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Gerald Martindale — Bourke’s Parrakeets



winters had 6 inches of ice on it, the drinking water in the bird-honse

has never frozen, the thermometer never going lower than 35° ; this

is on account of the walls of the bird-house being double and covered

with rubberoid outside, and the roof being thatched over corrugated

iron and matchboarded inside. The front of the house faces south

and has an entrance under the eaves of the roof about one foot high,

which runs along the entire length of the house ; this is left open all

the year round, and the Bourke’s can fly in and out as they desire,

although always driven in before sunset. The hen has never been

eggbound, neither have they ever dashed themselves against the wire,

this no doubt on account of the flight being so high—12 feet.

Our birds delight in bathing and the young Bourke’s eat a quantity

of groundsel. As was mentioned before, we are careful to drive the

birds in about sundown, as they seem very stupid when the light is

failing ; and, when the light has gone, it is a hopeless proposition to

induce them to enter the house.


I should consider, judging from our own pair, that Bourke’s are

some of the very easiest birds to breed one could hope for, providing

of course they have a large flight to ensure plenty of wing exercise

and a house unaffected by changes of our uncertain climate. They are

exceedingly small eaters and I would not hesitate to say that a dozen

Bourke’s would not eat as much seed as one pair of Budgerigars. It is

essential to have a large flight if one wants to see the Bourke’s at their

best, for they have a wonderfully pretty and varied flight. They sail

out of the house very much resembling the flight of a Partridge and,

when chasing each other or being chased by the Budgerigars, their

flight is really amazing, the marvellously quick swoops and quick

change of direction makes one hold one’s breath in the fear they will

crash. To see Bourke’s in a shower of rain is a sight to remember,

their contortions in endeavouring to get the rain to all their parts

almost persuade one the birds are having a fit ; first one wing is lifted

as they lay on their side, and then the other ; the tail is then elevated

over their heads, in fact, I have more than once seen them somersault

off a branch in their excited exertions. I have bred Budgerigars for

over ten years and find them much more trouble to breed than

Bourke’s.



