BARRABAND PARAKEET
(polytelis swainsonii)
(Also know as Superb Parrot and Scarlet-Breasted Parrot)
{ Elegant and charming, the Baraband richly deserves the moniker it's known by in the bird 's native country of Australia - the superb parakeet.}
The Baraband has a slender shape and long tapering tail, which is predominately a soft shade of bright green. Males have a rich shade of yellow on the forehead and crown and the cheeks and throat. A bright red crescent frames the lower boundaries of yellow on the throat, while the beak is a slightly duller shade of red.
Female and immature birds lack the yellow and red markings of the mature male. Females are less numerous than males and are often difficult to identify because of their resemblance to the young male - many breeders have found that, just as they begin to dream of nesting successes, their "females" suddenly mature into males. This color change typically takes place between 12 and 18 months of age. Breeders should purchase females that are approximately 2 years old to be certain of their sex.
As pets, the baraband parakeet requires a diet of seed mixes fortified with vitamins and minerals suitable for small hookbills or cockatiels and/or a suitable pelleted or extruded diet. Fresh fruit, dark-green leafy vegetables, spray millet and corn (especially when feeding young) are also suitable foods for pet barabands.
BARRABAND TIDBITS
Fledglings must be watched carefully because their initial attempts to fly can produce uncoordinated movements that can result in injury. Barrabands are a mix of a good-natured demeanor with a hardy, enduring physical condition. Barrabands have long been prized for their ability to grow tame quickly, and they are peaceful with other congenial birds.
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