Some lineolated parakeets have lovebird-like coloring, like this blue linnie (left), who is hanging out with a mauve.

THE LINEOLATED, or barred, parakeet (Bolborhynchus lineola) is a unique little parrot.

At seven inches long, it's about the same size as the budgerigar and parrotlet, but that's where the similarities end.

For one thing, "linnies" have lovebird colors and short tails that are fanlike, not pointed like the budgie's, or flat like the parrotlet's.

And unlike the feisty budgie and parrotlet, the linnie has a quiet, tender personality. That doesn't mean it's boring or stupid. Active and even talkative, the linnie is just as smart as either of the other two.

I consider linnies the perfect apartment birds because of their disposition and needs for only the basic things in life. The linnie is friendly and happy to be with people - but can keep itself amused with toys and swings when no one is around. As an added member to a family, it really cannot be beat.

A bird of a different color
The lineolated parakeet is native to Central and South America where it lives in flocks in monogamous pairs.

The wild linnie is green with some dark barring that runs down its back and rump. However, breeding has brought about color mutations varied enough that anyone can find a color they prefer.

The wild coloring itself has branched off into some mutations, such as olive. Bred mutations include a blue series, which includes a turquoise color, a cobalt, and a mauve (which is a dark blue or slate). There is also a lutino (yellow), and cremino, which is a light yellow or cream color. Both lutinos and creminos have red eyes.

Linnies are difficult to sex visually. Although you can identify males by looking for the central tail feather, nearly all black, some hens will have a darker area on this feather, too, so I recommend DNA sexing to be sure. However, gender does not seem to matter in the least when looking at one of these little creatures as a pet. Both are good natured.

If kept on a good, varied diet, linnies live 15 years or longer.

Soulful eyes and a big heart
I received my first pair of lineolated parakeets by default. A friend needed two hens and the breeder would only sell groups of four birds. So I purchased a pair so she could receive her hens.

I was completely taken with these little birds because of their unique posture and behavior. The first thing I noticed was they were incredibly quiet, just emitting a "mumbling" much like the budgie. They very rarely gave off even a hint of noise, so much so I thought they had escaped! But as I grew accustomed to them, and them to me, it was clear that they were quite happy, even happy enough to go to nest.

Within four weeks, my birds laid their first clutch of four white eggs that were surprisingly large. About 20 days went by and they hatched out two chicks. The chicks had some white, fluffy down and large heads that made them quite clumsy. The parents did not seem to mind nestbox inspection and they took very good care of both babies.

At day twenty-four, I pulled these two chicks from the nest in order to handraise them. These were one of the easiest and calmest chicks I had ever raised. They looked at me with their large, soulful eyes, a trait they never lose, and quietly allowed me to feed them.

They positively loved the sight of people, hobbling over in the brooder to see who was entering the nursery. Always curious, they would tilt their heads to the side to get a better view of anyone looking down into their warm, temporary home. As they started to feather, small cobalt blue feathers pierced through the casings.

The chicks sat quietly together all the time, even after they learned to perch in a cage and became more active. Nevertheless, they welcomed any person who wanted to play.

Eating: Their favorite pastime
Most birds detest certain foods and fling them out of the cage with disgust. But linnies love food in all forms, rarely leaving anything in their bowl untouched. I tried everything that I had fed my other birds and both my chick and adult linnies easily accepted new foods.

This 14-day-old cobalt lineolated parakeet will soon open its eyes.

Today, I supply each cage with large feed bowls, spreading the different foods on the bottom so that each food item can easily be seen. I also place a perch in front of the bowl that can easily be removed and cleaned.

Linnies have an immediate need to keep themselves clean and, after consuming soft foods, will immediately rub their smooth, shiny beaks and heads on the nearest perch.

A linnie's typical daily diet should include one tablespoon each of cockatiel-size pellets; a cooked mix of pasta, rice, beans and corn; freshly-rinsed organic sprouts; and diced fruits and vegetables.

Though I do not feed a great deal of seed, I do give my linnies some millet spray and some organic parakeet seed mixed in with their sprouts. They are not as active as parrotlets so they do not seem to require a great deal of high-energy seeds in addition to their already varied diets.

Other experts have had success with a greater percentage of seed in the diet but my pairs love the dietary diversity and it shows when they feed their chicks or clean out their feed cups.

Home, sweet home
I typically use a cage that has more length than height. A 30-inch long cage that has a height and depth of 18 inches each seems to be the perfect size for movement and play. Linnies tend to forage on the ground so a frequent cage cleaning or a grate that can keep them from eating soiled food should be considered.

In addition to providing large feed cups and perches that are easy to clean, I also give my linnies a swing and toys from which they can hang. They seem to love the simple, colored plastic links - they can keep them busy for hours.

Some linnies like the plush huts so popular with lovebirds and parrotlets. Most importantly, a network of perches where they can move about is vital. Linnies like to walk up and down, back and forth, among different perches.

Linnies will sit on a stand like a larger parrot if you clip their wings. I always recommend wing clipping and supervised play to eliminate household disasters.

Primatelike walk
Linnies' soft and gentle nature is mesmerizing. They have an almost primatelike walk, bobbing along a perch, one foot over the other. Their large rounded heads always welcome a scratch and it shows in their dark, round eyes.

Linnies continue to be playful as adults, playing with toys while hanging upside down from one foot, or carefully plucking pieces of string or straw from toys.

Friends and I have found linnies to be surprisingly intelligent and patient. One of my birds, a cobalt I named Gidget, is positively in love with children, crawling about the front of the cage in my classroom any time a new class enters.

She, like many other linnies, loves to cuddle inside collars. A friend’s little male loves to sleep under her hoop earrings.

At first impression, you might think a linnie would not be an accomplished mimic. However, linnies only a few months old can be quite good at reproducing sounds like whistles, words and phrases.

My friend's bird surprised her one day by greeting her with a perfect, "hi," in a cute little voice when she walked in. He now says quite a few things like "pretty, pretty boy" and laughs with a "hee, hee, hee." Males seem to mimic more than females.

Behaviorally, linnies have very little that would be seen as undesirable. They are not known to feather pick nor do any other type of stressful behavior. They seem to be content with their toys, hanging from them when they can, and playing with a shiny bell here and there.

Before they're a year old, linnies go through their "terrible two’s," like most parrot species, with the occasional nip here and there. But this phase passes quickly and easily with frequent handling and training.

Aviculturally speaking
Linnies have been bred and raised in Europe for some time and are now becoming more common in the U.S. They are not as common as some of your other species similar in size and temperament - such as the budgie - but they should be.

I raise 'tiels, parrotlets, lorikeets, quakers and kakarikis, and it's hard to find anything wrong with linnies. These little guys are one bird I never have a problem with. They make excellent pets in a variety of situations for a variety of different people.

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ParrotChronicles.com.  May-June 2003. Copyright 2001-2003© All rights reserved