The Regent Parrot, or Australian parakeet as it is sometimes called, is primarily found in southwestern and southeastern Australia. They can found in heavily wooded areas and have a strong preference for eucalyptus groves.
The bird goes by several different names including the Regent Parakeet, the Regent Parrot, the Australia Parakeet, the Rock Peddler, the Black-tailed Parakeet, the Smoker, and the Marlock Parakeet. It's hard to imagine that such a small bird has acquired so many names.
The male of the species are a yellow color with an olive-yellow crown and nape. The female is more of an olive green with a dull olive-yellow on the head and breast. The back on both sexes is a dark olive green with a red band across the middle of the wing area. The outside of the feathers are yellow underneath and bluish-black on top. The beaks are a reddish color and the legs are grey. There is some evidence that the locale of the bird has some bearing on the colors as the eastern Australia birds seem to be more colorful than the western birds. The juvenile birds resemble the female in color and will gain their final coloration by 14 months of age.
The birds can range in size from 14.5-16.5 inches in length and, like so many other parrots, have a long life and have been known to live 25 years in captivity.
Their food mainly consists of seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries and for the most part they feed on the ground rather than in the trees.
These birds make excellent pets as they have a very pleasant nature and seem to enjoy human companionship. As a matter of fact they have been known to follow their humans around the house when let of their cages. When first introduced to humans they are very trusting and are easy to train as they are quite intelligent. They also exhibit good talking skills.
They do like to fly and are known as very good fliers. Because of this they are very suitable for aviaries and prefer a large cage for that same reason. The birds are very energetic in their nature and should have plenty of toys and things to chew on such as perches and wood.
A breeding pair will produce one brood per year. The female will normally lay from 3-6 eggs which will hatch in roughly 21 days. The chicks will be ready for flight in 40 days and will leave the nest shortly thereafter. There are import restrictions on the bird. However, they have been cross bred with a number of other breeds.
Normally the Regent Parrot is a very hardy bird and easy to keep healthy. However, if they are kept in an aviary caution must be taken that they do not become ill with intestinal worms from feeding off the ground. If maintained in an aviary, regular trips to a veterinarian may be in order to check for worms. Other than that, they should provide years of enjoyment.
These birds are not highly available in the marketplace, but can be found at some pet stores and breeders.
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