Rosellas?

[Irish]

I hear they aren't very good as interactive pets, but my spouse is fascinated by their stunning colors, and I'm wondering what people think of them as aviary pets? Something we would build or purchase a large cage for, and just enjoy watching? Should more than one be purchased, or is one by itself generally happy to stay that way? Are they very noisy, as hookbills go? I would love to present my spouse with one as a surprise gift sometime soon, if they'd be suitable for a home already full o'woofies and parrots.

Oh--and what are your opinions regarding purchasing a bird from a bird show? I wouldn't want to bring a sick bird into a healthy house--does anyone know if people who sell birds at those things generally provide health info or guarantees?

Thank you in advance for any help you are willing to give.

[jimpierce7]

I had not heard of Rosellas before so I just did a quick google and wow what a pretty bird!

[Irish]

I've been a fan of their incredible beauty for years, but my spouse only just saw some this past week. I've never seen anyone so fascinated by a bird, before! Since we both like them, if they seem suitable, it seems reasonable to think of bringing one or two home.

[Monica]

Rosellas, like grass parakeets, normally tend to be hands off type of birds, better for the aviary. However, if handraised when young can make excellent pets that are not very demanding, and normally remain sweet.

I don't have any experience with rosellas, though if you plan on getting one, you might want to get two, or possibly look into some other small hookbills that would do well in an aviary setting (not including budgies). That way it wont be lonely, and you could have an array of gorgeous birds! At least though get two.

I don't think they are actually noisy, but would probably have a nice call to them. They do enjoy a lot of branches however.

[Irish]

Thanks, Monica. I'll look into two, then. Probably not more, as they seem to run about $150/ea. around here, and we pretty much busted the budget purchasing Bob :-). Branches are good--we've got tons of manzanita branches just hanging around!

[Tiki]

Rosellas are very common around here and available very cheaply. Despite their beauty, you never find them being handreared as pets. They are native Aussie birds so if they were suitable as pets, everyone would have them. From what I hear, even handreared ones go wild after a few months, they don't stay tame. I would have one if they did!

[Alyce Johnson]

I've got a pair of them (not sure of the sexes of my pair, though).
I just love mine! They're really absolutely gorgeous!
And they're very quiet, as well. They have a pretty little call, but that's all.

They're incredibly low maintenance, precisely because they are very much "hands off".
I had intended to try to tame these two down, and I really thought I had a chance with at least one of them, because "she" wasn't making such a fuss when I'd pick her up, either at the pet store, or the first few days I had them home and in quarantine.

Well, after a few days of daily handling, she saw that her companion was biting and was not getting handled as much. "He" was also sqwauking and screaming like he was being plucked and put in the stew pot live, every time I'd so much as touch him - And I was "toweling" him with a piece of silk, from an old worn out pair of my husband's undershorts, too! Not like he wasn't getting gentle and absolutely first class treatment!
But still, he hollered bloody murder, the instant you even got near him to pick him up.

Well, so his companion observed all of his tactics.
And then She promptly started biting - hard!
She was still quiet, but her message was pretty easy to read.

She was very clear with me that she had been a "Look But Don't Touch" birdie all of her life thus far - And she clearly had no intention of suddenly having to prostitute herself to keep the bird seed coming, at this stage in her life! She was like "Cool it, lady! - Or you'll force me to draw blood!"

I didnt have my heart totally set on handling them - Even though I will say that they are just deliciously soft, to hold! But, I did know they're supposed to mainly be aviary birds. So I was OK with her decision - I have other birds that want time out of the cage on my knee, my shoulder, my head etc...

So it's actually a totally a workable situation, with respect to having them in a household with other, higher maintenance birds.

I just sit and look at them - they're totally worth the investment just to look at, since they're absolutely lovely - and from all sides, too. Their underbellies are just as pretty as the rest of them! I have them in a cage on the wall off to the side of the TV - and I just watch them during the station breaks, while I have the TV sound turned off. Or sometimes, I sit down intending to watch the evil Babble Box and I just end up watching my Rosies, instead. They're that pretty!

I had read up a bit on them and had asked around quite a bit. Because I'd seen this pair, and thought they were totally beautiful, but I wanted to know what I'd be getting into. Especially because the (less than reputable) pet store owner who was peddling them assured me that they were a male/female pair, so I thought I'd be running the risk of babies, if I got them. If I gave them better food and a bigger cage, especially, which was my intention from the start - I felt so sorry for them, where they were!

So anyway, what I found out, both from reading and also from talking to local people here in CA who had bred them in the past was exactly what Tiki said - They reportedly go right back to being wild, even when hand raised, if they're not handled quite often. And sometimes, they do that "Wild Thing" routine, even when they've been hand raised and ARE handled regularly. So I've been told, anyway. And I've heard that now from quite a few reliable sources - breeders, pet store owners etc. And my own experience thus far tends to agree.

My advice would be Don't get them if you really want to be able to handle them - I think you will be sadly disappointed, if that's what you truly want from them.

