This is a new bird,breeders are becomeing interested in,espesically the new mutations. They can be had in three shades of green&three shades of blue also lutino and creamino. with cinnamon and pieds being developed.At present there are not many mutations available but they are not hard to breed so in a few more years they should start to appear more often but for now most are in the hands of breeders.There have been a few of the new cinnamon mutations comeing into Canada however in the last few months(August 2001)One of the greatest features of these birds is when they are hand feds they stay tame even after not haveing much attention over a long period of time.The parents will let you handle there babies with no concern,just go slow as not to startle them.They are usually quite with little giggley sounds.When seperated they can get loud calling to each other but will soon stop.They can be changed around and will accept a new mate without to much problem,just watch to make sure they are compatible.It is much better to wait untill the birds are in breeding condition to do any changeing as the hen will readily accept the male at that time other wise she may tend to bully him and she could hurt him at this point.In general they seem to switch readily when not in breeding season. They are comical little fellows about the size of a budgie with the appearance of a love bird but have a better disposition.They always seem to be playing in there cage so give them toys.They especially like rings they can climb through.I like to use two different size perches to give their feet exercise and it helps to keep the claws from getting over grown.They will hold there food in thier claw like the big parrots do,so it is interesting to watch them.Tame hand feds will readily eat fruit from your hand while sitting on your wrist(some times they get lazy)I believe these would make good apartment birds as they are so quiet all day,which is good for a person that has to be off to work in the day time. These birds are mainly most abundent in the Mexico,Pannama area and adapt very well to climatic change but protect from frost&freezing...should actually not be kept bellow 50 degrees in my opinion(especially when breeding) for fear of egg binding.
These birds will breed in the same manner as budgerigars,giveing them about twelve hours of light will help to bring these birds into condition.The problem is you can't tell by looking at them if they are in condition.There is no real tell tale sign like a blue cere that a male budgie gets,or the tan cere on a hen.Here we have to be more relieable on instinct as well as a little visual appearance.After the birds have had a good rest..about four to five mounths,or more...and the light has been extended I see that they might have a mini molt as I call it.Some birds will only drop a few feathers and some a little more,but at this point when the new feathers are comeing in they get active and start to look sleeker,standing higher on the perch and calling to there previous mate,snuggling up and preening each other.If you have a few pairs housed together in a flight you may see some males start to bicker over spots in the flight to call there own. These are all signs that they are comeing into condition.Don't forget the vitamins at this point if you have been a little neglectfull as they will need them to help come through their molt and fortify their system for the breeding season.Make sure your birds are in good condition as with any birds that you choose to breed and you should have a sussesfull season.The one thing that I have noticed which is different is that my birds use little cuttle bone to none at all,so I would guess that they seem to be getting enough minerals from there vitamins that I am supplying.Also a little extra spraying at this time will help stimulate breeding.I like to spray a little a week before hatching to add a little moisture to the nestand help with the hatch especially if the bird room is dry.During the summer the birds love to have there spray till soaked by hanging upside down and wings spread.The first time they did it I had a real good laugh and had to show any of my visitors how much these guy's really like to shower.
Bathing or Misting... The vast majority of our parrots evolved in areas of the world where there is abundant precipitation. The great rain forests protect birds from the downpours and provide a humid, warm, and mist-like environment that birds relish. Offering a mist bath is a gentle, more natural way of bathing your bird. Harsh spraying can cause pain and discomfort but misting acts therepeutically, heightening a tranquil state by its soothing and calming softness. After your pets first misting experience, you will notice a brighter plumage, an enhanced state of well-being, and a heightened state of relaxation. Misting also concentrates finer water particles into the air ~ so that birds can absorb the water molecules more readily through their skin and membranes. Bathing your bird frequently is one of the 3 cardinal rules in the prevention of feather picking (the other 2 being good nutrition and proper lighting) and the misting experience is the best possible way to prevent this malady.
