Let’s say you just bought a parakeet for your 9-year-old child. How long will this bird live? What do they like to eat? And how can you tell if the bird is a male or female?
Parakeets can live 7 to 15 years, which means your bird could live until your child is 24 years old. However, most parakeets die prematurely because of poor diets and improper care, so knowing what to feed the bird is very important.
In addition to feeding birds fortified parakeet seed, the Association of Avian Veterinarians recommends adding some dandelion greens, green/orange fruits and veggies, and even cooked rice and pasta to their diet. Visit their Web site at www.aav.org for more information.
As for the sex, look at the bump of flesh above the nose which is called the “cere.” On an adult parakeet, the cere is bluish on the male and brownish on the female. The bird to the right is a male.
Note: Parakeets should kept inside as a pet. This photo just happens to be showing a bird in the wild.