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The mountain parrot is a graceful bird species that is distinguished by its unsurpassed appearance and docile nature. Friendship with such feathered pets will bring a lot of joy to your home. Birds are quite widely represented on the market, so purchasing these unique birds will not be difficult for anyone.
Credit: Wikipedia
Appearance
| Name | Luxury mountain parrot Polytelis anthopeplus |
| Subspecies | • PA anthopeplus • Pa monarchoides Schodde |
| Length | 0.4-0.45 m |
| Adult weight | 0.15-0.2 kg |
| Color | The feathers are bright yellow with an olive tint, the wings and tail are black in males, or green in females. |
| Beak | Curved to the bottom, red. |
| Eyes | Dark |
| Tail | Reaches 0.25 m |
| dimorphism | Females are olive with a more pronounced green tint, dark green wings and a light pink beak. |
| Distinctive feature | Transverse red stripe on the wing. |
| Young animals | Up to 7 months they look like a female, and then the plumage becomes like that of adults according to differences. |
| Distinctive feature | Excellent flyers. In search of food or under unfavorable climatic conditions, they travel thousands of distances. |
Credit: howtodoright.com
Mountain Parrot in the wild
| Habitat | Mountain parrots are native to the Australian continent. The population is from the southeastern part of the mainland, avoids people and lives among the mountains at 3 km above sea level. Flocks living in western Australia, on the contrary, prefer to raid farmers’ fields or settle close to them. |
| Diet | Mainly vegetable – herbs, seeds, fruits, grains; occasionally – small insects and larvae. |
| Reproduction in the wild | During the breeding season (November – March), males organize ritual dances and bring tasty grains to their chosen ones. After the pair is formed, they build nests in the hollows of eucalyptus trees at a height of up to 3 meters. Sometimes they can nest among rock crevices or rock voids. One clutch contains up to 6 eggs. The female incubates the chicks for 21 days. During incubation, the male guards and feeds his beloved. Both feathered parents are involved in feeding the offspring. By about 2 months of age, the stronger chicks leave the nest. When feeding their offspring, adult birds exhibit increased timidity. |
Lifespan
In captivity, luxurious parrots live up to 30 years. The life cycle of wild individuals is reduced to 15-20 years due to unfavorable environmental factors:
- climate change;
- poaching;
- predators;
- nutritional deficiency;
- anthropogenic aggressive influence on nature.
Credit: iStockPhoto.com
Keeping at home
Mountain parrot are frequent residents of home nurseries. Connoisseurs of exotics note the graceful appearance of birds and their intelligence, but at the same time they cause inconvenience to many with their increased loudness.
Cell
The best option is keeping birds in an aviary. In addition to the fact that in such dwellings parrots feel freer and can fly, they also disturb others less with their constant screaming. It is worth noting that these are mountain birds that can easily tolerate low temperatures (down to -5 0 C), so staying in outdoor enclosures will not bring any health complications to your pets. The only condition is humidity control in the place of detention (no more than 60%). Birds do not react well to dampness and may catch a cold.
Keeping them in large cages is also acceptable, but in this case you will have to pay attention to daily walking of the birds around the house.
Mandatory equipment is poles, feeders, drinking bowls and a bathtub. Birds are very fond of “bath” procedures, moreover, this increases immunity and improves the appearance of feathered pets.
Nutrition
Birds are not picky about their food. Their diet should include:
- seeds (canary seed);
- grain (wheat, oats, millet);
- porridge;
- vegetables;
- fruits;
- microgreens, sprouted grains;
- boiled chicken eggs;
- mealworms and small insects.
Character and training
In addition to their enchanting appearance, Mountain Parrots are distinguished by their friendliness and high intelligence. But in order for the birds to show all their abilities, they need to be exercised and played with every day. Otherwise, the birds become passive, get fat and do not show all their natural beauty.
When it comes to sabotaging household utensils, luxurious parrots are excellent students. They will never damage objects or bite wires or furniture, as their relatives of other species usually do. They are not talkative, but with long-term training they can learn a few words.
Reproduction
It is easy to breed Mountain Parrots at home. The main thing is to comply with all the necessary requirements:
- equip the couple with a large, long enclosure (up to 5 m long);
- arrange a nest box (0.25×0.25 m) with a nest (8x8x2 cm);
- increase the amount of high protein foods in your diet;
- Minimize contact with birds.
Credit: Dreamstime.com
Birds can reproduce while staying in a large company (colony), but then it is necessary to equip a huge aviary for all the “residents.
Beginner poultry keepers are at a loss when choosing a pet, because it is always difficult to choose the right option and predict how the pet will show itself. Professionals note that Luxury Mountain Parrots are exactly the option that is suitable for both inexperienced breeders and people with experience in poultry farming. Minimum care requirements, friendliness and magnificent appearance are the distinctive features of parrots that will appeal to everyone.
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Also Check: Can Monk Parrots Talk
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