Bourke's Parakeets (Neophema Bourkii) are 9-inch grass parakeets native to Australia. They are about the same size as the Budgie (also known as the Parakeet), but otherwise are very different and the two should not be confused with each other. If taken care of properly, 'Bourkes' can live for 10 or more years.

A Bourke may be the perfect choice for someone who wants a quiet, easygoing bird that can be handled. They are gentle, with a mild temperment. Even ones that have not been tamed do not usually bite unless provoked. They don't make much noise, but, unfortunately, not very many of them learn to talk either. Bourke's tend to be content to be interacted with, but not as demanding of attention as many other types of birds. However, they all like to come out of their cages, and since Bourkes get most of their exercise by flying and running (they love to run!), it is best if they have a large cage and are taken out of their cage to exercise frequently. They have been reported to be the most active near dusk.

There are a several mutations of the Bourke's Parakeet, with the 'normal'--pink belly, blue on the rump and male's forehead, grayish cheeks and everything else colored gray/brown--being the most common. There are also 'rosies' (which are mostly pink), 'cinnamons', 'pinks', and other rarer mutations. In my opinion, there is little difference between the male and female personality wise. There is some difference in appearance, however. Males usually have larger heads than the females, and males of the normal variety have blue on their foreheads. Males of the rosy mutation have mostly white cheeks, while the females have darker ones.

Because they are so docile, Bourke's can be kept with finches and canaries (assuming that the cage is large enough), but not with aggressive birds such as Budgergars.

Bourke's love to have fellow company, but it is okay if you just get one.

 

Canaries (Serinus Canaria), native to the Canary Islands, are one of the oldest, most popular, and most varied pet birds. There are many, many breeds and colors to choose from. Both males and females chirp and are nice to look at, but the male is in much higher demand because of his beautiful song. A few hens sing, but that is not the norm. The average life span of the canary is 10 years.

Canaries are very hard to tame, meaning that if you want a tame canary, you will probably have to find a hand-fed one, which are kind of rare. Canaries need to have a cage large enough to fly in.

One of the most common ways to find out if a canary is a male or female is by their song or lack of it. Most males start to sing when they are 3-6 months old. When in breeding condition, they can also be vent-sexed.

Probably because they have been so selectively bred in captivity for centuries, canaries seem to not be as hardy as some other birds. The owner should keep this in mind and do his or her best to reduce the chances of them falling ill or getting parasites.

Usually canaries will only nest during their breeding season of spring-summer. It can be kind of difficult to get some to breed, while others will breed quite easily.

 

Cockatiels (Nymphicus Hollandicus), whose mother land is Australia and natural coloring is mostly gray with yellow and orange on the face, can live to be 10-25 years old if taken care of properly. Adult birds are 12-13 inches long, most of which is their tail.
There are many mutations of the Cockatiel, even including a variety that is pure white with red eyes--the result of mating a whiteface, which does not have the liprochrome pigment (that makes feather yellow and orange), to a lutino, which lacks the melanin pigment (that makes feathers gray). Cockatiels of every color can be very affectionate, inquisitive pets, and most males love to whistle. Males are the best canidates for learning to talk, and can aquire a large vocabulary. These graceful birds make great pets and are extremely popular. They can be great birds for beginners.

One potentially bad thing about Cockatiels is the feather dust they produce, to which some people are allergic. If you or someone in your family is allergic to dust, you might want to chose another kind of bird without the powdery feather dust, or install an air purifier and see if that helps.

 

The Green-Cheeked Conure (Pyrrhura Molinae) from South America has a life expectancy of 20 or more years. They are about 10 inches long, and most have dark green bodies, some blue on the wings, red tails and bellies, gray tipped feathers on the upper breast, black crowns, and brownish/gray feathers covering the ears. There are also some new mutations, such as the 'pineapple' and 'yellow-sided'.

'Green Cheeks' are "little monkeys" who use their feet for everything from holding their food to walking across the top of their cage upside-down. Being one of the quieter members of the Conure family, and also one of the smallest, they can make ideal pets for Conure-loving apartment dwellers. All Green-cheeks like to make little noises, and many learn to talk. They are often recommended as good beginner Conures. Depending on the occasion and bird, they can be "fiesty, mischievous rascals" or sweet, outgoing companions. They often challenge birds much larger than themselves. They can also be nippy. Never underestimate the intelligence and boldness of these spunky little parrots!

 

Sun Conures (Aratinga Solstitialis), with a life expectancy of 20 or more years, are beautiful birds with vibrant orange/red, yellow, green and blue feathers. Origininally from South America, these personable Conures are about 12 inches long.

'Suns' can easily get overexcited or frightened by things such as new, 'scary' objects in their presence, making them vocalize with 'deafening' screams. However, with care you can lessen some of the noise they make.

Their squawks are pretty loud, but they make up for it with their comical, lovable and great-big personalities (or should I say 'birdalities?'). C-O-N-U-R-E--Curious, Obstinate, Noisy, Understanding, Reliable, and Endearing--sums them up pretty good. They are little clowns, and even like to hang upside-down by one foot! They love to demolish wooden toys (and wallpaper if they get the chance!), and if they get mad some will fling their food out of the dish. But despite their big beaks they can be extremely gentle, and tame ones love to be involved in any family activity. They are smart little creatures, and many of them figure out how to open the doors of their cages. Some learn to talk, but some don't!

 

The Australian Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia (Poephila) Guttata) is an easy-to-care-for, hardy little bird. Because of this, they are very good birds for beginners, as well as expert finch-lovers. They usually live 5-8 years when cared for properly. Very lively, Zebra Finches greatly prefer to have large cages, as they spend a large part of every day flying--sometimes even flying nearly straight up!. They are fun to watch. These always-happy and optimistic finches chirp a lot, and the males sing.

There are many beautiful mutations of this 4-inch finch. The females of the normal coloring have gray backs, white bellies, black and white tails, and orange beaks and feet. Normal males have red beaks, and  boast orange cheeks, black and white barring on the chest, and red and white flanks.

Zebra Finches do best when they can interact with other finches, since they do not usually like close interaction with humans. However, if hand-fed, they become very amusing and charming pets, who love to be petted and even will snuggle down in your hand. If you have a hand-fed finch, it is best if it is housed alone so it can focus all its attention on you.

The most common kind of finch kept in captivity, Zebra Finches are generally easy to breed. So easy to breed, in fact, that if you don't want to raise finches, you might want to get two finches of the same sex.

It is not advised to keep an unequal number of males and females together, as they may fight competing for mates.