspecies of the white-winged parakeet, mentioned above. The reason I separated these two in description is because of distinguished differences in size, coloring and personality. Both are commonly called canary wings most of the time (and sometimes yellow wings). They are also wrongly referred to as bee bee parrots.
This species is slightly shorter than the white wing. It is brighter green, more like an apple green. The face of this bird is totally feathered--no bare facial areas as with the white wing. There is a slight blue tinge to the flights. A bright lemon-yellow patch highlights the greater wing coverts, giving this bird its common name. There is no white coloring on this species wing. These is one more slight larger subspecies that is less common in aviculture.
Grey-cheeked Parakeets
This 8-inch, 54-gram bird (B. pyrrhopterus) is also known as the orange-flanked parakeet, as well as the pocket parrot. Grey cheeks inhabit a small range in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It can be quickly distinguished from other Brotogeris by the bright orange-colored patch on the under-wing coverts. When the wings are being held against the body, only a small amount of orange can be seen peeking over the tops of its shoulders.
The main color is a bright green (paler on the underparts). The chin, forehead and sides of the face are pale gray, giving this bird its common name. The crown, primary coverts and primaries are bluish. The eyes are dark brown, feet and legs are pinkish, and the beak is horn-colored.
Both males and females are identical in color and size. Immature birds are very similar to the adults in appearance, with the very young having black coloring on the beak. This black sometimes remains for months until it fades to the adult horn color.
Tui Parakeet
The tui (B. sanctithomae sanctithomae) is a very attractive 7-inch birds that weighs about 58 grams. It is a bright green with a lighter yellowish-green on the chest, abdomen, under wings, lower back, and underside of the tail. The flights are bluish with a brighter blue on the primary coverts. There is a tinge of blue on the cheeks, nape and underside of the flights. A very bright yellow patch is on the forehead, making this species look like a tiny version of the yellow-crowned Amazon. The beak is a chestnut color. The iris is a glowing golden color, which is set off by the jet-black pupil.
Sexes are alike in color and size. Immature birds resemble adults except that their irises are dark in color. The subspecies (B. s. takatsukasae) has a yellow streak behind the eye.
Cobalt-winged Parakeets
This 7 1/2-inch bird (B. cyanoptera cyanoptera) is olive-green in color, with a darker shade on the back and wings. The forehead is a dull yellow just above the beak. The crown and nape have a blue tinge. The chin is marked with an orange spot. The primaries and primary coverts are bright cobalt blue, giving the birds its name. The upper mandible in horn-colored, darkening toward the tip. The eyes are dark brown, and the feet and legs are brownish-pink. Sexes look alike and weigh about 65 grams. Immature birds resemble the adults. There are two subspecies with some color variations.
I know many people who have these birds as pets, and they say they are excellent family birds and learn to talk. I love these birds. I have pairs set up that I hand-fed years ago, and I can still reach into the cage and pick them up without them attempting to bite me. They stay tame and sweet. They also make very good breeder pairs, usually producing clutches each year, whereas other species of Brotogeris may skip a year or two.
Plain Parakeet
This 9-inch bird (B. tirica) is mainly green, with a yellow tinge on the crown, cheeks and the underparts. There is blue on the flights and underside of the tail (with just a tinge on the hind neck and the mantle).
These birds are common in their native land, but there are only a few in the U.S. None were legally imported because of the strict exportation laws of Brazil, their country of origin. I have recently been told that the few plain parakeets in the U.S., government seized because they were illegally imported, have all died, except for possibly one bird. No pairs, to my knowledge, are available in the U.S.
The following combinations of Brotogeris have been produced in both captivity, as well as in the wild:
- canary-winged parakeets with white-winged parakeets
- grey-cheeked parakeets with orange-chinned parakeets
- orange-chinned parakeets with cobalt-winged parakeets
- grey-cheeked parakeets with canary-winged parakeets
- grey-cheeked parakeets with white-winged parakeets
I am sure there are more combinations of the above, but those are the ones I have seen. It is best to put together only the same species when it comes to breeding Brotogeris.
Housing
Most any cage that is suitable for a cockatiel will do just fine for a pet Brotogeris. The cage bars should be close together. Too much space between the bars can lead to a pet getting its head stuck between them. Dowels that are 1/2- to 3/4-inch in diameter should be used for a grey cheek (too large or two small could cause foot problems). Natural branch perches are always welcomed for climbing and chewing by most grey cheeks or Brotogeris. If selecting your own branches off trees, be sure they are pesticide-free and nontoxic.
Brotogeris love to play on an open playpen with treats and safe toys at their disposal. All kinds of various safe toys can now be purchased in pet stores. Rotate different toys every few days, so your pet will not get bored with the same old toy. When out of their cages, these birds should be supervised; Brotogeris can be very mischievous and wander off, possibly doing damage to furnishings or even to themselves. Think of a pet Brotogeris as a child, and you should do just fine.
My readers would write in telling me all kinds of things about their Brotogeris. One lady wrote and told me her grey cheek, named Chicken Little, loved to play with wooden popsicle sticks. This bird is famous because some years back he did some professional modeling. Actress Isabella Rossellini did a shoot with Chicken Little for the publication Interview. But, since then, Chicken Little has retired and just prefers to live a pampered life (thanks to his owner).
Dietary Needs
A bird must receive a well-balanced diet to be healthy and strong. I offer all my birds a large variety of food in their diet. All my Brotogeris are offered the following dry seeds: parakeet mix, safflower seed, and medium-sized sunflower seed. If more convenient, a good cockatiel mix is suitable for Brotogeris.
I have found, when it comes to this family of birds consuming dry seed, that each bird is an individual as far as actually consuming the various seeds offered. For example, one grey cheek will eat only parakeet mix, another may prefer mostly sunflower seed and even another eats all types of dry seed. A diet of formulated pellets can also be offered.
Offer fruits and vegetables (washed thoroughly) for a well-balanced diet. When it comes to soft foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, all of my Brotogeris love them. I have found that almost all Brotogeris love apples. My birds received daily a bowl of various soft foods, consisting of sprouted seeds, apple, oranges, peaches, bananas, grapes, peas and corn (these can be fresh or frozen), grated carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, beets, spinach and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. A tip here: carrots, yams, and sweet potatoes are consumed with more relish by Brotogeris when they are quickly steamed or cooked, then cooled. It brings out the sweetness of these vegetables, and the birds seems to enjoy eating them better when lightly cooked.
I sprinkle a good avian vitamin and powdered calcium on fruits and veggies, especially for my breeding birds. Brotogeris also relish soaked (in water or fruit juice) primate biscuits. Just be sure the biscuits are fresh. They can become rancid and cause health problems for birds.
Birds, like people, need variation in their lives. Some Brotogeris even enjoy eating live meal worms as a special treat (a good source of protein), which can be purchased at local pet shops. Others like treats such as various bits of breakfast cereals or crackers. Most pet Brotogeris become part of the family and eat at the dining room table. This is fine as long as the "junk food" is kept to a minimum.
Here's a little story about one of my breeding pairs of grey cheeks that will show how unusual some of the personalities of these little characters can be! Each day, I would fill their flat glass bowl with the soft food mixture that I prepare daily for all my birds. This pair, like all the other pairs, would immediately devour their treats with delight. This pair went to nest, laying six fertile eggs and taking good care of their clutch. Upon inspection one morning, I found that three chicks had just hatched. The pair's bowl was filled as usual. The pair came over to the bowl and looked inside, and together instantly they flipped over the soft food tray, contents and all went flying out. I refilled it, and again it was turned over. This continued for days. I kept offering them the soft food mixture many times a day.
One day I scooped out some of the mixture of soft foods into their bowl, and a different outcome occurred. The pair ran over to the bowl chattering with excitement. They immediately started to pick out only the peas. That day, in that particular scoop of my soft food mixture, there were extra peas. This time they did not flip over their bowl. The next time I went out to feed them, I added extra peas on top of the soft foods. Again, the pair was excited, and the bowl remained right side up, I now knew that this particular pair wanted extra peas when they have chicks.
Breeding
It is hard to determine the sex of most Brotogeris by sight. In some cases, the males appear to have a slightly larger head and beak when closely compared to females, but this is not totally reliable when it comes to pairing birds up for breeding.
If you must know the sex of your bird, the most accurate way to determine it is by having your bird surgically sexed or DNA-sexed by a reliable vet. Keep in mind that surgical sexing is an operation. It can be a little more risky with the smaller types of birds, so please find an experienced vet to perform this procedure if surgical sexing is your choice in correctly determining the sex of your bird. Keep in mind that without knowing the correct sex for breeding, breeders could be wasting valuable time assuming they have a pair. Birds set up for breeding that are not of the opposite sex can become frustrated birds and begin to feather pick themselves.
(Note from site owner: The chest feather DNA test accurately determines the sex of the bird and is none-evasive. All you need to do is pluck 5 chest feathers from your bird and mail them to the lab you choose. (2010)
When setting up pairs of Brotogeris for breeding, each pair should have its own individual cage or aviary. Breeding pairs can become quite ill-tempered when getting ready to go to nest. A pair preparing to nest may kill any other birds (Brotogeris or other species) that are in the same enclosure with them at that time. I've had the tamest pairs of grey cheeks become terribly vicious toward me when they are thinking about going to nest. They lash out to attack me while I am trying to feed them or clean their cage.
If a pair of pets suddenly become a bit nippy, this is usually a sign that the pair is thinking about going to nest. It is natural for breeding pairs to become extremely vicious towards people during the breeding season. At this time, they become very territorial and protective of their home. A single pet bird can act very much the same way during breeding time; this aggressive behavior usually passes with just a bit of time and patience.
Grey cheeks or other Brotogeris do not have to be tame for breeding. Wild or tame birds will breed if ready to do so. It is alright to have other Brotogeris or other types of birds around in the same building or room. The main thing to remember is to put only one pair of birds in a breeding setup. However, I have heard of people who had some success with colony breeding canary-winged parakeets. I was successfully breeding two pairs of cobalt-winged parakeets in one enclosure, but after a year the birds starting fighting, and I feared that one might kill the other. The pairs were given their own cages. I feel that is the safest way to breed these birds--one pair per enclosure.
My pairs of Brotogeris use standard wooden parakeet nest boxes with a layer of pine shavings on the bottom. These birds are not known to build their own nests, but I have had pairs fill up their nest box with apple and orange peels, and other scraps found on the bottom of their cages, almost as if they were attempting to build a nest similar to a lovebird's. I have offered them branches with leaves, but they go untouched.
Most of my breeding pairs have a single clutch of eggs a year. There are some pairs that will double and even triple clutch in a year. Nesting is generally from February through July. Pairs may be housed outdoors, weather permitting.