I was prepared for mine to "just" be aviary birds, although of course I was still *hoping* they'd take up with me and that at least the female would let me hold her. But I'm totally satisfied with them, even though it has worked out to be just as I'd heard, rather than as I'd hoped. They're definitely aviary types, not pet types.

They're just so incredibly beautiful, it's worth it. I actually consider them to be one of the best, and lowest maintenance purchases I've ever made in the entire pet dept, not just in terms of birds. They are just so exquisite! I waited a year or a little more before caving in and buying this pair, because I just wasn't sure what they'd turn out to be like (whether I'd be able to handle them or not, mainly). Well, in retrospect, I'd say "Go for it!"

IF, that is, you are prepared for them to indeed be aviary type birds, and not pet companion type birds. And you really Must get two of them! From observing mine, I'd say it would really be cruel to this particular type of bird, to not have a pair, regardless of the genders. Mine may well be two males, actually, but they clearly like each other's company. They always sit together, sleep side by side, groom each other all the time, etc. And having 2 makes them much more fun to watch, too, which is really the whole point of having aviary birds, after all.

Mine don't even seem to want a very big cage. I got them a nice huge new cage, much larger - probably nearly twice as big as the cage they'd been in for so long, which I thought was clearly too small for them. Well, they basically cowered in the upper corner of it and refused to even explore it. So, I gave that cage to my 3 little GC conures - who totally love the extra space. And I gave the very nice but still smallish cage (that had previously belonged to the conures) to the Rosies.

They seemed happy as clams in the smaller cage, and explored it happily - They are ground foragers to an extent and they apparently didnt feel so secure in the other larger cage, perhaps because it was too close to the actual floor, where the kitty cats roam? Maybe that was it - I dont really know. Anyway, they are taking up very little room now, and seem quite content.

They do like to chew - the Manzanita seems a bit hard for them to really work over - but they totally love to shred softer wood!

They also poop in their water dish - They are perhaps not the smartest little birdies in the bush, I've decided. But they are really beautiful!

And they're really no trouble at all. They voluntarily converted to pellets almost immediately.
One had odd misshapen claws the AV said were indicative of a likely vitamin deficiency. The same one also had a mangy, rather fungus-infested appearing beak. Well, his claws are just fine now, after only a few months on the pellets. And his beak has been trimmed twice, and is definitely looking healthier too!

One thing - the pet store owners who had mine allowed them to "escape" from time to time - probably just carelessness, on their part. So mine are a bit used to having the occasional "fly about" -especially the one I've arbitrarily decided is the girl birdie. But she does usually fly back into their cage, after awhile. Usually. Sometimes I have to encourage her by chasing her about the living room with the broom - but really, she's not any serious trouble, most of the time. I just have to be careful about not giving her the chance to escape, right before my bedtime. I suspect they are all going to be inclined to sneak in the occasional "fly about" of your living room, actually. It seems like it's just kinda their nature.

They can fly quite well (!) regardless of how severely you clip them, I will warn you about that. So there's probably no reason to even try to clip them. Just keep them caged, or otherwise properly confined somehow, and they will be fine. They eventually go back into the cage, where their food dish is. They're not that dumb, after all.

And it's great to watch them fly - they're really pretty on the wing, and they can perch on almost vertical surfaces, like little wood peckers, almost. Really kinda amazing critters!

And here, in our temperate climate, they can even be kept outside year round, if you let them get aclimatized (sp?) during summertime, when you're starting out. I will likely keep them outdoors for 3 seasons of the year, when/if I move up to the mountains where my parents live.

So I'd say if you're OK with the "Look Don't Touch" thing and if you can afford to get 2 of them, go for it! Provided both of those things are in place, I doubt you'll be disappointed in them. I really, really love mine!

[Irish]

Thanks for all the information, Alyce. We don't care whether they are tame, really. I have Bob and Petey McSweet for that, and the spouse has Eddie the Evil (my nick for Edgar Allen Poe :-). Just looking at a pair of rosellas should be reward enough!

The other question I'm hoping someone can answer is advice about whether it's safe to purchase birds from a bird show/expo? There's one coming up in March that we're going to (to purchase some play stands, etc.), and I don't know whether people selling birds at those things generally have their birds vetted, vaccinated, health guaranteed or any of that. I wouldn't want to bring sick birds into the house....

[basketbagley]

The breeder I use here in Maryland hand raises them. She's says as long as they are handled everyday and given lots of time outside of the cage, they are great pets!!

here is here link, she has a photo album with them in it.

www.mandtexoticbirds.com

you can also e-mail or call her to talk with her about them. even if you aren't going to buy any from her. Mary is really great and a wealth of information!!!

[FeatherLover]

Irish, I've had both good and bad experiences purchasing from bird shows (if you'd like details, PM me). I'd say go with your gut instincts, and definitely quarantine. Talk to the breeder/seller and be sure they know what they're doing.

Perhaps, if you are planning on purchasing a bird or birds, you can set up an appointment with your vet for that day or the next. I don't remember if there was any health guarantee offered with the birds I purchased...I don't really know the bird show protocol/etiquette.

Hopefully someone else will pitch in here with some advice.