| All members of Polytelis are
probably one of the most underrated bird kept as pets. Fairly
hard to find, they can sometimes be found at bird
shows/expos/marts. They make fantastic pets when acquired as
handfed babies. All members of Polytelis seem to be fearless,
gentle, quiet, and most possess a fantastic speaking ability.
Even wild ones are docile and friendly, especially the Princess
of Wales. Probably the Rock Pebbler possesses the most
sought-after qualities. The Barraband is the least outgoing but
also makes a great pet when acquired as a handfed baby.
They are highly prized by their owners and rightfully so.
They are also make wonderful aviary birds.
These birds need to be kept in a large cage because of their
long tails. Sexually dimorphic, they can be visually sexed at
around 2 years old. Before than they need to be either DNA or
surgically sexed.
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Rock pebblers are very easy-going birds. I
own a rock pebbler and I find him to be the gentlest of
all my birds. He gets along with all my other birds and
never fights. 3 years old, Rocky possesses a large
vocabulary. Since he goes to shows with me he tends to
talk to anyone who will talk to him. He can now tell
people that he is a Rock Pebbler, he is from Australia,
and he is 3. Rock pebblers are not screamers, their
voices are sweet and soft, and they prefer talking to
making other noises. He loves to eat and will attack the
food. Contrary to everything that I have read on them,
he loves to bathe. He demands a pan of water to frolick
in. He does not stop until he is soaked. He is outgoing
and enjoys people. However, as sweet and affectionate as
he is, he is slow sometimes and it appears as if he is
intellectually challenged. It took him a week to realize
when he was on top of his cage if he continued walking
he'd fall off.
Full adult plumage is not reached until at least 15
months of age. They are not destructive and you don't
have to worry about them destroying your furniture.
Though they seem to enjoy toys many rock pebblers do not
play with them the way other species do. Their heads and
beaks are small in comparison to their body size and
this makes them less intimidating than other birds their
size. A friend of my refers to Rocky as the green
pigeon. They are not cuddlers, instead they prefer to
sit on your shoulder. They are hardy birds, and as long
as they receive proper care, good nutrition, and
exercise, they will live a long time.
They are around 15-16 inches in length and weigh
around 170-180 grams. |
| Princess of Wales are absolutely beautiful!
Quiet and sweet-natured, they are also nondestructive.
They do not do much chewing and they make good pets if
you can find one. Normally kept as aviary birds, they
prefer walking to flying. However, like the rock
pebblers, they need larger cages due to their very long
tails. They tend to be more noisy in the morning and
evening. First named in 1863 by John Gould after the
Princess Alexandra who later married the Prince of
Wales. Though not a cuddly bird even in the wild they
already appear to be tame. They are around 17-18 inches
in length and weigh around 90-120 grams. |
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Barrabands are normally kept as aviary birds
and are not normally handfed. However, those who are
hand-raised have excellent personalities and are
easy-going. Though they are capable of talking they
don't normally develop the vocabularies of the rock
pebbler or the Princess of Wales. They are around 15-16
inches in length and weigh around 90-120 grams. |
Interesting facts: 1) In the wild the Princess of Wales is
nomadic. This may account for the lack of sightings. 2) At one
time the aborigines ate Princess of Wales parakeets. 3) The rock
pebbler has many different names including Regents, Rockies,
Smokers, Black tailed or Marlock Parrots.
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