A little better discription of these birds would be green, forehead some times has a yellowish look in bright light&bluish tinge,body feathers of most birds have narrow black edging.The basic body colour is green with each feather edged in greenish-black; wing-coverts bluish-green; tail upperside dark green with broad black tips, underside dirty-green,also on the underside of the body are black dots;beak is horn- coloured..iris dark grey.. cere whitish and feet flesh coloured to light grey.
The Dark Greens...are the same as above but less defination in the markings and an over all darker green,less blueing on the forhead and less yellowing on the forhead and the underside of the body with the head looking a little to the blackish side.The beak a little darker than the flesh tone of the light green and the feet a bit greyer as well.
The Olive...is not a lot different than the dark green except looking almost blackish green.The head is quite dark with the under body takeing on a slight mustard look. Beak is the same as the dark green and the feet are the same or a slight bit darker.
The Blue series is marked the same as the green,but with out the blackish look in the body colour of the darker factors or the yellowing. Feet and beak are the same as in the greens.The light blue I believe is some times referred to as the aqua marine.The cobalt being a much richer colour of blue with almost a violet effect and the mauve haveing a grey effect.These are some of my favorite as they are pleaseing to the eye.
The doting and the black out line on the feathers is the same.
Females on average,have less black edging to the feathers but not always.The tail has narrow black tips, and some times almost not visible(especially in the dark green&olive)but have had an occasional hen with 1/4 of the tail tipped. The youngsters are the same as the adults but duller and not marked as heavy.
Creamino...This is the equivellent of the Albino in the blue series.This is a very soft cream yellow covering the entire body.Flights and bent of the wing are white.Some white tipping may occure on the tail in the males. Red eyes,beak and feet flesh tone.The softest creams should appear by breeding to light blues.
The Lutino...is a deep yellow with red eyes,beak and feet flesh tone.The flights seem to vary a little at this time from pale yellow to almost white,probably because there is not a lot of breeding being done with this type to establish them.It would also depend on what these are being bred from will likely determine the depth of colour.Crossing with olives should give the best dark yellows such as in budgies. Crossing with blues will lighten,but again a dark blue factor will help darken and keep the colour rich.
I have heard of the yellows and whites by importers but have not personaly seen them.I don't think there are any as yet because we have not developed a true blue but are still working with the par blues.
The Yellow...is the same as the Lutino but the eye is black with an iris.The bent seems to have a more distinct white patch as well as the fligh primaries and the tail tips. We believe it will not be sex linked but only recessive.
The White...is the same as the Creamino except the eye is black with an iris and the body colour is now pure white instead of the cream yellow of the Creamino.
Cinnamon and pieds are being developed. The cinnamon will be sex linked recessive and the pied recessive.This will be exciteing when they are available to other breeders.
Diet...I feed my birds a cockatiel mix when not breeding with veggies and apple and green seedless grapes.when breeding I add a dish of budgie mix and a dish of oat groats a week after the chicks hatch and egg food. This seems to work well as they can take what they need not what I think they need. The egg food I use also has dried insect for exta protien as they eat small insects in the wild. I use this for my parrotlets as well and it was the only way I got them started to breed for me. They are also fond of carrots,romaine lettuce,and broccoli and not to forget there corn on the cob in the summer. Don't forget to use good vitamins (breeding is stress full).