There is no set number of eggs per clutch. It can be as few as one or up to seven. The incubation period for Brotogeris eggs is 25 to 26 days. I've had many fertile eggs not hatch for more than a month from the time the first egg was laid. Brotogeris seem to start incubating only when they are almost finished laying all the eggs in the clutch. The hen may stay in the box with her newly laid eggs, but many times she is only brooding the eggs, not sitting tightly until at least three or more eggs have been laid. Because of this waiting period of brooding eggs--not actually incubating them--incubation seems to be longer for this species. Start counting 24 days from the time the last egg is laid. I have heard of too many people breaking open eggs way too early to find live babies inside the eggs. So, be patient!
Usually, the hen does most of the incubation with the male standing guard just outside the box. Both parents tend to the chicks when they start to hatch. The chicks grow quite rapidly. At 12 days old, their eyes are open, and within two more days, dark quills can be seen developing under the skin. At about 4 weeks old, feathers start to "pop" through the quills, first in the tail and wings, soon followed by the rest of the body.
Chicks fledge at about 6 weeks old, with both parents continually feeding the chicks on the outside of the box until they are eating on their own. By the time they are 9 to 11 weeks old, they are weaned, eating mostly soft foods at first.
If you desire, domestically reared chicks can be closed banded. I use the same size leg band used for cockatiels. A closed band (no open seams in the band) can prove that the chick has been domestically reared and can also be used for identification (and age, if dated).
Once the chicks are eating on their own, they should be removed. Otherwise, they could disturb the adult pair, should the pair decide to return to nest. Chicks can be left with the parents until they fledge or can be removed for hand-feeding when young and still unfeathered.
The best age for removing the chicks for hand-rearing is at about 2 weeks old. Baby Brotogeris (unweaned) will bob their little heads up and down and make very loud "squeaking" noises. Once weaned, the loud squeaking stops. Hand-reared youngsters make excellent pets. I remove all my chicks for hand-rearing.
Medical Considerations
Some years back, there was some controversy as to problems occurring with some grey cheeks. At times, avian tuberculosis was found or suspected to be a problem with a few individual grey cheeks. Not all findings were lab tested; many were just assumed to be that problem. In all my years of owning and raising grey cheeks and other types of Brotogeris, I have never encountered avian T.B. in any of my birds. So, this finding is most likely presumed by some and is in no way any type of epidemic.
Here is my theory on this matter--again, this is only my opinion. In the 1980s, when thousands of grey cheeks were being imported, there were babies that were being hand-reared by natives as they sat in Peru awaiting transport. Now, keep in mind that these people were not hand-feeding the chicks with sterile eye droppers or syringes; they were feeding them by a method known as "blow-feeding."
Blow feeding is when food is chewed up by a person and "blown" into the hungry chick's mouth. Now, if there were people with medical problems, some of that close contact could pass disease to a young bird. Keep in mind, all chicks now available on the market are domestically hand-reared here in the States. I know of no person that would "blow feed" any type of parrot chick.
Another problem I am starting to hear about are problems arising from a poor diet. Some people insist on allowing their pets, because of them appearing to be so "humanized," to eat people food. The problem with this is not so much because it is people food, but because of the choice of foods allowed to be consumed, such as food high in fat and processed sugars. Brotogeris, like people, can suffer health consequences from eating such poor food choices.
Recently, a grey cheek owner had a feather problem with his very dear pet. They decided to run some tests and found that the pet had a cholesterol count of 600--normal is 160 to 180. The bird was put on a diet of better foods, and shortly after the cholesterol dropped to 325. High-fat diets of "people foods" can cause liver damage that sometimes cannot be corrected. This type of feeding can and will shorten a bird's life.
Common Brotogeris Accidents
For years, I've spoken to people about their pet grey cheeks and other types of Brotogeris. People have called and written about all types of accidents that occurred with their birds. I have heard of birds getting injured or killed by dogs or cats.
Other fatal accidents have been caused by pets in their cage left by window where the sun would shine in and give the bird a heat stroke; pets being accidentally stepped on; birds getting slammed by a door being closed; wandering pets chewing through an electrical cord; drowning in a toilet where the seat had been left up; a full-flighted pet landing on a hot stove, in a hot pot or in a kitchen sink full of hot water. I even have had people tell me how their pet ended up flying into an open freezer, and the door was shut not knowing the bird had flown in.
I must say the most common accident I hear of are people that sleep with their pets and roll over on them. Brotogeris like to crawl into a pocket or some tucked away small space. They may crawl underneath their owners to feel warm and secure. This is why this accident is just waiting to happen.
I once talked to a lady on the phone from midnight until 4 a.m. as she cried about the loss of her pet she loved so much. She told me she was a psychologist and was calling from the East Coast, (I'm on the West Coast). She could not sleep because she had just woken up to this terrible tragedy; she had fallen asleep on the couch and had rolled over on her pet. The bird was dead. She had my phone number and did not know who she could call, so she called me.
I had never spoken to her, and after that phone conversation, I never heard from her again. She did thank me for my time and comforting words. I hope I helped. This type of tragedy does happen so much; I hear about if often with all kinds of pet birds. Sleeping with your bird is not a good idea. I know how easy this is and can happen, for I was forever taking my daughter's bird out of her bed as she slept, but she has since broken this habit after hearing of all the accidents.
Most accidents can be prevented. Give some thought to ways your bird could be in possible danger and then correct the problems to help prevent accidents from happening; allow your bird a long, happy life. Brotogeris can be long-lived in captivity and have been known to reach their 30s. I received a letter from a man who told me his cobalt-winged parakeet had been in their family for 37 years. I own many types of Brotogeris around 20 years of age that are successfully producing young, are in good health and are looking great.
Article originally appeared in the June 1998 issue of Bird Talk. This is copyrighted material, reprinted with the author's permission. This article may not be reprinted without written consent from the author and Bird Talk magazine.
Housing
Most any cage that is suitable for a cockatiel will do just fine for a pet Brotogeris. The cage bars should be close together. Too much space between the bars can lead to a pet getting its head stuck between them. Dowels that are 1/2- to 3/4-inch in diameter should be used for a grey cheek (too large or two small could cause foot problems). Natural branch perches are always welcomed for climbing and chewing by most grey cheeks or Brotogeris. If selecting your own branches off trees, be sure they are pesticide-free and nontoxic.
Brotogeris love to play on an open playpen with treats and safe toys at their disposal. All kinds of various safe toys can now be purchased in pet stores. Rotate different toys every few days, so your pet will not get bored with the same old toy. When out of their cages, these birds should be supervised; Brotogeris can be very mischievous and wander off, possibly doing damage to furnishings or even to themselves. Think of a pet Brotogeris as a child, and you should do just fine.
My readers would write in telling me all kinds of things about their Brotogeris. One lady wrote and told me her grey cheek, named Chicken Little, loved to play with wooden popsicle sticks. This bird is famous because some years back he did some professional modeling. Actress Isabella Rossellini did a shoot with Chicken Little for the publication Interview. But, since then, Chicken Little has retired and just prefers to live a pampered life (thanks to his owner).
Dietary Needs
A bird must receive a well-balanced diet to be healthy and strong. I offer all my birds a large variety of food in their diet. All my Brotogeris are offered the following dry seeds: parakeet mix, safflower seed, and medium-sized sunflower seed. If more convenient, a good cockatiel mix is suitable for Brotogeris.
I have found, when it comes to this family of birds consuming dry seed, that each bird is an individual as far as actually consuming the various seeds offered. For example, one grey cheek will eat only parakeet mix, another may prefer mostly sunflower seed and even another eats all types of dry seed. A diet of formulated pellets can also be offered.
Offer fruits and vegetables (washed thoroughly) for a well-balanced diet. When it comes to soft foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, all of my Brotogeris love them. I have found that almost all Brotogeris love apples. My birds received daily a bowl of various soft foods, consisting of sprouted seeds, apple, oranges, peaches, bananas, grapes, peas and corn (these can be fresh or frozen), grated carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, beets, spinach and other seasonal fruits and vegetables. A tip here: carrots, yams, and sweet potatoes are consumed with more relish by Brotogeris when they are quickly steamed or cooked, then cooled. It brings out the sweetness of these vegetables, and the birds seems to enjoy eating them better when lightly cooked.
I sprinkle a good avian vitamin and powdered calcium on fruits and veggies, especially for my breeding birds. Brotogeris also relish soaked (in water or fruit juice) primate biscuits. Just be sure the biscuits are fresh. They can become rancid and cause health problems for birds.
Birds, like people, need variation in their lives. Some Brotogeris even enjoy eating live meal worms as a special treat (a good source of protein), which can be purchased at local pet shops. Others like treats such as various bits of breakfast cereals or crackers. Most pet Brotogeris become part of the family and eat at the dining room table. This is fine as long as the "junk food" is kept to a minimum.
Here's a little story about one of my breeding pairs of grey cheeks that will show how unusual some of the personalities of these little characters can be! Each day, I would fill their flat glass bowl with the soft food mixture that I prepare daily for all my birds. This pair, like all the other pairs, would immediately devour their treats with delight. This pair went to nest, laying six fertile eggs and taking good care of their clutch. Upon inspection one morning, I found that three chicks had just hatched. The pair's bowl was filled as usual. The pair came over to the bowl and looked inside, and together instantly they flipped over the soft food tray, contents and all went flying out. I refilled it, and again it was turned over. This continued for days. I kept offering them the soft food mixture many times a day.
One day I scooped out some of the mixture of soft foods into their bowl, and a different outcome occurred. The pair ran over to the bowl chattering with excitement. They immediately started to pick out only the peas. That day, in that particular scoop of my soft food mixture, there were extra peas. This time they did not flip over their bowl. The next time I went out to feed them, I added extra peas on top of the soft foods. Again, the pair was excited, and the bowl remained right side up, I now knew that this particular pair wanted extra peas when they have chicks.
Breeding
It is hard to determine the sex of most Brotogeris by sight. In some cases, the males appear to have a slightly larger head and beak when closely compared to females, but this is not totally reliable when it comes to pairing birds up for breeding.
If you must know the sex of your bird, the most accurate way to determine it is by having your bird surgically sexed or DNA-sexed by a reliable vet. Keep in mind that surgical sexing is an operation. It can be a little more risky with the smaller types of birds, so please find an experienced vet to perform this procedure if surgical sexing is your choice in correctly determining the sex of your bird. Keep in mind that without knowing the correct sex for breeding, breeders could be wasting valuable time assuming they have a pair. Birds set up for breeding that are not of the opposite sex can become frustrated birds and begin to feather pick themselves.
(Note from site owner: The chest feather DNA test accurately determines the sex of the bird and is none-evasive. All you need to do is pluck 5 chest feathers from your bird and mail them to the lab you choose. (2010)
When setting up pairs of Brotogeris for breeding, each pair should have its own individual cage or aviary. Breeding pairs can become quite ill-tempered when getting ready to go to nest. A pair preparing to nest may kill any other birds (Brotogeris or other species) that are in the same enclosure with them at that time. I've had the tamest pairs of grey cheeks become terribly vicious toward me when they are thinking about going to nest. They lash out to attack me while I am trying to feed them or clean their cage.
