Parakeets are a simple bird that love to be in the company of their feather-adorned companions and their caretakers.
Lineolated parakeets fit this description as well. They are a small size bird that does well in most situations. They’re not too demanding, and their quiet voice and small stature make them an ideal avian pet for any beginning caretaker.
Now let’s dive in and learn 15 interesting facts about lineolated parakeets!
1) Super Small Birds
Lineolated parakeets are typically very small in size averaging about 6 to 6 1/2 inches long and about 50 to 60 grams in weight once they surpass puberty and reach adulthood.
This is a serious positive note for any new pet owner that’s seeking a cool bird to care for. Because of their size, lineolated parakeets are easy to handle and tend to become very physically affectionate to those that they physically connect with.
2) Place of Origin
Did you know that the lineolated parakeet is an American bird?
Now you do! Lineolated parakeets are indigenous to Central America, more specifically Mexico, but can also be found amongst the trees crossing throughout the entire Central American landmass.
Not only can you find these birds in Mexico, they can also be found in the Andes region of South America, and as far south as central Peru!
They enjoy these areas because the rainforest there have trees that are high enough for them to perch on, reaching heights of 1,500 meters to 3,000 meters!
3) Lifespan
You may find it interesting that lineolated parakeets live for an average of 15 years and up to 20 with proper care. In nature, they tend to live for 10 to 15 years with their friends and family.
This is the typical age because they have to fend off predators that find them to be a tasty meal.
However, in captivity, they can live up to 20 years because they have on-demand food and water, companionship with the caretaker, and no predators to protect themselves from!
4) What’s Their Gender?
When it comes to lineolated parakeets, it can be a serious challenge trying to figure out whether you’re dealing with a male or female. Why? Because they look exactly the same, including in their genitalia area.
However, although difficult, there is one way that is said to help you determine if you are snuggling up with male lineolated parakeet or a female lineolated parakeet and that is by the darkness of their feathers.
Their back feathers are standardly black, and although it hasn’t been proven, the darkness of their feathers can help separate the two genders.
5) Quirky Behavior Tactics
Lineolated Parakeet are intriguing birds because of their creative behavioral antics.
For example, you may notice a lineolated parakeet moving slowly and stealthily along the branch of a tree; this is because they like to walk horizontally so that they can see what’s happening in front of them and around them.
They’ll also engage in sleeping with their head down. This is said to be a defense mechanism against predators that may want to eat it. In addition to it being a defense, sleeping with their head down is also a comfortable position for them to be in.
6) Diet and Special Treats
Lineolated parakeets eat a very grainivore diet which includes mostly seeds, nuts, and oats.
Canary, millet, buckwheat safflower, and even hemp seeds are formidable foods that these pocket birds will enjoy eating any time of the day. Additionally, fruit is a major part of their diet – including the seeds of the fruit as well. –
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit are acceptable, however, their favorite is the second most famous fruit, the apple, which is readily taken when offered to these birds.
Fun fact: lineolated parakeets also enjoy eating nectar!
7) Colorful Design
Although they may be seen mostly in their green color with a black backside, there are other subspecies of lineolated parakeets that come in different colors.
These colored birds are still one solid color with some of them having the black-feathered feature. Not only can lineolated parakeets be green, but they can also come in a light-to-solid blue hue or even a puffy white color!
The colors are purely genetic and are not a mixture of two different parakeets, which is what makes this fact so fascinating!
8) Temperament
A lineolated parakeet’s temperament development starts from birth and is trained until they reach sexual maturity.
When it’s properly cared for and fed adequately with physical touch by either their avian parents or human caretakers, lineolated parakeets can develop an even-toned personality with a structured and manageable temperament.
What also helps them to develop their charming way of interacting is their likelihood to socialize with you more often. This tends to happen once their personality starts to take form and they realize that they can trust you more.
9) Extremely Social
Lineolated parakeets are naturally social animals; so social that they live in colonies of up to 20 to 30 birds like themselves, and sometimes allowing other types of birds to join in on their fun.
The reason for their positive social behavior is unknown, but we do know that daily socializing is a part of what helps them stay alive for a longer period of time. Even when being cared for by us humans, social interaction is imperative.
So, it’s good to know that a lineolated parakeet will require at least 2 to 4 hours of social interaction per day for them to stay alive and chipper!
Try petting their head or stroking their feathers from the top to the bottom because they’re a big fan of physical affection!
10) Can They Talk?
Lineolated parakeets are one of the quieter forms of birds that nature has to offer to us. Sure, while they are in their huge and condensed colony, you’ll hear the massive collective sound of chirping, which is actually how they speak to one another.
Instead of using words, lineolated parakeets tend to chatter with each via chirping and whistling because that’s the easiest sound for them to mimic.
In other rare cases, you may come across a few of these little birds that can have a very limited vocabulary, but can speak some one-syllable words very clearly.
11) Disease-prone
It’s unfortunate that lineolated parakeets are as equally susceptible to the same disease as other parrot species.
But because of their size, these compact birds are hit the hardest when they do come in contact with a disease because it’s able to move through their body faster, which can make treatment difficult.
Lineolated parakeets’ diseases usually stem from vitamin deficiencies, which can be treated with a proper diet; however, they are also prone to developing fatty tumors.
12) They Have A Lot of Energy
They’re social, even-tempered, and have plenty of energy to go around! Their energy level is naturally high, but what makes it increase even more is the fact that they are constantly around other high-energy birds!
Now, while in captivity, these birds will require 3 to 4 hours of outside time to stretch their wings and socialize with their immediate environment for not only the benefit of their physical health, but their mental health as well.
13) They’re Smart Birds
No matter the size of this bird, lineolated parakeets are intelligent to say the least. What makes them smart is their curiosity and the creativity that they do with it.
They may use their beak or claws to poke and prod at whatever peaks their interest until they find out how it works.
The fact that they can typically figure out how various objects work in minutes is also another major reason as to why they are considered intelligent beings.
14) Do They Make Good Pets?
Indeed, lineolated parakeets do make for fabulous pets for any novice or expert pet owner! Why? Well, because these birds are small enough to not cause harm, yet still big enough to engage and play with.
Also, they don’t cause much racket because of their soft-tone voice. Let’s not forget that they are also fun-loving and affectionate animals that crave your attention and socialization, at least for a few hours!
15) Other Nicknames
Yes, lineolated parakeets is a general name to call these one-of-a-kind birds, but they do have their formal names as well.
Their Spanish name is “Perico Barrado” while their Latin name is Bolborhynchus Lineola, which is where “lineolated” is derived from.
They are also called Barred parakeets because of the dark-colored design on the backside of their feathers, and the more common name “linnie” is simply short for lineolated.
Within this species, there are also two subspecies: Bolborhynchus Lineola Lineola and Bolborhynchus Lineola Tigrinus.
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