By Rosemary Low

A request from a reader regarding problems to be avoided by beginners to parrot breeding resulted in my articles in the July and August issues. For those contemplating breeding parakeets the next question is: “Which species can you recommend?”

If this question had been asked three or four decades ago one likely answer would have been: the Red-rumped Parakeet (Psephotus haematonotus). It has so much to recommend it as an aviary bird that it is difficult to understand how its popularity declined.

Excluding the Neophemas, the Redrump was the most widely kept parakeet. Affordable and free-breeding, friendly and hardy, it introduced many breeders to the world of Australian parakeets. Its medium size, 27cm (10½in) makes it easier to house than the larger parakeets. Another asset is its voice with its soft whistles that are not only pleasant, but almost musical. Yet another advantage is that this species is sexually dimorphic. The gender of young, even when still in the nest, is easily recognised.

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