If a pair of pets suddenly become a bit nippy, this is usually a sign that the pair is thinking about going to nest. It is natural for breeding pairs to become extremely vicious towards people during the breeding season. At this time, they become very territorial and protective of their home. A single pet bird can act very much the same way during breeding time; this aggressive behavior usually passes with just a bit of time and patience.
Grey cheeks or other Brotogeris do not have to be tame for breeding. Wild or tame birds will breed if ready to do so. It is alright to have other Brotogeris or other types of birds around in the same building or room. The main thing to remember is to put only one pair of birds in a breeding setup. However, I have heard of people who had some success with colony breeding canary-winged parakeets. I was successfully breeding two pairs of cobalt-winged parakeets in one enclosure, but after a year the birds starting fighting, and I feared that one might kill the other. The pairs were given their own cages. I feel that is the safest way to breed these birds--one pair per enclosure.
My pairs of Brotogeris use standard wooden parakeet nest boxes with a layer of pine shavings on the bottom. These birds are not known to build their own nests, but I have had pairs fill up their nest box with apple and orange peels, and other scraps found on the bottom of their cages, almost as if they were attempting to build a nest similar to a lovebird's. I have offered them branches with leaves, but they go untouched.
Most of my breeding pairs have a single clutch of eggs a year. There are some pairs that will double and even triple clutch in a year. Nesting is generally from February through July. Pairs may be housed outdoors, weather permitting.
There is no set number of eggs per clutch. It can be as few as one or up to seven. The incubation period for Brotogeris eggs is 25 to 26 days. I've had many fertile eggs not hatch for more than a month from the time the first egg was laid. Brotogeris seem to start incubating only when they are almost finished laying all the eggs in the clutch. The hen may stay in the box with her newly laid eggs, but many times she is only brooding the eggs, not sitting tightly until at least three or more eggs have been laid. Because of this waiting period of brooding eggs--not actually incubating them--incubation seems to be longer for this species. Start counting 24 days from the time the last egg is laid. I have heard of too many people breaking open eggs way too early to find live babies inside the eggs. So, be patient!
Usually, the hen does most of the incubation with the male standing guard just outside the box. Both parents tend to the chicks when they start to hatch. The chicks grow quite rapidly. At 12 days old, their eyes are open, and within two more days, dark quills can be seen developing under the skin. At about 4 weeks old, feathers start to "pop" through the quills, first in the tail and wings, soon followed by the rest of the body.
Chicks fledge at about 6 weeks old, with both parents continually feeding the chicks on the outside of the box until they are eating on their own. By the time they are 9 to 11 weeks old, they are weaned, eating mostly soft foods at first.
If you desire, domestically reared chicks can be closed banded. I use the same size leg band used for cockatiels. A closed band (no open seams in the band) can prove that the chick has been domestically reared and can also be used for identification (and age, if dated).
Once the chicks are eating on their own, they should be removed. Otherwise, they could disturb the adult pair, should the pair decide to return to nest. Chicks can be left with the parents until they fledge or can be removed for hand-feeding when young and still unfeathered.
The best age for removing the chicks for hand-rearing is at about 2 weeks old. Baby Brotogeris (unweaned) will bob their little heads up and down and make very loud "squeaking" noises. Once weaned, the loud squeaking stops. Hand-reared youngsters make excellent pets. I remove all my chicks for hand-rearing.
Medical Considerations
Some years back, there was some controversy as to problems occurring with some grey cheeks. At times, avian tuberculosis was found or suspected to be a problem with a few individual grey cheeks. Not all findings were lab tested; many were just assumed to be that problem. In all my years of owning and raising grey cheeks and other types of Brotogeris, I have never encountered avian T.B. in any of my birds. So, this finding is most likely presumed by some and is in no way any type of epidemic.
Here is my theory on this matter--again, this is only my opinion. In the 1980s, when thousands of grey cheeks were being imported, there were babies that were being hand-reared by natives as they sat in Peru awaiting transport. Now, keep in mind that these people were not hand-feeding the chicks with sterile eye droppers or syringes; they were feeding them by a method known as "blow-feeding."
Blow feeding is when food is chewed up by a person and "blown" into the hungry chick's mouth. Now, if there were people with medical problems, some of that close contact could pass disease to a young bird. Keep in mind, all chicks now available on the market are domestically hand-reared here in the States. I know of no person that would "blow feed" any type of parrot chick.
Another problem I am starting to hear about are problems arising from a poor diet. Some people insist on allowing their pets, because of them appearing to be so "humanized," to eat people food. The problem with this is not so much because it is people food, but because of the choice of foods allowed to be consumed, such as food high in fat and processed sugars. Brotogeris, like people, can suffer health consequences from eating such poor food choices.
Recently, a grey cheek owner had a feather problem with his very dear pet. They decided to run some tests and found that the pet had a cholesterol count of 600--normal is 160 to 180. The bird was put on a diet of better foods, and shortly after the cholesterol dropped to 325. High-fat diets of "people foods" can cause liver damage that sometimes cannot be corrected. This type of feeding can and will shorten a bird's life.
Common Brotogeris Accidents
For years, I've spoken to people about their pet grey cheeks and other types of Brotogeris. People have called and written about all types of accidents that occurred with their birds. I have heard of birds getting injured or killed by dogs or cats.
Other fatal accidents have been caused by pets in their cage left by window where the sun would shine in and give the bird a heat stroke; pets being accidentally stepped on; birds getting slammed by a door being closed; wandering pets chewing through an electrical cord; drowning in a toilet where the seat had been left up; a full-flighted pet landing on a hot stove, in a hot pot or in a kitchen sink full of hot water. I even have had people tell me how their pet ended up flying into an open freezer, and the door was shut not knowing the bird had flown in.
I must say the most common accident I hear of are people that sleep with their pets and roll over on them. Brotogeris like to crawl into a pocket or some tucked away small space. They may crawl underneath their owners to feel warm and secure. This is why this accident is just waiting to happen.
I once talked to a lady on the phone from midnight until 4 a.m. as she cried about the loss of her pet she loved so much. She told me she was a psychologist and was calling from the East Coast, (I'm on the West Coast). She could not sleep because she had just woken up to this terrible tragedy; she had fallen asleep on the couch and had rolled over on her pet. The bird was dead. She had my phone number and did not know who she could call, so she called me.
I had never spoken to her, and after that phone conversation, I never heard from her again. She did thank me for my time and comforting words. I hope I helped. This type of tragedy does happen so much; I hear about if often with all kinds of pet birds. Sleeping with your bird is not a good idea. I know how easy this is and can happen, for I was forever taking my daughter's bird out of her bed as she slept, but she has since broken this habit after hearing of all the accidents.
Most accidents can be prevented. Give some thought to ways your bird could be in possible danger and then correct the problems to help prevent accidents from happening; allow your bird a long, happy life. Brotogeris can be long-lived in captivity and have been known to reach their 30s. I received a letter from a man who told me his cobalt-winged parakeet had been in their family for 37 years. I own many types of Brotogeris around 20 years of age that are successfully producing young, are in good health and are looking great.
Brotogeris as Pets
by Robbie Harris
Brotogeris are well known for their tameness and affection toward their owners, as well as their intelligence and pet quality. Over a half century ago, "bee bee" parrots filled the hearts of many bird pet lovers. These loving pets were actually the orange-chinned parakeets, also known as Tovi parakeets. Pet shops always had an abundance of these birds that were quickly snatched up by bird lovers because of their ability to be quickly tamed, resulting in wonderful, family pets.
Many other Brotogeris were attached with the common name bee bee, like the canary-winged and white-winged parakeets. Even cobalt-winged parakeets were once release out of a quarantine station simply labeled bee bee parrots.
Grey-cheeked parakeets, on the other hand, quickly earned the name "pocket parrot" because they loved to climb down inside their owners' shirt pockets and stay there, just poking their heads out, watch the outside world. All the time, I hear from people about how their pets ride all over with them in pockets. I even heard of someone who walked into a pet store and a grey-cheeked parakeet jumped onto her shoulder and quickly found her shirt pocket and climbed in. Needless to say, she bought the bird!
Brotogeris parakeets make excellent pets if domestically raised and hand-fed. They are all available in the United States, except for the plain parakeet. Recently, a few plain parakeets had been smuggled into the States and were confiscated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Since then, these birds have died. So, to my knowledge, none are in the U.S.
Tui parakeets are very rare, and not available as pets, as of yet; but, cobalt-winged parakeets are available at times on the pet market. I have many pairs of domestically raised cobalt wings that are up for breeding. These little birds are truly amazing. No matter how old they are, or when the last time was that they were handled, they remain tame and sweet and do not bite. I can reach in and take out either the male or the female, and they are tame. even pairs that are more than 8 years old. Like many grey cheeks, these birds are very loving and once hand-fed will remain tame, even during breeding season. They make wonderful pets, and many learn to talk. They are also very reliable breeding pairs, unlike their cousin the grey cheek. All my pairs of cobalt wings will each have at least one clutch of babies in the spring, where grey cheeks can skip a year or more at will.
Canary wings had been imported in large numbers in the past, usually as wild-caught, untamed adults. With some work and patience, many were tamed into very nice pets. Today, no more of these birds are being imported; therefor their availability has dwindled, and their price has soared. Any hand-reared canary wing chick is a joy to own as a pet and will also turn out to be a good breeder bird.
There are many people who own, breed or just love some type of Brotogeris. With many people so enthusiastic and geared exclusively toward the Brotogeris family, I have high hopes that these wonderful birds will not disappear completely here in the U.S. However, as the years progress, I have found it much harder to locate certain species. I seem to be the only person in the U.S. who is working with Tui parakeets. Some years back, Tuis were imported to the U.S. and were sold to pet stores. I tried to purchase many of these birds, but people would not give up their pets. Since then, most of those pets have died out, but I did manage to get some to work with. Success for me has been good, but, because these birds are a bit tricky to work with, and unpredictable, progress is slower than I'd like. With my babies, I have found that the hand-raised males later become very bold and will attack me once paired with a hen if I put my hand in their cage. On the other hand, female Tuis stay sweet and tame, showing no real aggression. A single Tui would mostly make a cute, tame pet, resembling a miniature of a yellowheaded Amazon parrot. But, for now they must all go into breeding programs.
Grey cheeks are loved by many people. It seems that once someone has owned a grey cheek, it continues to be the "bird of choice." The grey-cheeked parakeet is, without a doubt, a very unusual species. Tame, hand-reared chicks make wonderful companions to their human owners. They are so intelligent that one must stop and wonder if there is a little person inside. As for a pet, either sex is equal in talking, companionship, entertaining, and affection. Two males or two females can become great buddies as cage companions. A grey cheek and another type of Brotogeris become very territorial and protective of their cage. A single pet can at times act very much the same way during breeding season. This aggressive behavior usually passes with just a bit of time and patience. Cobalt wings and single whit wings do not seems to go through these aggression problems--at least not mine or the ones I know.
Grey cheeks are quite bold, even though they are only a compact parrot of 8 inches, and quite a bit of that is tail. One will challenge a parrot two and three times its own size.
