THE MOUNTAIN PARAKEET
Bolborynchus aurifrons
di Enzo Patanè
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Italian: Parrocchetto delle montagne
English: Mountain Parakeet
German:
Unfortunately this beautifulst representative
of the genus Bolborynchus remains a little diffused and little
known parakeet in Italy; the breeding pairs in our country are
available on the fingers of one hand.
Held account that is not sure a sturdy
and easy stressabile subject it needs of adequate cures and he
is not advisable to the beginners.
The sexual dimorfism, for against, is the
much marked because only the male show the mask and the yellow
chest lemon and the blue of the wings is more intense that in
the female.
Lenght:: 18-20 centimeters
(in virtue of the long tail )
Distribution: Perù
Natural diet: seeds, buds, fruit, berries and vegetal matter.
Breeding in
natuire: the breeding's period begin
after the rain season, from october until end of december.
<Feedings: mixture
of seeds for small parakeets with least small sunflower and much
canary seeds; fruit and verdure (carrot, pear, apple, maize, etc.);
proteico patè for the raise of chicks. I put to disposition
of the breeders a patè self made in added seed bubbled
and fruits.Cuttle bone (or blocks of mineral), grit and fresh
water always to disposition.
Breeding in captivity:
As I have already said the breedings pairs in Italy are a lot
little and in Europe it is not that the things go very better.
Personally I have a pair of 3 years of
age that just this year has placed for the first time 6 eggs.
I have lodges them in a cage of 150 x 50
x 40 supplied of branches that create in an angle a small natural
habitat and that the subjects amused to cheever.
The character of these parakeets is particular.
Also being timid and recognizing in little time the breeder, they
are many stressfull and they do not have to be subordinates, if
for extreme necessity to changes. It is not rare that a subject
dies during the transposed and the ideal species for the people
who love the bird's exhibitions .
Their back is little noisy and, indeed,
it can even turn out melodIous.
They resist to minimal temperatures of
10°C, if they have the possibility to shelter itself in a
nest but they live better in atmospheres little heats during
the winter.
The main reproduction begins in winter
and therefore the breeding atmospheres must very be illuminate
in order at least 14 hours to the day.
They place from 4 to 6 eggs, at intervals
of 24 hours and begin to incubate from second egg.
Incubation 24 days; the chicks are nourished
in the nest, from the female nourisshed from the male, for four
- six weeks and the young that exit from the nest are normally
independent after one week - ten days from the first fly.
Nest :
In figure is reproduced a nest box that
personally I use. The planning laughed them to some years ago
to work of a Dutch. The nest tries to reproduce the conditions
of natural reproduction.
They, in fact have the habit to dig, in
the thermit's nests, long tunnels (also 2,5 meters!) until to
one small room nest. In this way they avoid that the changes of
temperature between day and night, typical of the Andes, provoke
the dead of the chicks.
I have not never tried to use more traditional
nests but of it I do not exclude the possible use.
SUBSPECIES OF MOUNTAIN PARAKEET
BOLBORYNCHUS AURIFRONS ROBERTSI
Difficult to recognize from the nominal species in how much
the only difference it is that in the male the yellow is less
extended and defined and the green tone is generally darker.
BOLBORYNCHUS AURIFRONS RUBRIROSTRIS
Much similar to the nominal species but in both sexes not
there is trace of yellow. The female acknowledges from the male
for the darker feathers and the grey advanced jaw.
BOLBORYNCHUS AURIFRONS MARGARITAE
Much similar to the species rubrirostris from which it differs
essentially for the darker feathers and yellow absence. The female
acknowledges from the male for the darker feathers and the grey
advanced jaw.
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