Breeding...is not difficult.The colony system is advantageous for breeding but I favour the cage to control breeding and colour.We begin usually in Sept in Canada in an out side heated room.Usually kept about 60 degrees. Nest box:(10 x 8 x 8 ins) entrance hole is about 2".It is like a large budgie box.We use a concave bottom and place about 3" of pine wood shaveings on the bottom and this seems to work well.At first I used coconut fiber and they really liked it to weave a nest.They will weave a nest in a stand up circle at the back of the box and if given enough material will actually build a tunnel type nest.The problem with fiber is that it will tangle in there claws and will pull out of the box when they leave,and can pull the babies as well if they get entangled.Breeding cages are 18"x18"x24" solid all around with mesh on the front only.This is for privacy of the birds and if I want to switch mates it is harder to see there previous mate.The nest box is placed in the upper right hand corner.Upper is for the birds and the right side is for me. Now the nest box is a box in a box so it slides out for inspection.When useing this type I find the birds are a lot calmer when looking in as compared to the ones that open at the rear. With these boxs the birds want to run to the front of the box as soon as you start to open it.I use this box type for my other birds we raise and they work well with them also. With the entrance hole at one end and a finger hole at the other(also for a little light and air flow)If you do not want the birds breeding for any reason...re-mateing,seperateing,or end of season shut down and you want to stop the breeding but leave them to rest for a couple of weeks to get help get past the brooding simply pull the nest box out and turn it around and put it back in.Now the entrance is on the out side. The usual clutch 4 to 5 eggs; with incubation 20 to 21 days. Female broods mostly.The male will also help feed the young. Fledging period 6 weeks; up to three breedings per year possible but make sure you check the hen close to see that she is still in good condition and not stressing. Another round is not worth it at the expense of a good hen.
Behavior...Lineolateds are a quiet, calm parakeet. They occassionally erupt in a loud twittering if excited. They can learn to talk and speak very clearly, but their vocabulary is limited. They prefer climbing to flying, and have a rather unique way of walking parallel, foot-over-foot on a perch instead of grasping the perch with their feet and moving along it by grasping and ungrasping as most parrots navigate. If you suddenly walk up to the cage, lineolateds will freeze in place and remain very still. If they are frightened further, they fly madly about the cage and risk injury. It is possible and indeed recommended to house them in a communal aviary with other birds of the same or a similar species. These parakeets have chewing and bathing needs but love to be sprayed with a water bottle. Tame lineolateds frequently hang upside down from their perch, spreading every feather on their bodies for maximum drenching, when being spritzed from a water bottle.
Birds should be rung with size M rings.I personaly like L but you have to watch they don't fall off and are a little harder to put on as you have to do it sooner.I don't like the band to loose as I am afraid it will get caught. Additionally, colour coded split rings are recommended for easier control of pedigrees. Young are capable of feeding themselves almost as soon as they leave the nest box but parents top them up for at least 3 weeks after that time. This is the time to take a youngster as a pet if you so wish. They will usually eat from your hand after only a few days.
Sexing...Some times this can be very difficult but try this in greens and blues it is usually pretty accurate.
Lineolateds are now listed as CITES II - ENDANGERED
Update***Here is some thing I just found out.I was lead to believe that Lineolated and Barred were the same bird but it seems they are not.I believe the barred is a sub species.
Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus l. tigrinus (Souancé 1956)
Description...Same as lineolated, but generally darker green; on average broader black edging; black to bend of wing often very extensive. Area..Andes-Venezuela-Peru
Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London. Additions made to the Society's Menagerie July 1886 Among the additions may be specially noticed two rare American parrots - a Lear's Macaw (Ara leari) and a Lineolated Parrakeet (Bolborhynchus lineolatus) acquired by purchase.
Be sure to check the page on Feeding&Colour breeding also.
Pics By Jerry Randell
Blue Line Birds
Normal Blue(Marine)
Cobalt
Mauve
New Colour...Violet Cobalt
Creamino
Green Line Birds
Green Olive
Lutino
Cinnamon
Lutino & Blue
Here are some more of the latest mutations available.They are called goldens and silvers by some breedres or suffused but I believe they are more than likely cinnamons but I do not have the information on these when the pics were sent from Europe. Thank you Martin Coppejans
Golden & Silver
Pastel Green & Pastel Green Dark Factor (cinnamon green and cinnamon dark green)
Pastel Blue & Pastel Blue Dark Factor (cinnamon blue and cinnamon cobalt)
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