Many learn to talk quite clearly and can be taught tricks. The female bird that I had inherited learned to clearly speak more than 30 words. The grey-cheeked parakeet, as well as most any Brotogeris, can make an excellent family or single person pet.
Being very intelligent and playful, these birds can become bored when just left in their cage, and start the nasty habit of feather plucking. To keep them occupied, offer them safe toys and bird treats, such as chew sticks or a cracked-open walnut. Chewable toys can help keep their beaks in proper shape. Some individuals tend to develop misshapen or overgrown beaks. If so, an avian vet or a specialized bird shop can easily trim the beak when needed. Always make sure they are supplied with a water bowl large enough that they can bathe at will.
A single bird kept as a pet is usually not too noisy. Do not teach your bird to become a screamer. Many people, without realizing it, teach their birds that when they scream it brings them attention. Never reward your bird in any way if it is screaming. Do not take the bird out because it is noisy, or offer it a treat just to quiet it down, because getting some sort of response is a reward.
Most people are unaware of the fact that grey cheeks are not naturally tame. Many people hear the word grey cheek and instantly thin of a sweet, tame little bird. Not all grey cheeks are sweet, tame little things. I've seen the sweetest babies in quarantine stations that have just been imported from Peru. But I have also seen wild-caught imported grey cheeks that upon their release were just as nippy and feisty as a wild lovebird, some being almost untameable. If a grey cheek is wanted for a pet, not for breeding, be sure that the bird is already tame. Hand-fed Brotogeris are very trusting and loving toward humans, and most stay that way with lots of love and affection from their owners.
Any two different types of Brotogeris can become great friends. Be careful that they are slowly introduced. Each should have its own cage until you are positive they both really like one another. Many people have a grey cheek and a canary wing living together as tame pets, with the two birds being friends. This can cut way down on the demanded time they may require from you. If by chance your "buddies" end up being the opposite sex, there is a chance that breeding can take place.
I have seen various hybrid Brotogeris around, but not too many. Mostly canary wing and white wing hybrids are commonly found, but I have seen a grey cheek/white wing hybrid. If you want your pet to breed, then try to keep the same species of Brotogeris together. Brotogeris can hybridize among each other, if given the opportunity. I would not recommend these breedings because we all need pure birds to keep each species surviving in captivity.
Keeping Them as Pets
Keeping a Brotogeris as a pet is quite easy. Lots of love and attention is needed. Give it a nice, roomy cage with bar spacing close together so no mishap will happen, such as a head getting stuck between the barring. A cage for a cockatiel, with close bar spacing, will do quite nicely.
Dowels that are a 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter should be used for a Brotogeris (too large or too small could cause foot problems). Natural branch perches are always welcomed for climbing and chewing.
Playpens on top of the cage can bring hours of outside enjoyment. These birds love to play on an open playpen with treats and safe toys handy. All kinds of safe toys can now be purchased in pet stores. It may be a good ideas to rotate different toys every few days, so your pet will not get bored. Bored Brotogeris can become feather pluckers, and once this habit gets started, it is very hard to break.
Supervise your Brotogeris when it is out of its cage because it can be very mischievous and wander off, possibly doing damage to some furnishings or even to itself. Think of a pet Brotogeris as a child, and you should do just fine.
Diet
Diet is simple too. Various seeds for a small parrot start the Brotogeris diet. I have found that when it comes to this family of birds consuming dry seeds that each bird is an individual. For instance, one bird will eat only parakeet mix, another may prefer mostly sunflower seed, and another will eat all types of dry seed. Bird pellets can be offered as treats.
I like offering all of my birds a large variety. The birds do very well, and I have almost no problems with boredom. I feels birds, like people, need variation.! Some Brotogeris even enjoy eating live meal worms as a special treat (a good source of protein), which can be purchased at local pet shops. Others like treats such as bits of breakfast cereals or crackers.
Lots of fresh or frozen (thawed), fruits and vegetables should be offered daily, well washed. This is a very important part of their diet. They will eat mostly fruits and veggies that they like over most anything else. One can lightly dust damp foods with an avian vitamin to help provide anything that may be lacking.
Many Brotogeris will eat most anything offered to them. Foods that are not good for them will be eaten too. Keep your bird away from fatty foods and anything else that will not help maintain it in good shape. Poor nutrition is very hard on these birds, and they will not be long lived on a poor diet containing junk foods. On a proper diet, these birds can be long lived.
I talked to a man who has owned his pet cobalt-winged parakeet for 37 years. My son's pet white wing is about 12 years old now and going strong. A friend of mine owns Bird Jungle, a bird store in Scarsdale, New York. He says he has customers who are still bringing in their pet grey cheeks for periodical grooming. These birds were purchased from him when he first got the store more than 15 years ago. I own many Brotogeris that are about 20 years old and are still breeding, producing young and looking great.
Juvenile Brotogeris
Very young grey cheeks are easily distinguishable from adults as the upper beak is blackish in color. The younger the bird, the blacker the beak. Usually by the time the young bird is about 6 months old, the beak is the same color as the adults. Once the beak changes color, it is difficult to determine the age of the bird.
My young feathered grey-cheeked parakeet chicks are usually just as colorful as the adults. When it comes to purchasing a grey cheek or any Brotogeris for a pet it is best to start off with a young, tame bird. Tame Brotogeris act like a large parrot in compact form.
Avoiding Accidents
For years, people have called and written about all types of accidents that occurred with their birds. I have heard of birds getting injured or killed by dogs or cats. Other fatal accidents have happened because pets are left by a window in their cage, where later in the day the sun would shine in and give the bird a heat stroke; or pets are stepped on by someone not knowing the bird was walking in its path; or birds are getting injured by a door being closed. More examples include wandering pets chewing through an electrical cord, drowning in a toilet where the seat had been left up, a full-flighted pet landing on a hot stove or hot pot or ending up in a kitchen sink full of water. I even have had people tell me how their pet ended up flying into an open freezer and the door was then shut.
But the most common accidents I hear of or get calls about are people who sleep with their pets, and accidentally roll over on their birds. Brotogeris like to crawl into pockets or tucked away in small spaces. If you are sleeping, your bird may crawl underneath you to feel warm and secure. I once talked to a lady on the phone from midnight until 4 a.m. as she cried about the loss of her pet she loved so much. She told me she was a psychologist and calling from back East, (I'm on the West Coast). She could not sleep because she had just woke up to this terrible tragedy; she had fallen asleep on the couch, and had rolled over in her sleep on her pet. Needles to say, the bird was dead. Sleeping with your bird is not a good idea. I know how easily this can happen; I was forever taking my daughter's bird out of her bed as she slept, but she has since broken this habit. Most, if not almost all, accidents can be prevented. By giving thought to ways your bird could be in possible danger, and then correcting the problem, could help greatly in preventing accidents from happening and allowing your bird a long, happy life.
Pet Brotogeris
Many people write or call to tell me all kinds of things about their pet Brotogeris. One lady wrote and told me that her grey cheek named Chicken Little loves wooden Popsicle sticks to play with, but prefers some Popsicle left on the stick so first he can enjoy a bit of dessert and then destroy his toy. This bird is famous, because some years back, he did some professional modeling. Actress Isabella Rossellini did a photo shoot with Chicken Little for the publication Interview. Since then, Chicken Little has retired.
I know of a girl who treats her grey cheek as a family member. Late one night, there was fire in her apartment building. All turned out okay, but her bird was very upset by the commotion. So at 2 a.m., she ordered a pizza for her grey cheek to help settle the bird down (it was the bird's favorite food).
Here's a little story about one of my breeding pairs of grey cheeks, which will illustrate how unusual some of the personalities can be in these little characters. I had a "normal" pair of grey cheeks, so I thought. Each day, I would fill their flat glass bowl with the soft food mixture that I prepare for all my birds daily. This pair, like all the other pairs, would immediately start to devour their treats with such delight, soon the bowl would be empty. This pair went to nest, laying six fertile eggs, taking very good care of their clutch.
Upon inspection one morning, I found that three chicks had just hatched. The pair's bowl was filled, as usual. The pair came over to the bowl, looked inside, and together, instantly, they flipped over the soft-food mixture dish, food flying everywhere. I refilled it, and again it was turned over. This continued for days. I kept offering them the soft-food mixture many times a day. One day, I scooped out some of the mixture of soft food into their bowl, and a different outcome occurred. The pair ran over to the bowl, chattering with excitement. They immediately started to pick out the peas only. That day in that particular scoop of my soft-food mixture there were extra peas. This time, they did not flip over their bowl. The next time, I went out to feed them, I added extra peas on top of the soft foods. Again, the pair was excited, and the bowl remained right-side up. I soon figured out that when this particular pair has chicks in the nest, they demand extra peas, and if not given their way, the soft food goes flying. Once the chicks are removed for hand-rearing, this pair acts "normal" again, content with my usually mixture of soft foods.
A woman bought a baby grey cheek from me, and she wanted to finish the last of the hand-feeding. She wanted the two of them to form a close bond, which they did. The little grey cheek was named Squeeky because of the squeaky begging noises she made as a young chick. I'd had this baby surgically sexed, so we knew the baby was a female. Squeeky learned to say many words and phrases quite clearly. She also learned to associate the phrases with her surroundings. Squeeky would climb to the top of her cage and hang by one toe from the roof of her cage. When she would fall down, she would climb back up to her perch and say, "Squeeky, are you okay?" Also when Squeeky is creating havoc, she says, "I'm a good girl." She will also ask for a treat. Squeeky is now 10 years old, and she is still talking up a storm.
Brotogeris are well known for their tameness and affection toward their owners, as well as their intelligence and pet quality. Over a half century ago, "bee bee" parrots filled the hearts of many bird pet lovers. These loving pets were actually the orange-chinned parakeets, also known as Tovi parakeets. Pet shops always had an abundance of these birds that were quickly snatched up by bird lovers because of their ability to be quickly tamed, resulting in wonderful, family pets.
Many other Brotogeris were attached with the common name bee bee, like the canary-winged and white-winged parakeets. Even cobalt-winged parakeets were once release out of a quarantine station simply labeled bee bee parrots.
Grey-cheeked parakeets, on the other hand, quickly earned the name "pocket parrot" because they loved to climb down inside their owners' shirt pockets and stay there, just poking their heads out, watch the outside world. All the time, I hear from people about how their pets ride all over with them in pockets. I even heard of someone who walked into a pet store and a grey-cheeked parakeet jumped onto her shoulder and quickly found her shirt pocket and climbed in. Needless to say, she bought the bird!
Brotogeris parakeets make excellent pets if domestically raised and hand-fed. They are all available in the United States, except for the plain parakeet. Recently, a few plain parakeets had been smuggled into the States and were confiscated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Since then, these birds have died. So, to my knowledge, none are in the U.S.
