Little Linnies



The Linnie.

 I am not the only one in my family to own a parrot. My aunt also owns one but she has a Lineolated Parakeet (also called the Barred Parakeet). These are popular yet a little hard to find group of Parrots. They come in a wide variety of colours from the original green to a canary yellow, cobalt blue, slate and even violet and (this is rare but I have seen one) rosy pink.


Some of the Linnies colour mutations.



Linnies are South American parrots who are just a little bigger than a finch, about 15.2 cm in length and only

50g. They live for a bout fifteen years and don’t require as much space or time as larger birds do. They are one of the best first time parrots for a new parrot owner. They aren’t as messy or loud as other parrots and they have sweet sounding and gentle chirps unlike the ear piercing cries of other parrots like Conures; I know this cause I have heard it from my Aunts bird and compared to my Conure its nice, soft and gentle on your ears. They are incredibly easygoing, even in the wild, and come with a peaceful, calm, energetic, affectionate nature and love human interaction. Their small beaks don’t emit a very strong bite so they are less likely to leave cuts and marks on your hand and won’t be able to chew up everything in sight so they are not very destructive. They do have a habit of hanging upside down like a bat in their cages and grabbing things just outside their cages with their feet. They are pretty good talkers with childlike voices and can talk as early as 12 weeks of age, most parrots start talking between 4 and 6 months to even years.

            The cages they require are small enough you could place them on almost any table and they enjoy sleeping in hanging beds. They do love to be bathed and many report that these birds can eat. It is believed that for their size they eat more than any other parrot of a similar size. They love to play so toys are a must and though they are not strong chewers they do leave nibbles on your books and magazines so careful when they are out. Because of their small size they should never be given plenty of free reign. Tables, their play

My aunt has a green one like the one on the right.

stand, you and counters are where they should be allowed to roam. Such a small bird could easily be missed and sat or stepped on by someone who doesn’t know where the bird is. They tend to drink lots of water so don’t worry if your Linnie seems to be drinking quite a bit for their small size.

            They tend to not be very common but are well worth the search for them and are an ideal first parrot.

            Overall these are a good bird for someone looking for a parrot that is small, doesn’t need as much care and won’t live as long as the bigger guys.