red-rump parakeets - roosting requirements

[daviary]

Hi,

I recently bought a pair of red rump parakeets. They share an 11 x 6 foot aviary with a pair of Rosa Boukes and 2 male budgies. The aviary has a mesh roof covered part with corrugated acrylic and part with corrugated bitumen roof ing sheets (out of reach from their beaks).

The Rosa Bourks and Budgies seem happy to roost on a high branch but the Red-Rumps cling to the mesh at the side of the aviary as high as they possibly can. Should I provide some form of roostin box or shelf for them if so could you give me a design idea.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Tiki]

I moved your thread to Australian Grass Parrots where you are more likely to get a response.

[daviary]

Thank you. I am new to forums; can't you tell!!

Rgds

Daveiary

[Perroquet]

We have four pairs of red rump mutations at the moment and I would like to advise you to be very careful of what you let them share an avairy with.
Budgies funnily enough seem to hold their own against them and I'm not sure about the Rosa's but we once had some in our large avairy that holds about 10 indian ringnecks and they killed an Albino cock even though the ringnecks are twice their size. they just gang up on a bird and attack it.
Red rumps can be extremely aggressive at mating time.
Avoid putting 2 males together if there is also a hen in the avairy.

We find they like a few perches at various levels to flit between but like most birds like to be on the highest perch in the avairy. Ours seem to like to sit on top of a nest box on a shelf so they are nearly touching the roof! They absolutely love water and you have to be careful on a hot day as they will bathe in their drinking water until there is nothing left to drink!

Also an important note is if you every lose one of a pair be quick to remove its mate from the avairy for a few days as they will sit and pine for their mate until they die too. We found this out after one died and we nearly lost the other a few days later. Luckily we noticed she wasn't looking well and brought her inside for a few days. A friend who also breeds them later told us this is quite common with red rumps.

Other than that they are really pretty little birds and the males call is one of the nicest around I think. They also love their greens so be sure to offer these too.