Tui parakeets are very rare, and not available as pets, as of yet; but, cobalt-winged parakeets are available at times on the pet market. I have many pairs of domestically raised cobalt wings that are up for breeding. These little birds are truly amazing. No matter how old they are, or when the last time was that they were handled, they remain tame and sweet and do not bite. I can reach in and take out either the male or the female, and they are tame. even pairs that are more than 8 years old. Like many grey cheeks, these birds are very loving and once hand-fed will remain tame, even during breeding season. They make wonderful pets, and many learn to talk. They are also very reliable breeding pairs, unlike their cousin the grey cheek. All my pairs of cobalt wings will each have at least one clutch of babies in the spring, where grey cheeks can skip a year or more at will.
Canary wings had been imported in large numbers in the past, usually as wild-caught, untamed adults. With some work and patience, many were tamed into very nice pets. Today, no more of these birds are being imported; therefor their availability has dwindled, and their price has soared. Any hand-reared canary wing chick is a joy to own as a pet and will also turn out to be a good breeder bird.
There are many people who own, breed or just love some type of Brotogeris. With many people so enthusiastic and geared exclusively toward the Brotogeris family, I have high hopes that these wonderful birds will not disappear completely here in the U.S. However, as the years progress, I have found it much harder to locate certain species. I seem to be the only person in the U.S. who is working with Tui parakeets. Some years back, Tuis were imported to the U.S. and were sold to pet stores. I tried to purchase many of these birds, but people would not give up their pets. Since then, most of those pets have died out, but I did manage to get some to work with. Success for me has been good, but, because these birds are a bit tricky to work with, and unpredictable, progress is slower than I'd like. With my babies, I have found that the hand-raised males later become very bold and will attack me once paired with a hen if I put my hand in their cage. On the other hand, female Tuis stay sweet and tame, showing no real aggression. A single Tui would mostly make a cute, tame pet, resembling a miniature of a yellowheaded Amazon parrot. But, for now they must all go into breeding programs.
Grey cheeks are loved by many people. It seems that once someone has owned a grey cheek, it continues to be the "bird of choice." The grey-cheeked parakeet is, without a doubt, a very unusual species. Tame, hand-reared chicks make wonderful companions to their human owners. They are so intelligent that one must stop and wonder if there is a little person inside. As for a pet, either sex is equal in talking, companionship, entertaining, and affection. Two males or two females can become great buddies as cage companions. A grey cheek and another type of Brotogeris become very territorial and protective of their cage. A single pet can at times act very much the same way during breeding season. This aggressive behavior usually passes with just a bit of time and patience. Cobalt wings and single whit wings do not seems to go through these aggression problems--at least not mine or the ones I know.
Grey cheeks are quite bold, even though they are only a compact parrot of 8 inches, and quite a bit of that is tail. One will challenge a parrot two and three times its own size.
Many learn to talk quite clearly and can be taught tricks. The female bird that I had inherited learned to clearly speak more than 30 words. The grey-cheeked parakeet, as well as most any Brotogeris, can make an excellent family or single person pet.
Being very intelligent and playful, these birds can become bored when just left in their cage, and start the nasty habit of feather plucking. To keep them occupied, offer them safe toys and bird treats, such as chew sticks or a cracked-open walnut. Chewable toys can help keep their beaks in proper shape. Some individuals tend to develop misshapen or overgrown beaks. If so, an avian vet or a specialized bird shop can easily trim the beak when needed. Always make sure they are supplied with a water bowl large enough that they can bathe at will.
A single bird kept as a pet is usually not too noisy. Do not teach your bird to become a screamer. Many people, without realizing it, teach their birds that when they scream it brings them attention. Never reward your bird in any way if it is screaming. Do not take the bird out because it is noisy, or offer it a treat just to quiet it down, because getting some sort of response is a reward.
Most people are unaware of the fact that grey cheeks are not naturally tame. Many people hear the word grey cheek and instantly thin of a sweet, tame little bird. Not all grey cheeks are sweet, tame little things. I've seen the sweetest babies in quarantine stations that have just been imported from Peru. But I have also seen wild-caught imported grey cheeks that upon their release were just as nippy and feisty as a wild lovebird, some being almost untameable. If a grey cheek is wanted for a pet, not for breeding, be sure that the bird is already tame. Hand-fed Brotogeris are very trusting and loving toward humans, and most stay that way with lots of love and affection from their owners.
Any two different types of Brotogeris can become great friends. Be careful that they are slowly introduced. Each should have its own cage until you are positive they both really like one another. Many people have a grey cheek and a canary wing living together as tame pets, with the two birds being friends. This can cut way down on the demanded time they may require from you. If by chance your "buddies" end up being the opposite sex, there is a chance that breeding can take place.
I have seen various hybrid Brotogeris around, but not too many. Mostly canary wing and white wing hybrids are commonly found, but I have seen a grey cheek/white wing hybrid. If you want your pet to breed, then try to keep the same species of Brotogeris together. Brotogeris can hybridize among each other, if given the opportunity. I would not recommend these breedings because we all need pure birds to keep each species surviving in captivity.
Keeping Them as Pets
Keeping a Brotogeris as a pet is quite easy. Lots of love and attention is needed. Give it a nice, roomy cage with bar spacing close together so no mishap will happen, such as a head getting stuck between the barring. A cage for a cockatiel, with close bar spacing, will do quite nicely.
Dowels that are a 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter should be used for a Brotogeris (too large or too small could cause foot problems). Natural branch perches are always welcomed for climbing and chewing.
Playpens on top of the cage can bring hours of outside enjoyment. These birds love to play on an open playpen with treats and safe toys handy. All kinds of safe toys can now be purchased in pet stores. It may be a good ideas to rotate different toys every few days, so your pet will not get bored. Bored Brotogeris can become feather pluckers, and once this habit gets started, it is very hard to break.
Supervise your Brotogeris when it is out of its cage because it can be very mischievous and wander off, possibly doing damage to some furnishings or even to itself. Think of a pet Brotogeris as a child, and you should do just fine.
Diet
Diet is simple too. Various seeds for a small parrot start the Brotogeris diet. I have found that when it comes to this family of birds consuming dry seeds that each bird is an individual. For instance, one bird will eat only parakeet mix, another may prefer mostly sunflower seed, and another will eat all types of dry seed. Bird pellets can be offered as treats.
I like offering all of my birds a large variety. The birds do very well, and I have almost no problems with boredom. I feels birds, like people, need variation.! Some Brotogeris even enjoy eating live meal worms as a special treat (a good source of protein), which can be purchased at local pet shops. Others like treats such as bits of breakfast cereals or crackers.
Lots of fresh or frozen (thawed), fruits and vegetables should be offered daily, well washed. This is a very important part of their diet. They will eat mostly fruits and veggies that they like over most anything else. One can lightly dust damp foods with an avian vitamin to help provide anything that may be lacking.
Many Brotogeris will eat most anything offered to them. Foods that are not good for them will be eaten too. Keep your bird away from fatty foods and anything else that will not help maintain it in good shape. Poor nutrition is very hard on these birds, and they will not be long lived on a poor diet containing junk foods. On a proper diet, these birds can be long lived.
I talked to a man who has owned his pet cobalt-winged parakeet for 37 years. My son's pet white wing is about 12 years old now and going strong. A friend of mine owns Bird Jungle, a bird store in Scarsdale, New York. He says he has customers who are still bringing in their pet grey cheeks for periodical grooming. These birds were purchased from him when he first got the store more than 15 years ago. I own many Brotogeris that are about 20 years old and are still breeding, producing young and looking great.
Juvenile Brotogeris
Very young grey cheeks are easily distinguishable from adults as the upper beak is blackish in color. The younger the bird, the blacker the beak. Usually by the time the young bird is about 6 months old, the beak is the same color as the adults. Once the beak changes color, it is difficult to determine the age of the bird.
My young feathered grey-cheeked parakeet chicks are usually just as colorful as the adults. When it comes to purchasing a grey cheek or any Brotogeris for a pet it is best to start off with a young, tame bird. Tame Brotogeris act like a large parrot in compact form.
Avoiding Accidents
For years, people have called and written about all types of accidents that occurred with their birds. I have heard of birds getting injured or killed by dogs or cats. Other fatal accidents have happened because pets are left by a window in their cage, where later in the day the sun would shine in and give the bird a heat stroke; or pets are stepped on by someone not knowing the bird was walking in its path; or birds are getting injured by a door being closed. More examples include wandering pets chewing through an electrical cord, drowning in a toilet where the seat had been left up, a full-flighted pet landing on a hot stove or hot pot or ending up in a kitchen sink full of water. I even have had people tell me how their pet ended up flying into an open freezer and the door was then shut.
But the most common accidents I hear of or get calls about are people who sleep with their pets, and accidentally roll over on their birds. Brotogeris like to crawl into pockets or tucked away in small spaces. If you are sleeping, your bird may crawl underneath you to feel warm and secure. I once talked to a lady on the phone from midnight until 4 a.m. as she cried about the loss of her pet she loved so much. She told me she was a psychologist and calling from back East, (I'm on the West Coast). She could not sleep because she had just woke up to this terrible tragedy; she had fallen asleep on the couch, and had rolled over in her sleep on her pet. Needles to say, the bird was dead. Sleeping with your bird is not a good idea. I know how easily this can happen; I was forever taking my daughter's bird out of her bed as she slept, but she has since broken this habit. Most, if not almost all, accidents can be prevented. By giving thought to ways your bird could be in possible danger, and then correcting the problem, could help greatly in preventing accidents from happening and allowing your bird a long, happy life.
Pet Brotogeris
Many people write or call to tell me all kinds of things about their pet Brotogeris. One lady wrote and told me that her grey cheek named Chicken Little loves wooden Popsicle sticks to play with, but prefers some Popsicle left on the stick so first he can enjoy a bit of dessert and then destroy his toy. This bird is famous, because some years back, he did some professional modeling. Actress Isabella Rossellini did a photo shoot with Chicken Little for the publication Interview. Since then, Chicken Little has retired.
I know of a girl who treats her grey cheek as a family member. Late one night, there was fire in her apartment building. All turned out okay, but her bird was very upset by the commotion. So at 2 a.m., she ordered a pizza for her grey cheek to help settle the bird down (it was the bird's favorite food).
Here's a little story about one of my breeding pairs of grey cheeks, which will illustrate how unusual some of the personalities can be in these little characters. I had a "normal" pair of grey cheeks, so I thought. Each day, I would fill their flat glass bowl with the soft food mixture that I prepare for all my birds daily. This pair, like all the other pairs, would immediately start to devour their treats with such delight, soon the bowl would be empty. This pair went to nest, laying six fertile eggs, taking very good care of their clutch.
Upon inspection one morning, I found that three chicks had just hatched. The pair's bowl was filled, as usual. The pair came over to the bowl, looked inside, and together, instantly, they flipped over the soft-food mixture dish, food flying everywhere. I refilled it, and again it was turned over. This continued for days. I kept offering them the soft-food mixture many times a day. One day, I scooped out some of the mixture of soft food into their bowl, and a different outcome occurred. The pair ran over to the bowl, chattering with excitement. They immediately started to pick out the peas only. That day in that particular scoop of my soft-food mixture there were extra peas. This time, they did not flip over their bowl. The next time, I went out to feed them, I added extra peas on top of the soft foods. Again, the pair was excited, and the bowl remained right-side up. I soon figured out that when this particular pair has chicks in the nest, they demand extra peas, and if not given their way, the soft food goes flying. Once the chicks are removed for hand-rearing, this pair acts "normal" again, content with my usually mixture of soft foods.
