Rosellas

[MokeyBird]

I have fallen deeply in love with a three hundred dollar Rosella Parakeet. I first saw him in a cage at a really nice pet shop (which takes impeccable care of their birds, by the way) with three other rosellas. I took a shine to him when he hopped up on his food dish and started chirping at me. The other three were skittish and ignored me. The next time I was there, there were only two others, but he was still there. He scooted over next to the wall and stared at me. I wasn't sure it was the same one until I tried to move away. When I turned he stood up real tall and chirped at me. When I went back he was quiet and just stared at me. Now he is there all alone, and still talking to me. Seeing as I do not have a handy three lying around plus cage and excessory expenses, I can only hope that he goes to a good home when he goes.

[Tiki]

Rosellas are gorgeous birds and available here very cheaply, but they are much more popular as aviary birds than pets. People try to hand tame them but they seem to revert to wild behaviour as they get older, they don't stay tame for some reason. If they did, I would have one for sure!

[MokeyBird]

I think it was in bird talk that I read that rosellas could be in an outdoor aviary all year round as far north as ohio. not that i'm going to have an outdoor aviary anytime soon. or any birds other than mokey, angel, and my crested polish chickens. it sucks that rosellas can't stay tame. that still doesn't deter me though. They are gorgeous. I'm sure I could find one cheaper. That pet shop over prices their birds anyway. $10,000 for a Hyancinth Macaw.

[Monica]

Hyacinths normally go for $8,000 to $12,000, so that's actually a normal price for a hyacinth.

With daily handling rosellas might be able to be good pets, though it would probably be easiest to start handling them when they are still chicks to adult-hood...

This is just a theory of mine as bourkes are also well known to be aviary birds more than pet birds, but if handled often they can also make great pets, it's just that they don't form as strong of a bond as some other parrots do.