# Keet Species?



## bluewing (Feb 6, 2016)

Well Hide - y - ho, little campers! 

I need some assistance with regard to this species of keet or parrot, as I am unsure.

Here's the story:

So, I got to talkin' with a new owner of a pair of birds that very much look like a keet species and said I would do a bit of research on them for her, get her information on food, care, etc because she didn't even know what they were. She was given them as a gift from her boss but it looks as though he no longer wanted them (can you believe this dude has other parrots!) and so these two became neglected. It seems as though he didn't have any information on them to give to her either or just could care less. She is going to be in the process of moving soon and so will have to transport the birds.

So, here's the thing, she has had them for two months now and even though she is currently feeding them a seed diet, she doesn't really have any experience. She said that they have been doing much better from when she got them and has become quite fond of them. She mentioned the Red-headed one in the picture showed signs of feather plucking, but since she has had them, it has stopped and they are growing in. She appears pretty dedicated to getting them back on track with their health and care and in a new home shortly. At the moment, I don't know if they are DNA'd or banded. From the sounds of it, they may not be either. 

The most I can find on this species is that they might be called red-yellow headed parakeets. I can't find much on them at all. I don't know if they are an Australian species or a South American cross-bred experiment. They are beautiful and honestly haven't seen anything like them.

So, if anyone has a better identification of these two birdies and what is best suited for them in terms of food and classification, that's all I really need and I will do the rest. If they are a keet species then I will advise her to come to Talk Budgies and to keep the forum as a guide and avenue for learning.

Thanks all! 

Now, here's the pic:


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Those are Rosellas ! Looks like Eastern Rosella. A native of Australia. They would benefit from a diet you'd feed most parrots and parakeets. Chop mix/veggies, sprouts, seed, pellets.

As far as them being a "keet species", they are different from budgies. The name Parakeet refers generally to a bird in the parrot family with a long tail, slender build, and smaller head. The Rosellas are roughly the size of a cockatiel.


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## bluewing (Feb 6, 2016)

Well, Holy Cow!

:urock: , Julie! 

So, interesting enough, at first I suggested they might be Rosellas but I have only ever understood Rosellas to be sort of light pink in color. And I am under the assumption, though, that they are under the parakeet classification, no? Or classified more with Cockatiels / Parrots? Either way you mention that they can have parakeet or parrot food listed for medium parrots like Cocki's so I guess you pretty much answered my question anyway. 

:lol: ...it's late, I'm losing it. *blerg*


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## vinay (Aug 8, 2012)

As the previous poster mentioned , those are clearly Eastern Rosellas from Australia. Honestly in my opinion the term 'Parakeet' in itself is quite misleading. All parakeets are essentially parrots. Parakeet is a very loose term for small parrots with long tails. 

Rosellas are quite easy to take care of. They are usually aviary birds and need plenty of space to forage and fly. They are not highly tameable. It is quite rare to find a tame rosella even after being hand-reared. They generally have a tendency to revert to their wild nature after reaching maturity.

Regarding their care , their diet is pretty much the same as budgies and tiels. A seed based diet supplemented with regular fresh fruits and veggies is the best for them. They will also need ample room to fly. That cage looks quite nice as it has plenty of horizontal bars for the birds to climb.


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## bluewing (Feb 6, 2016)

Excellent, Vinay, I'll pass that information on to her. :thumbup: They are not tame but they are paired male/female. Have they bred? Don't know that. Are they brother and sister? I have asked her to get in touch with her boss to see if there is any DNA and Registered Breeder paperwork on them and to see if they are banded. Just did that tonight in an email.

I also stressed the importance of commitment, two parrots, and it's a big one. She has to be prepared to follow best practices for the health and safety of her birds, and if for any reason she can't continue to care for them or she realizes it is too big a commitment (because they are by no means a beginner bird) that she promises to find good homes for them or a refuge or shelter that deals specifically with birds where they will be rehomed. Where she is moving to there are a couple of Parrot rescues so that gives me some comfort because she is a beginner and this could be more than she may want to commit to, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt and it may all work out very well. As I say, I have met her and she adores them and really doesn't like to see them in any way neglected. 

