Lineolated Parakeets – Interesting Facts About These Fascinating Parakeets

Known as Linnies, this little parrot is only six inches tall and is therefore supposedly a pleasure to have. Most tend to be friendly, kept as breeding birds and as pets. In essence, you couldn’t ask for a better bird.

The Lineolated Parakeet comes in green, which is its natural wild color, plus turquoise, mauve, blue, and a few more. Genetics are simply recessive with the exception of Lutino, which is linked to sex.

Lineolated parakeets were imported to Europe in the 1970s, but have not become popular in the States until the current years. There is a tremendously robust population in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, but not in many other places.

Since the various color mutations have become obvious, these birds are not only attracting collectors in the United States, but are also making their way into the domestic pet market. Squeaky birds seem to be preferred by citizens of the US and others, and this has something to do with why they are becoming fashionable pets.

Birds can be sexed by the coloration of the tail, the length of the tail feathers, and the coloration of the shoulders as well. However, this is something for the trained eye, as even breeders turn to DNA as a more reliable mechanism for judging the sex of birds.

Lineolated parakeets can be raised in flocks and, with a standard flight weight, they can weigh approximately 60g. They need a lot of exercise, so you would want a larger than standard cage to raise them, compared to other cage-raised birds. As an example, a cage size of 24x24x36 inches is recommended for a breeding pair.

Linnie’s call is a chattering sound and, as a flock, they can be extraordinarily loud. In the early and late hours of the day, the chatter seems to be much louder, but between these times, they are essentially quiet, unless something is upsetting them.

Linnies always seem to be aware of any presence and have a good interaction with people. Some try to chat, but so far there have been few reports of people essentially hearing clear and precise words.

Lineolated parakeets are for someone trying to find something larger than a finch, but smaller compared to a cockatoo.

They have growing desires, such as toenails being able to lengthen and curl. When this occurs, they must be trimmed. They love to eat fruit, sprinkled seeds, and some grain bread. Apple, blueberries, and grapes seem to be favorites and are great for snacking. A good quality budgie seed should be used, and a good quality fruit mix (from the supermarket baking island) can be mixed with your seed.