A woman bought a baby grey cheek from me, and she wanted to finish the last of the hand-feeding. She wanted the two of them to form a close bond, which they did. The little grey cheek was named Squeeky because of the squeaky begging noises she made as a young chick. I'd had this baby surgically sexed, so we knew the baby was a female. Squeeky learned to say many words and phrases quite clearly. She also learned to associate the phrases with her surroundings. Squeeky would climb to the top of her cage and hang by one toe from the roof of her cage. When she would fall down, she would climb back up to her perch and say, "Squeeky, are you okay?" Also when Squeeky is creating havoc, she says, "I'm a good girl." She will also ask for a treat. Squeeky is now 10 years old, and she is still talking up a storm.
The Grey Cheek and Its Cousins
by Robbie Harris
The Grey-cheeked parakeet, Brotogeris pyrrhopterus, has earned a reputation as one of the finest pet birds one can own, largely because it is a very affectionate, intelligent bird. Although it is only 8 inches long, it has a bold personality and is not intimidated by parrots twice its size. Many grey cheeks learn to talk quite plainly and perform tricks, adding to their appeal as outstanding pets. Given the run of the house (supervised, of course), they are inquisitive, exploratory and social, greeting visitors and inspecting their owners' plates at mealtime.
Thousands of Brotogeris (grey cheeks and their lesser known cousins) are imported every year. The grey cheeks have captured the hearts of U.S. pet owners because they are almost always chicks that were hand-reared in Ecuador and Peru. Other Brotogeris, such as canary wings, orange chins, cobalt wings, golden wings, Tui, and plain parakeets, come from southern Mexico, Central, and South America. Although they are usually imported as wild-caught adult birds, they can be tamed with time and patience. I believe all of the Brotogeris make good pets, but the best of all are the hand-reared chicks raised by breeders in this country.
Brotogeris parakeets range in length from 7 to 10 inches. In some ways, they are similar to lovebirds, but they have wedge-shaped tails, a more slender build and long, pointed wings that enable them to fly swiftly. All Brotogeris are primarily green, but the various subspecies are distinguished by small spots of color on their foreheads, chins, flight feathers or underwing coverts. Their beaks are long and slender sometimes giving them a sad-faced, or at least, a serious expression. Small, naked eye rings, not as prominent as those on most conures, given them a bright-eyed look. You cannot distinguish sex or age by appearance; adult males, females and youngsters of both sexes all look very much alike.
Some of the Brotogeris are abundant in their native lands and have been imported through the U.S. quarantine system for several years. In the past, the most commonly imported were the orange chinned parakeets, also called Bee Bee parrots. They earned an early reputation as good pets too.
The care and breeding of all varieties of these parakeets is the same, and in general, they all have sweet, gentle dispositions. Sometimes their chattering voices can be annoying, but a single bird kept as a pet is usually not too noisy. Grey cheeks seem to be the most aggressive of the genus; cobalt wings and canary wings tend to be shyer.
Although all members of the species have much in common, each deserves a separate description.
Grey-cheeked Parakeet
This 8-inch bird is also known as the orange-flanked parakeet, as well as the pocket parrot. Primarily bright green with paler underparts, it is named for its gray chin, forehead and sides of head. It is the only Brotogeris with a bright orange patch on its underwing coverts, which can be seen as just a touch of orange on the shoulder tips when the wings are held against the bird's body. Brown eyes and bluish feathers on the crown and primaries complete the array of colors on this bird. It commonly weighs about 54 grams.
Canary-winged Parakeet
The Brotogeris veriscolorus chiriri is a 9-inch, bright green bird with a slight blue tinge to its flight feathers. Its greater wing coverts have a vivid lemon yellow patch on them, striking when the bird stretches its wings, and brilliant in flight.
White-winged Parakeet
The Brotogeris versicolorus versicolorus resembles the canary wing in many ways; it is just 1/2 inch longer and weighs 65 grams. Mainly an olive green, it has a tinge of blue surrounding its eyes, forehead and upper parts of the cheeks. Outer primaries are blue-green, but the remaining primary feathers are white, with the secondary coverts yellow. When the wings are closed against the body, the white feathers are not visible, and people may refer to this bird as a canary wing.
Orange-chinned Parakeet
This 7-inch bird, Brotogeris jugularis, is also known as the Tovi parakeet or the Bee Bee parrot. Usually about 58 grams in weight, it is basically green with lighter shades of green on its underside. It is named for the bright orange spot under its lower mandible; other touches of color are yellow underwing coverts and a blue tinge to the crown, lower back, rump, thighs and under the tail and flight feathers.
Cobalt-winged Parakeet
The Brotogeris cyanoptera cyanoptera is a darker, more olive green than its cousins. It, too, has an orange spot on its chin, but its bright cobalt blue primary and primary covert feathers make its wings distinctive from those of the orange-chinned parakeet. Its forehead is dull yellow just above the beak, and the crown and nape have a blue tint to them. At 65 grams and 7 1/2 inches in length, it is slightly larger than the orange-chinned variety.
Golden-winged Parakeet
The distinctive markings on this mostly green bird are bright orange primary wing coverts and a brownish frontal band just below its blue crown. The Brotogeris chrysopterus chrysopterus is the shortest Brotogeris, at 6 1/2 inches, and the stoutest.
Tui Parakeet
The Brotogeris sanctithomae sanctithomae looks like a tiny, 7-inch version of the yellow-crowned Amazon with its bright yellow forehead, which contrasts with its otherwise green body. Its glowing, golden irises surrounding the jet black pupils makes its eyes distinctive, too. Like other members of the species, it has shades of blue here and there on its body--on the flight feathers, cheeks and nape, with bright blue on the primary coverts.
Plain Parakeet
As its name implies, Brotogeris tirica is hardly distinctive. One of the largest of the group, at 9 inches, it is mainly green, with yellowish feathers on its crown, cheeks and underparts. It, too, has blue on its flight feathers, and more blue under its tail, with just a tint of blue on the hindneck and mantle. These birds, common in their native land, are rarely seen or kept in captivity in the U.S. because of the strict exportation laws of Brazil, their country of origin.
Care and Feeding
Grey cheeks and their cousins are the best of both worlds--small in size but big in personality and ability. Giving them good care is pure joy because they are so responsive and appreciative.
House them as you would a cockatiel, in medium-sized cages, but be sure to give them periods of freedom and playpens for practicing their acrobatics. Be sure, too, they always have a water bowl large enough to bath in. They love their baths, especially in the morning.
Feed Brotogeris a cockatiel seed mix containing sunflower seed, safflower seed and parakeet mix. Many of them will want to pick out just the sunflower seeds, but my grey cheeks ignore the sunflower and eagerly eat the parakeet mix. Seed mix, however, should never be their sole source of nutrition. They should always be offered fruits and vegetables. Apples seem to be their favorite fresh food, but they will also eat pieces of cut up oranges, carrots, beets, spinach, plums, pears, bananas, peaches, squash, wheat bread and peas (thawed frozen peas or still in the pod), corn on the cob or thawed kernels, grapes, cherries, dry dog or cat kibble and monkey chow soaked in water. Many Brotogeris also love a small bowl of fresh sprouted seeds daily.
Since all members of this family are intelligent and playful, they will need toys to keep them from becoming bored and perhaps plucking their own feathers. Bird treats, chew sticks and partially cracked walnuts are additional items that will entertain these birds.
When people realize what these birds need and how much variety of diet enjoy, it's great fun to indulge them.
Breeding
If you want to breed grey cheeks or other Brotogeris, have them surgically sexed to be sure of their genders. Sometimes hens seem to be slightly more petite in the head and face than males, but you cannot be sure until a veterinarian has actually performed this safe, surgical procedure.
Brotogeris can be bred in colonies, but I have found that they quarrel too much in large groups. Thus, I prefer to set up a single pair per cage or flight. The bold personality that is charming in a pet grey cheek can become extremely aggressive, even nasty, during the month or two before they go to nest. Consistent with the shyer nature of the cobalt wings, canary wings and orange chins, although their increased aggression shows in defending the nest box and scolding, they do not become as ornery as the grey cheeks.
When a pair is ready to nest, they will use almost any wooden nest box offered to them. I have had the most success with standard budgie nest boxes filled several inches deep with pine shavings. Clutch size ranges between two and seven eggs, and the hen will incubate them for about 26 days. Chicks can be left with the parents until they fledge or can be removed to be hand fed. The best time for taking chicks for hand rearing is at about 2 weeks of age. Most Brotogeris are conscientious parents so the main reason for hand-feeding the chicks is to assure that they grow up to be tame, people-oriented pets. Although there are exceptions, seldom does removing the chicks inspire the parents to produce a second clutch.
When they can no longer be imported, the price of grey cheeks and other Brotogeris will soar because of their popularity. Many of these birds, which were inexpensive and easy to obtain just a few short years ago, are now difficult to find. Brotogeris make marvelous pets, but they should also be bred to assure an ample future supply of these birds when they can no longer be exported from their native lands.
Article originally appeared in the April 1985 issue of Bird Talk. This is copyrighted material, reprinted with the author's permission. This article may not be reprinted without written consent from the author and Bird Talk magazine.
The Grey-cheeked parakeet, Brotogeris pyrrhopterus, has earned a reputation as one of the finest pet birds one can own, largely because it is a very affectionate, intelligent bird. Although it is only 8 inches long, it has a bold personality and is not intimidated by parrots twice its size. Many grey cheeks learn to talk quite plainly and perform tricks, adding to their appeal as outstanding pets. Given the run of the house (supervised, of course), they are inquisitive, exploratory and social, greeting visitors and inspecting their owners' plates at mealtime.
Thousands of Brotogeris (grey cheeks and their lesser known cousins) are imported every year. The grey cheeks have captured the hearts of U.S. pet owners because they are almost always chicks that were hand-reared in Ecuador and Peru. Other Brotogeris, such as canary wings, orange chins, cobalt wings, golden wings, Tui, and plain parakeets, come from southern Mexico, Central, and South America. Although they are usually imported as wild-caught adult birds, they can be tamed with time and patience. I believe all of the Brotogeris make good pets, but the best of all are the hand-reared chicks raised by breeders in this country.
Brotogeris parakeets range in length from 7 to 10 inches. In some ways, they are similar to lovebirds, but they have wedge-shaped tails, a more slender build and long, pointed wings that enable them to fly swiftly. All Brotogeris are primarily green, but the various subspecies are distinguished by small spots of color on their foreheads, chins, flight feathers or underwing coverts. Their beaks are long and slender sometimes giving them a sad-faced, or at least, a serious expression. Small, naked eye rings, not as prominent as those on most conures, given them a bright-eyed look. You cannot distinguish sex or age by appearance; adult males, females and youngsters of both sexes all look very much alike.