I kind of agree with you and Julie regarding the categorization of the term "parakeet". On the one hand, they fall under the Parrot spectrum, and on the other, there are those who consider the parakeet a class or species in and of itself. I have met some Parrot owners who shriek :scare: if you say a parakeet is a parrot to them. :lol: So, yeah, a bit misleading.


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Hi Dor, it's great that you are helping this new pet bird owner in terms of becoming better educated on how to fully care for these rosellas! :2thumbs:
I hope everything goes well with them! 

I'm moving this thread to the Other Birds section where it's most appropriate.


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## vinay (Aug 8, 2012)

bluewing said:


> Excellent, Vinay, I'll pass that information on to her. :thumbup: They are not tame but they are paired male/female. Have they bred? Don't know that. Are they brother and sister? I have asked her to get in touch with her boss to see if there is any DNA and Registered Breeder paperwork on them and to see if they are banded. Just did that tonight in an email.
> 
> I also stressed the importance of commitment, two parrots, and it's a big one. She has to be prepared to follow best practices for the health and safety of her birds, and if for any reason she can't continue to care for them or she realizes it is too big a commitment (because they are by no means a beginner bird) that she promises to find good homes for them or a refuge or shelter that deals specifically with birds where they will be rehomed. Where she is moving to there are a couple of Parrot rescues so that gives me some comfort because she is a beginner and this could be more than she may want to commit to, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt and it may all work out very well. As I say, I have met her and she adores them and really doesn't like to see them in any way neglected.
> 
> I kind of agree with you and Julie regarding the categorization of the term "parakeet". On the one hand, they fall under the Parrot spectrum, and on the other, there are those who consider the parakeet a class or species in and of itself. I have met some Parrot owners who shriek :scare: if you say a parakeet is a parrot to them. :lol: So, yeah, a bit misleading.


Many bird owners (including myself) started off their hobby by being gifted a pair of birds by someone. I have made numerous mistakes over the years and still make them even now. 
What is important is the attitude of the owner and keenness to learn more about the welfare of the birds. 
If she is showing genuine interest in keeping them , there is no harm in her learning about their care and upkeep 'on the job'. 

Rosellas are as good a start as any. Their dietary and space requirements are not as complicated as say, lorikeets or some of the finch species which need live food.


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

Dor I agree with what has already been said. And Vinay is quite correct with what he says about them. I have them wild around me and have hand raised quite a few, and yes they do revert when they reach maturity and sometimes even at weaning. You will sometimes get a rare one that will bond well to a human, but this is not common. The pair look to be two different sub-species. The one on the left is usually called a Golden Mantle Eastern Rosella and found in northeast New South Wales and southeast Queensland. The one on the right might very well be the Eastern Rosella found in eastern Tasmania which usually have larger white cheek patches and the red on the head is darker.

Vinay is also right about what he says about Parakeets. In Australia we never call any parrots Parakeets. They are usually classified as Long Tailed Parrots, Broad Tail Parrots, Ring Necked Parrots, Lorikeets, Cockatoo's and Rosella's. Parakeet is usually only used by people in the US, England, Europe and Asia and is a term referring to Parrots with long slender tails. The Cockatiel even though it has a long slender tail is actually a member of the Cockatoo Family because of its erectile crest which all members of the Cockatoo family have.


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## bluewing (Feb 6, 2016)

Oh, right on Kate! Thank you, that is fantastic information  

I had the left Rosella pegged as a Eastern/Western Cross so cool that it actually has a more broad name as Golden Mantle. 

