Our 3 year old daughter enjoys socializing the baby bourkes we are hand feeding by request.
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The Bourke’s Parakeet is one of my favorite species of bird. They are the only species in its genus, Neopsephotus (they were previously in the genus with Neophemas, but as they will not interbreed…. they recently got a classification of their own). They average in size between 45 and 58 grams, similar to a parrotlet, lovebird or linnie but are more slender in the abdomen and have long tails.

Opaline hen with “extra color” showing off her pretty shape.
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When hand raised they are very sweet and docile pets, and get along very well with one another. I would say it is quite possible that they are the quietest and most easy going parrots in aviculture today. I recommend at least two birds be kept together as they thrive with company from their own kind. They are not a demanding parrot, and are such a joy to watch and care for. Hand raised young make sweet pets.

Normal male bourke with a violet factor. Bourkes love to fly and don’t do well when clipped.
© COPYRIGHT 2017 Eddie’s Aviary

A hand raised Bourke will land on your head, step up on your finger, or ride on your shoulder. They are not “cuddly” birds that want to be touched on their bodies very much. They also can’t have their wings clipped severely (if at all) as they have great difficulty negotiating their cages because they can’t climb the cage sides like some other species of parrots can, so I don’t recommend clipping their wings. If you seek a more “cuddly” bird, we recommend the Linnie, or an English Budgie of the species we raise. Read about them by clicking this “Linnie” link.

Opaline or sometimes called “rosie” Bourke hen, enjoying a rest on a sisal boing.
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Pair of Bourkes, an opaline “rosie” bourke and a normal male with a violet factor.
© COPYRIGHT 2017 Eddie’s Aviary

The quiet and peaceful nature of a Bourke also make them terrific apartment birds. Even when not hand tamed, they quickly become comfortable with their keeper, easily making them an aviary favorite.

3 clutchmate Bourkes ready to eat breakfast.
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Bourke’s Parakeets are now available in many stunning mutations, such as Opaline (Rosie), Blue Selection (where through selective breeding, pink is replaced by blue or green or yellow coloring), Lutino, and Rubino to name a few. We worked with blue selection birds for a couple of years and got some very blue young, but my passion is with large violet normals and very bright and “pink” opalines. Choosing the calmest birds to work with in the next generation.

The normal or wild type variety Bourke is beautiful in their own right. Normals should be part of any responsible breeding program.
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Flying is fun! Bourke male showing off his beautiful coloring.
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They get along very well in a flock, and can be successfully housed with other Australian Grasskeets (Elegants, Turquoisine, Scarlet Chested, etc) in an aviary or large flight cage.

Flock of Bourkes Parakeets during out of cage time
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Very large and sweet young Opaline hen
© COPYRIGHT 2015 Eddie’s Aviary

If you would like a hand tame Bourke, please contact us and be put onto a list so that the next time we have babies in the nest box, we will pull a couple to handraise for your loving pet. By default we allow the parents to rear them as they are most often aviary birds, and tame very easily.

This is an unusually colored Bourke with a smoky face and a lot of color over her back. Her name is Smudges. We will test breed her to a normal male come spring 2017. 
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We have the ability to make unrelated pairs, and are able to provide males that are split to lutino and rubino. We also have large and stunning normal or wild type Bourke’s…. they should not be overlooked. All responsible breeding programs will outcross to wild types every couple of generations at a minimum in order to keep the birds large and healthy.

Normal young male Bourke split to ino
© COPYRIGHT 2015 Eddie’s Aviary

“Contact Us” to see what babies we have available and pricing, or click “Nestbox News“