Some of the Brotogeris are abundant in their native lands and have been imported through the U.S. quarantine system for several years. In the past, the most commonly imported were the orange chinned parakeets, also called Bee Bee parrots. They earned an early reputation as good pets too.
The care and breeding of all varieties of these parakeets is the same, and in general, they all have sweet, gentle dispositions. Sometimes their chattering voices can be annoying, but a single bird kept as a pet is usually not too noisy. Grey cheeks seem to be the most aggressive of the genus; cobalt wings and canary wings tend to be shyer.
Although all members of the species have much in common, each deserves a separate description.
Grey-cheeked Parakeet
This 8-inch bird is also known as the orange-flanked parakeet, as well as the pocket parrot. Primarily bright green with paler underparts, it is named for its gray chin, forehead and sides of head. It is the only Brotogeris with a bright orange patch on its underwing coverts, which can be seen as just a touch of orange on the shoulder tips when the wings are held against the bird's body. Brown eyes and bluish feathers on the crown and primaries complete the array of colors on this bird. It commonly weighs about 54 grams.
Canary-winged Parakeet
The Brotogeris veriscolorus chiriri is a 9-inch, bright green bird with a slight blue tinge to its flight feathers. Its greater wing coverts have a vivid lemon yellow patch on them, striking when the bird stretches its wings, and brilliant in flight.
White-winged Parakeet
The Brotogeris versicolorus versicolorus resembles the canary wing in many ways; it is just 1/2 inch longer and weighs 65 grams. Mainly an olive green, it has a tinge of blue surrounding its eyes, forehead and upper parts of the cheeks. Outer primaries are blue-green, but the remaining primary feathers are white, with the secondary coverts yellow. When the wings are closed against the body, the white feathers are not visible, and people may refer to this bird as a canary wing.
Orange-chinned Parakeet
This 7-inch bird, Brotogeris jugularis, is also known as the Tovi parakeet or the Bee Bee parrot. Usually about 58 grams in weight, it is basically green with lighter shades of green on its underside. It is named for the bright orange spot under its lower mandible; other touches of color are yellow underwing coverts and a blue tinge to the crown, lower back, rump, thighs and under the tail and flight feathers.
Cobalt-winged Parakeet
The Brotogeris cyanoptera cyanoptera is a darker, more olive green than its cousins. It, too, has an orange spot on its chin, but its bright cobalt blue primary and primary covert feathers make its wings distinctive from those of the orange-chinned parakeet. Its forehead is dull yellow just above the beak, and the crown and nape have a blue tint to them. At 65 grams and 7 1/2 inches in length, it is slightly larger than the orange-chinned variety.
Golden-winged Parakeet
The distinctive markings on this mostly green bird are bright orange primary wing coverts and a brownish frontal band just below its blue crown. The Brotogeris chrysopterus chrysopterus is the shortest Brotogeris, at 6 1/2 inches, and the stoutest.
Tui Parakeet
The Brotogeris sanctithomae sanctithomae looks like a tiny, 7-inch version of the yellow-crowned Amazon with its bright yellow forehead, which contrasts with its otherwise green body. Its glowing, golden irises surrounding the jet black pupils makes its eyes distinctive, too. Like other members of the species, it has shades of blue here and there on its body--on the flight feathers, cheeks and nape, with bright blue on the primary coverts.
Plain Parakeet
As its name implies, Brotogeris tirica is hardly distinctive. One of the largest of the group, at 9 inches, it is mainly green, with yellowish feathers on its crown, cheeks and underparts. It, too, has blue on its flight feathers, and more blue under its tail, with just a tint of blue on the hindneck and mantle. These birds, common in their native land, are rarely seen or kept in captivity in the U.S. because of the strict exportation laws of Brazil, their country of origin.
Care and Feeding
Grey cheeks and their cousins are the best of both worlds--small in size but big in personality and ability. Giving them good care is pure joy because they are so responsive and appreciative.
House them as you would a cockatiel, in medium-sized cages, but be sure to give them periods of freedom and playpens for practicing their acrobatics. Be sure, too, they always have a water bowl large enough to bath in. They love their baths, especially in the morning.
Feed Brotogeris a cockatiel seed mix containing sunflower seed, safflower seed and parakeet mix. Many of them will want to pick out just the sunflower seeds, but my grey cheeks ignore the sunflower and eagerly eat the parakeet mix. Seed mix, however, should never be their sole source of nutrition. They should always be offered fruits and vegetables. Apples seem to be their favorite fresh food, but they will also eat pieces of cut up oranges, carrots, beets, spinach, plums, pears, bananas, peaches, squash, wheat bread and peas (thawed frozen peas or still in the pod), corn on the cob or thawed kernels, grapes, cherries, dry dog or cat kibble and monkey chow soaked in water. Many Brotogeris also love a small bowl of fresh sprouted seeds daily.
Since all members of this family are intelligent and playful, they will need toys to keep them from becoming bored and perhaps plucking their own feathers. Bird treats, chew sticks and partially cracked walnuts are additional items that will entertain these birds.
When people realize what these birds need and how much variety of diet enjoy, it's great fun to indulge them.
Breeding
If you want to breed grey cheeks or other Brotogeris, have them surgically sexed to be sure of their genders. Sometimes hens seem to be slightly more petite in the head and face than males, but you cannot be sure until a veterinarian has actually performed this safe, surgical procedure.
Brotogeris can be bred in colonies, but I have found that they quarrel too much in large groups. Thus, I prefer to set up a single pair per cage or flight. The bold personality that is charming in a pet grey cheek can become extremely aggressive, even nasty, during the month or two before they go to nest. Consistent with the shyer nature of the cobalt wings, canary wings and orange chins, although their increased aggression shows in defending the nest box and scolding, they do not become as ornery as the grey cheeks.
When a pair is ready to nest, they will use almost any wooden nest box offered to them. I have had the most success with standard budgie nest boxes filled several inches deep with pine shavings. Clutch size ranges between two and seven eggs, and the hen will incubate them for about 26 days. Chicks can be left with the parents until they fledge or can be removed to be hand fed. The best time for taking chicks for hand rearing is at about 2 weeks of age. Most Brotogeris are conscientious parents so the main reason for hand-feeding the chicks is to assure that they grow up to be tame, people-oriented pets. Although there are exceptions, seldom does removing the chicks inspire the parents to produce a second clutch.
When they can no longer be imported, the price of grey cheeks and other Brotogeris will soar because of their popularity. Many of these birds, which were inexpensive and easy to obtain just a few short years ago, are now difficult to find. Brotogeris make marvelous pets, but they should also be bred to assure an ample future supply of these birds when they can no longer be exported from their native lands.
Article originally appeared in the April 1985 issue of Bird Talk. This is copyrighted material, reprinted with the author's permission. This article may not be reprinted without written consent from the author and Bird Talk magazine.
The Grey-Cheeked Parakeet and Its Family
by Robbie Harris
Brotogeris is the Latin name for a small group of birds in the parrot family, including the grey-cheeked parakeet, the canary-winged parakeet, the white-winged parakeet, the orange-chinned parakeet, the cobalt-winged parakeet, the golden-winged parakeet, the Tui parakeet and the plain parakeet. The member of the Brotogeris family are distributed from southern Mexico down through central South America.
These small, solidly-built birds range anywhere from 7 to 9 inches long and are somewhat similar to lovebirds in size, but with more of a slender build. Brotogeris have wedge-shaped tails that vary in length. The wings are long and pointed, which enables them to be very swift flyers. These birds are mainly green in color with many having other colors on the forehead, chin, primaries and underwing coverts. The beak is similar to an Amazon's in shape, with the upper mandible deeply notched in a hook-like fashion. They also have small eye rings similar to conures. Both sexes look alike, and young birds closely resemble the adults.
When deciding on which Brotogeris to choose, keep in mind that some are easier to find than others. Also remember that each will be a good pet if hand-fed and taken care of properly.
Grey-cheeked Parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhopterus)
Grey cheeks are also known as orange-flanked parakeets, orange-winged parakeets, and pocket parrots. They can be quickly distinguished from other Brotogeris by the bright orange-colored patches on the underwing coverts. When the wings are held against the body, only a small bit of the orange can be seen peeking over the tops of the grey cheek's shoulders. The main color is a bright green, but paler on underparts. The chin, forehead and sides of the face are pale gray, giving this bird its common name. The crown, primary coverts and primaries are bluish. The eyes are dark brown, feet and legs pinkish, and the beak is horn-colored.
Males and females are identical in color and size. Immature birds are very similar to the adults in appearance, with the very young having black coloring on the beak. This black sometimes remains for months, until it fades to the adult horn color. Grey cheeks inhabit a small range in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru.
White-winged Parakeet (B. vericolorus vericolurus)
The white wing is sometimes referred to as the canary-winged parakeet or the yellow-winged parakeet. It is mainly an olive green, with a tinge of blue surrounding the eyes, forehead and upper parts of the cheeks. The outer primaries start off being blue-green with the remaining primaries white. The secondary coverts are yellow. When the wings are folded closed and held against the bird's body, the white patch is not visible, and only yellow can be seen.
This species of bird has bare facial areas around the beak and eyes, giving it the appearance of old age. The legs are pinkish-gray, and the beak is horn-colored. The sexes are alike in appearance. I find the personality of hand-fed white wings very similar to grey cheeks. Lately, I have seen many of these birds in pet shops for moderate prices. They seem to be more readily available in California and Florida, and if breeders are interested in setting up any of these birds for breeding, do it now, before the birds disappear, and the prices increase.
Canary-winged Parakeet (B. versicolorus chiriri)
The canary wing is actually a subspecies of the white-winged parakeet. The reason I separated them into two different descriptions is because of their distinguishable differences in size, coloring and personality. Both are commonly called canary-winged parakeets, as well as yellow-winged parakeets. They are also incorrectly referred to as Bee Bee parrots. This bird is slightly shorter than the white wing. It is a brighter apple-green in color. The face of this bird is totally feathered. There is a slight blue tinge to the thighs. A bright lemon-yellow patch is formed by the yellow coloring on the greater wing coverts, giving this bird its common name. There is no white coloring on this bird's wing.
Orange-chinned Parakeet (B. jugularis)
The orange-chinned parakeet is also known as the Tovi parakeet or the Bee Bee parrot. They are small birds, mainly green in color, with lighter shades on the throat, breast, undersides, and abdomen. The flight and tail feathers have a hint of blue. There is a blue tinge on the crown, lower back, rump, thighs, under the tail and flights. There is a bronze patch on the wing shoulder area. A distinct small orange patch can be seen just under the lower mandible, giving this bird its other common name. The underwing coverts are yellow, the iris dark brown, the beak horn-colored, and the legs a flesh-gray color. Both sexes look alike. The orange chins inhabit parts of Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. We were fortunate enough to receive a few small shipments of orange chins some time ago. They were easily tamed and made excellent pets.