If those here or anyone still has more to offer on information that is unique to add to these Rosellas please let me know. Otherwise, I have given the owner more of this information with a few websites for her to start educating herself on her little darlin's. I will be sending her another email shortly to layout a better food plan for the birds, websites for TB and TC, accessing toys, pellets, food that will give her a broader choice to cater to her Rosellas and give her community support by joining a forum. 

She can bookmark all this information so she has it on file to refer to easily. I know how overwhelming it can be because information is so scattered and if we can get her on the right track with the beginner info she needs, then "we" have done a good thing for the life of those birds and giving her the confidence she needs to care for them.

Once again, thank you, everyone for your information and helping me help her. You are all awesome! :thumbup:arrot 1 (new):


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## Minigrace (Sep 29, 2015)

bluewing said:


> Well, Holy Cow!
> 
> :urock: , Julie!
> 
> ...


I think the pink birds you are talking about are Rosy Bourkes.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

I agree, the rosellas, and other Aussie grass keet species are better aviary subjects and don't usually make the kind of 'pet' people expect. Years ago I had a Hooded parakeet, my mom has a Princess of Wales keet, and a Bourke's. None of them are handleable pets. My mom's birds will step up for her (and nothing else) but took many years to be comfortable enough. 

Kate, you and fellow Australians are considered lucky by American bird lovers to see so many species of parrots in their wild habitat. Interesting that all Psittacines are referred to as parrots there, and the term parakeet somehow came about in other countries.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

They are gorgeous! I'm glad she's doing her best to care for them


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## bluewing (Feb 6, 2016)

Minigrace said:


> I think the pink birds you are talking about are Rosy Bourkes.


Rosy Bourkes! That's exactly what I was thinking of but that's not what came out of my mouth. Sheesh! :laugh:

I kept saying Rosella to her :001_rolleyes: Yeah, when it comes to trying to name off the top of my head parrot species "fur-get-it" :001_huh: Glad I didn't say Bourkes because I would have been dead wrong.



RavensGryf said:


> Kate, you and fellow Australians are considered lucky by American bird lovers to see so many species of parrots in their wild habitat. Interesting that all Psittacines are referred to as parrots there, and the term parakeet somehow came about in other countries.


Yeah, Parakeet is definitely a Western word, or budgie, but I like Budgierigar -- so sophisticated :yes: I am so envious of Australians and their wild bird species.



StarlingWings said:


> They are gorgeous! I'm glad she's doing her best to care for them


Me, too! They are gorgeous. I nearly had an eye-candy seizure in the Petsmart when she showed me the pic :blink: :w00t: :loveeyes: :spin:


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

I am surprised Julie you say that the Princess of Wales (we just call them Princess Parrots) Parrot was not very handleable. I have had aviary raised Princess's become so placid that I have to scrape them off my back to get out of the aviary. Hand raised they can make lovely pets and will mix with other parrots like the Cockatiel very well. As their nest boxes are a different size they will happily breed in the same aviary together as both are pretty placid species. I only have one male at the moment, but when I move I will be getting him a mate and possibly another pair as well. They are a lovely bird.

I know that we are blessed with so many beautiful birds here in Australia. Where I am moving to has something like 200 different species of birds, from parrots and tiny little finches and birds of prey that either live in the area or migrate through.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Wow, you're moving to a birder's paradise Kate! Yeah, my mom's male Princess is so funny. He loves running around the floor and does so very fast! He's a pretty good talker too. Patches just won't step up for me, even though he sees me fairly often, and has known me for 10 years. He probably needed more handling as a baby and youngster.

The Aussie grass parakeet species as we call them, are not commonly kept here except the more common ones like Red Rumped and Bourke's in aviaries and sometimes ad pets. But Princess are getting more popular. 

IF my dream of an aviary ever comes true, I'd so love to have a Hooded again. Mine died as he was right in the middle of his color change to adulthood. I think the temperament was better suited to an aviary than a cage. They are rare here, but one of my favorites. 

Dor, please keep us updated whether your friend ends up keeping them .


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