Parakeets, or Budgerigars, make a wonderful pet for children and beginners. They are hardy and come in a range of beautiful colours and require less space and maintenance than larger birds. They are also quite intelligent, can learn the odd word and live 5 – 9 years.
Cockatiels are native Australian birds of the parrot family and while they can learn to talk they whistle and sing really well and often will mimic random sounds like a ring tone. They come in a range of colours and can live up to 25 years of age.
Finches and Canaries. There many types of Finches and Canaries, we have only listed a few. They are smaller birds so require less space. These birds prefer to be in a small flock and pay little attention to humans. They will live up to 10 years.
Lovebirds are one of the smallest of the parrot species. They are beautiful and are intelligent with a lovely personality. They are suited to being kept in apartments and live up to 20 years.
African Greys are often referred to as the most intelligent of birds with some learning a vocabulary of up to 2,000 words. They can be demanding and will get bored if not paid attention. They may well out live you as they have a life expectancy of 50 – 70 years
For more information:
Parakeets
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Parakeet, Budgerigar, Budgie | These are small, about 20cm from beak to tip of tail. They love to play, explore and are a perfect pet for the beginner. They are easy to keep, inexpensive to feed and ideal for apartment living. |
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Bourke’s Parakeets | These measure up to 20cm from beak to tip of tail and will live about 15 years. They are gentle, good natured and quite a quiet bird so are suited to apartment living. |
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Scarlet Chested Parakeets | These birds are actually Parrots even though they are referred to as Parakeets. The measure about 20cm from beak to tip of tail and will live 10 – 15 years. They are quite a quiet bird so are suited to apartment living. |
Cockatiels
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Cockatiels | These birds don’t necessarily make good pets for children as they startle easily and may bite. They are found in the Australian wild and are sociable, so it is best to get a pair if you’re not at home all day. |
Finches
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Diamond Firetail | Growing to 12cm they are commonly known as the Diamond Sparrow and are one of the largest of the finches and one of the most beautiful of all grassfinches. |
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Painted Finch | These finches grow to 12cm originating from Northern and Central Australia. They are a different looking Finch but have a great disposition and friendly nature. |
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Long-tailed Finch | From Northern Australia these grow to 15cm. They used to be one of the more common finches but are harder to find now. This finch is not best kept with other species as it will raid the nests of others. |
Canaries
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The Border Canary | The most popular canary. They are quite active and require a fair amount of training, but are good for the beginner. |
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The Lizard Canary | An attractive bird that is a free breeder. They are a good bird for the beginner. |
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The Yorkshire Canary | Can be a difficult breeder and do require a great deal of training – not the best bird for the beginner. |
Lovebirds
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Peach-faced Lovebirds | Named because of their face colourings, they do come in a wide variety of colours – some white faced! They have a wonderful sense of fun and love to play |
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Fischer’s Lovebird | Known for their gentle manner they are also full of energy. They love new toys and playtime with their owners and become loyal friends if given the time and attention. |
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Masked Lovebird | These are small and stocky and native to Tanzania. They are not happy living alone preferring company. They come in a variety of colours. |
African Greys
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Congo African Grey Parrot | The largest and more commonly known, it grows to 35cm. They originate in Central Africa and their shade of grey will depend on the specific area they come from. They are great talkers and mimics. |
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Timneh African Grey Parrot | The Timneh African Grey matures more quickly and hence talks sooner than the Congo African Grey. They also have their own voice and will talk in context. |
Cockatoos
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Rose Breasted Cockatoo | Known also as Galahs, they are very smart, are fun to teach and learn quickly. They are a social bird and love attention from anyone. They are also very cuddly. |
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Sulphur Crested Cockatoo | These are large white cockatoos with a yellow crest. They can be very loud and they are a long term proposition as they have been known to live to 80 years of age. If they have been hand raised they should be sweet and affectionate. |
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Umbrella Cockatoo | Also referred to as the great white cockatoo, it is known to be one of the most affectionate and amiable companion birds available. Its completely white crest raises like an umbrella when it is excited for whatever reason. It is a native to Indonesia. |