Cobalt-winged Parakeet (B. cyanoptera cyanoptera)
The cobalt wing is olive-green in color, with darker shades on the back and wings. The forehead has dull yellow just above the beak. The crown and nape have a blue tinge. The chin is marked with an orange spot. The primaries and primary coverts are bright cobalt blue, giving the bird its name. The upper mandible is horn colored and darkens toward the tip. The eyes are dark brown. The feet and legs are brownish-pink. Sexes look alike, and immature birds resemble the adults. There are two subspecies with some color variations. I know of many people who own these birds as pets, and say they are excellent family birds with good talking ability.
Golden-winged Parakeet (B. chrysopterus chrysopterus)
The stout golden wing is deep green with an even deeper shade on the back and wings. The crown has a bluish tinge with a brownish frontal band. The primary wing coverts are bright orange. A dull spot of orange-brown coloring is on the chin. This iris is brown, and the beak is horn. The feet are a pale yellowish-brown. There are four subspecies all varying in color and/or size.
Tui Parakeet (B. sanctithomae sanctithomae)
Tuis are very attractive birds. They are bright green with lighter yellowish-green on the chest, abdomen, underwings, lower back and underside of the tail. The flights are bluish, being a brighter blue on the primary coverts. There is a tinge of blue on the cheeks, nape and underside of the flights. A very bright yellow patch on the forehead makes this species look like a tiny version of the yellow-crowned Amazon. The beak is a chestnut color. The iris is a glowing golden color that is set off by the jet-black pupil. Sexes resemble each other in color and size. There is one subspecies that has a yellow streak behind the eye.
Plain Parakeet (B. tirica)
Plain parakeets are mainly green with yellow tinges on the crown, cheeks and the underparts. There is blue on the flight feathers and underside of the tail (with just a tinge on the hind neck and mantle), giving the name of plain because of the lack of a variety of colors. These birds are very common in their native Brazil, but because of strict Brazilian exportation laws, only a few reside in the United States.
The grey cheek is the best known of the Brotogeris and has captured the hearts of millions of bird fanciers.
When grey cheeks were first introduced into the United States back in the late 1970s, they were very inexpensive, selling for $25 to $35. Thousands were imported, and almost all of them were tame and sweet.
At the time, a good friend of mine purchased 150 newly imported grey cheeks. This was the first time he had seen grey cheeks for sale, and as he reached into the cage at the quarantine station, several of them rushed toward him. At first, he thought they were coming to attack, but instead they were pushing toward him for affection. All of these birds had been hand-fed in quarantine. They covered his arm like a swarm of bees, each one vying for his attention. It was very difficult to pick the ones he wanted--thousands were so tame and sweet! Within five days, he sold every one of those virtually unknown little parrots, and his customers, including me, were begging for more.
Needless to say, within days, the quarantine station quickly sold out of all the grey-cheeked parakeets in stock. As the years went on, thousands more entered the United States. Unfortunately, very few, considering the numbers, ended up as breeders. This shortage will only continue unless more people set them up for breeding soon. This pas year, I raised several, but many more people looking for these sweet birds were left wanting.
Most people believe that grey cheeks are naturally tame. Let me clarify something now--not all grey cheeks are sweet tame little birds! I've seen the sweetest babies in quarantine stations just imported from Peru, but I've also seen wild-caught imported grey cheeks that were just as nippy and feisty as wild lovebirds. The tame, sweet grey cheeks are birds that were hand-reared.
Young grey cheeks are easily distinguishable from adults because the upper beak is blackish in color. The younger the bird, the blacker the beak. By the time a bird is 6 months old, the beak is usually the same color as that of an adult. Once the beak changes color, it is difficult to determine the age of the bird. My young feathered grey-cheeked parakeet chicks usually are just as colorful as the adults.
Housing a Brotogeris
Tame Brotogeris act like compact versions of the larger parrots. They are extremely intelligent birds. Most any cage suitable for a cockatiel will do just fine for a pet Brotogeris. It is best if the cage bars are close together, so your pet won't get its head stuck between the bars. Use dowels that are 1/2 to 3/4 inches in diameter. Natural branch perches are always welcome for climbing and chewing.
These birds love to play on open playpens with treats and safe toys at their disposal. It may be a good idea to rotate different toys every few days so that your pet will not become bored with the same old toy. Supervise your Brotogeris when it's out of its cage, because these birds can be very mischievous and wander off, possibly damaging furniture or hurting themselves. Think of a pet Brotogeris as a child, and you should do just fine.
Diet/Nutrition
It is important that birds receive a well-balanced diet to stay healthy and strong. All my Brotogeris are offered the following dry seeds: parakeet mix, safflower seed, and medium sunflower seed. If convenience is important, purchase a good cockatiel mix at a pet shop. I've found that when it comes to Brotogeris consuming dry seeds, each bird is an individual. For instance, on grey cheek I know will eat only parakeet mix, while another prefers mostly sunflower seeds, and another eats all types of dry seed.
It is also very important that fruits and vegetables--thoroughly washed--are offered. When it comes to soft foods, all of my Brotogeris love them. My birds receive a bowl of various soft foods, including sprouted seeds, apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, grapes, peas and corn (either fresh or frozen), grated carrots, yams, sweet potatoes and beets, spinach, and other fruits and vegetables in season at the time. I sprinkle a good avian vitamin supplement and powdered calcium on their fruits and veggies, especially for my breeding birds. Brotogeris young and old also relish monkey biscuits which have been soaked in water or fruit juice. Sometimes bird pellets can be offered to Brotogeris with their seed diet. Some will eat it, but others will not.
I like to offer all my birds a large variety in their diets. The birds do well, and I have almost no problems with boredom. Some Brotogeris even enjoy eating live meal worms as a special treat which is also a good source of protein. Others like treats such as various bits of breakfast cereals or crackers. Most pet Brotogeris become part of the family and eat at the dining room table. This is fine as long as the junk food is kept to a minimum.
Breeding
A pair of grey-cheeked parakeets will breed in an aviary or a cage. It is very difficult to determine the sex of most Brotogeris by sight because these birds are not sexually dimorphic. In some cases, the males appear to have slightly larger heads and beaks compared to females, but this is not totally reliable. The most accurate way to determine a pair is by having the birds surgically or DNA sexed. Keep in mind that surgical sexing is an operation, and it can be a little more risky with the smaller birds.
While setting up pairs of Brotogeris for breeding, it is best for each pair to be in its own cage or aviary. Breeding pairs can become quite ill-tempered when getting ready to go to nest, and they may kill any other birds that are in the same enclosure with them at that time.
I once heard about a breeder who had two pairs of grey cheeks set up in a large aviary. The pairs got along very well. One pair went to nest and hatched out chicks and tended to them, but when the chicks were a couple of weeks old, the other pair went into the next box and killed them. I've had the tamest pair of grey cheeks become terribly vicious toward me when they are thinking about going to nest.
I have heard of people who have had some success in colony breeding canary-winged parakeets. I was successfully breeding two pairs of cobalt-winged parakeets in one enclosure, but after a year the birds starting fighting, and I feared that one might kill the other, so the pairs were given their own cages. I believe that it is just the safest way to breed these birds.
My pairs of Brotogeris use standard wooden parakeet nest boxes with a layer of pine shavings on the bottom. These birds are not known for building their own nests, but I have occasionally seen pairs fill up their nest box with apple and orange peels and other scraps fond on the bottoms of their cages, almost as if they were attempting to build a next similar to a lovebird's. I have offered them branches with leaves, but they go untouched. Most of my breeding pairs have a single clutch of eggs a year.
Some pairs will double and even triple clutch in a year. I do have a pair that raises three clutches a year averaging four chicks per clutch, nesting from February through July. This pair is housed outdoors in a sheltered building. There is no set number of eggs per clutch.
I also had one hen that laid an egg every other day for about six weeks, but this is not normal; she just didn't know when to stop. A clutch can be as small as two eggs and as large as eight, but my normal clutch size seems to average four to six eggs. The incubation period for Brotogeris eggs is 25 to 26 days. I've had many fertile eggs not hatch for more than a month from the time the first egg was laid, because these birds seem to start incubating only when they are almost finished laying all the eggs in the clutch. The hen may stay in the box with her newly laid eggs, but many times she is only brooding the eggs, not sitting tightly until at least three or more eggs have been laid. Because of this waiting period, incubation appears to be long for this species. Just to be safe, start counting 24 days from the time the last egg was laid. I have heard of too many people breaking eggs open way too early to find live babies inside the eggs.
Usually the hen does most of the incubation with the male standing guard just outside the box. Both parents tend the chicks when they start to hatch.
Once hatched, the chicks grow quite rapidly. At 12 days old, their eyes are open, and with another two days, dark quills can be seen developing under the skin. At about 4 weeks old, feathers start to pop through the quills, first in the tail and wings, soon followed by the rest of the body. Chicks fledge at about 6 weeks old, with both parents continually feeding the chicks on the outside of the box until they are eating on their own. By the time they are 9 to 11 weeks old, the chicks are usually weaned, eating mostly soft foods at first.
Once the chicks are eating on their own, they should be removed, otherwise they could disturb the adult breeding pair, should the pair decide to return to nest. Chicks can be left with the parents until they fledge, or they can be removed for hand-feeding when young and still unfeathered. The best age for removing the chicks for hand rearing is at about 2 to 3 weeks old. Unweaned baby Brotogeris will bob their little heads up and down, and make very loud "squeaking" noises. Though, once weaned, the loud squeaking stops.
If you desire, domestically reared chicks can be closed banded at a few weeks of age. I use cockatiel bands. A closed ban can prove that the check was domestically reared and can also be used for identification or age if dated.
I've found the Brotogeris to be very hardy birds as pets and as breeders. All my breeding pairs do just fine outdoors in Southern California weather. An indoor pair can be placed outside (weather permitting), as long as the birds are properly acclimated to the outdoor weather conditions. Late spring and summer, when the evening temperatures do not drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, is the best time to start indoor birds outside. My birds are housed all year round outdoors with weather as hot as 100 degrees Fahrenheit to as cool as 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brotogeris can hybridize among each other, if given the opportunity. Just recently, I was in a pet shop and saw a tame grey-cheeked parakeet and white-winged parakeet hybrid chick. Please be careful not to house two different species of Brotogeris together. I would not recommend hybridized breedings because pure birds are needed to keep each species going in captivity.
With all the changes in importation regulations, the cost of grey cheeks as well as other imported birds has increased tremendously. More people should set up pairs of Brotogeris for breeding purposes. I know many grey cheek owners who have set up a pair of pet birds in a cage in their living room with a budgie nest box at the pair's disposal. Many of these birds have gone to nest and raised chicks right there in the middle of the house. Soon the two pet birds turned into a family. Breeders are in desperate need of more young grey cheeks, as well as the other species of this family.
Article originally appeared in the January 1995 issue of Bird Talk. This is copyrighted material, reprinted with the author's permission. This article may not be reprinted without written consent from the author and Bird Talk magazine.
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