All about parrot Corella

Australian resident - Corella parrot (another name - nymph), is a member of the cockatoo family and belongs to the order of the parrot-shaped genus Nymphicus. In their natural habitat, these birds nest in forests or shrubs, located on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. Sometimes they visit semi-desert plains and steppe areas with grassy vegetation. Wild Corellas are fearful: to quench their thirst, the parrot closely flies to the surface of the water and takes several quick sips in an upright position.

The main food for the birds are grass seeds and small insects. On eucalyptus trees, nymphs taste the nectar of inflorescences, and when wheat is ripening in the fields, the parrots visit there and enjoy pecking grains.

Corella parrot is a small bird, its size taking into account the tail is 30–35 cm. The tail is long - 15–16 cm - and pointed at the end. The weight of an adult Corella is 95–110 grams. A parrot on the back of his head grow feathers, forming a tuft, curved beak, small size. Adult males have a brighter color than females. The males have feather colourations in rich olive-gray shades, their cheeks are bright orange-yellow, and the tuft is yellow.

The female is painted more modestly - her feathers are of the usual light gray color, the cheeks are pale brown, and the crest and head are of a pale gray with a yellowish tint. Young chicks of any sex look the same in color as an adult female. Fly feathers and tail feathers have light yellow oval spots. There is a yellow stripe on the underside of each tail feather. If the chick is male, then when it grows up, the yellow spots and stripes disappear from it, and the females remain.

In the wild, the nymph breeds during the rainy season, when there is a lot of food for adult parrots and their offspring. Since the Corellans are awake and sleeping in the trees, they prefer to build their nests there, choosing hollow areas inside the dried branches. During the rainy season, parrots have time to lay two eggs laying.

In each laying there are from 3 to 7 eggs. Egg usually looks like - it is white and up to 2 centimeters in size. Both parents hatch eggs - during the 21st day the male replaces the female. By the end of the incubation period, small yellow-coated chicks appear. The female and male take part in the feeding of babies also alternately. Chicks leave the nest after 5-6 weeks.

Corella well adapted to captive breeding, and over time, managed to breed breeds that differ from each other in feather color. Life expectancy of a parrot in wild habitat does not exceed 10–15 years. Birds live in groups of 10–50 or more representatives. Parrots tend to gather in flocks during the breeding season or during prolonged droughts. In captivity, with proper care, nymphs can live up to 25 years.

For the reason that the nymph breeds well in captivity, ornithologists and breeders succeeded in breeding various subspecies of these birds, which differ from each other in the color of their plumage.

Characteristics of the most common species.

• White color - the eyes of birds are black, the main plumage with a pronounced yellow tint.In males, light feathers grow in the area of ​​undertail and there is a pair of such feathers in the tail plumage. In the female, the tail feathers are all light, and in the area of ​​undertail on the basic tone of color we will see a marble light yellow pattern.

• Albinos - birds' eyes are red due to the fact that there is no pigmentation at the genetic level. Feathers of nymphs are white or with light cream tinting, but the feathers on the head, including the tuft, have a yellow color, and the cheeks are orange. In albino males, the whiteness of feathers is more pronounced than in females. In females there may be yellowish spots on the wings, in the undertail.

• Light gray color - eyes are black, feathers are of a pale gray color. This subspecies was obtained by crossing gray and white species, so all the other signs of the nymph of light gray color inherited from the gray species - yellow head and tuft, orange cheeks, light steering feathers.

• Color lyutino - the eyes are red, and the color of feathers is yellow. White feathers can be seen on the wing, and very bright orange spots on the cheeks.

• Cinnamon color - this subspecies has a dark beige color of the main feathers, and on the head may be yellow feathers and the same color of the tuft. The cheeks are yellow in females and orange in males, the tail feathers are light yellow. The color of the eyes of parrots is black.

• Dark yellow color - is a type of cinnamon color. Plumage varies from light cream shades to rich yellow. In the process of species mutation, it is noteworthy that only gray feathers change color, while the rest of the color remains the same as that of gray Corell.

• Coloring sheki - The peculiarity of the coloring is that there are white blotches on the plumage of the parrot. The most valuable is an individual whose spots are symmetrical with preserving equal proportions of the basic shade and white color.

• Pearl and motley color - The edges of the feather plates are dark, and the central region is white or pale yellow. The intensity of the primary color ranges from dark to light shades. Primary color can be gray or cinnamon. Such coloring for all life remains only at females. Males lose the expression of the contrast of colors in the process of molting.

• Motley silver color - feathers of these birds, at first glance, are the same, light, but upon careful examination you will see on each feather two shades - white and pale gray. The intensity of this combination in different subspecies varies from very light to darker tones. The cheeks, the tuft and the head with a silver color have a yellowish or cream color. There are species in which the cheeks retain the orange color.

• White-faced - the head and tail feathers are painted white, while the rest of the feathers are gray or cinnamon. White-faced species do not have pronounced feathering in the cheek area. The crest usually has the same color as the bulk of the feathers, but only a lighter shade.

• White Wing - it is characterized by the fact that when painted, as in the usual gray nymph, the white-winged parrots have white feathers in the wings.

• Black-winged view - with the usual gray plumage there are feathers of a darker color on the back, in the area of ​​undertail and wings. On the wing of the black-winged view, you will always see a spot of whitish hue. Males and females of this species differ little in color from each other.

In fact, there are a very large number of types of coloring of nymphs: white-faced variegated cinnamon, pearl-gray, barley-cinnamon, pearl-barley lutin, white-faced-pearl-barley and so on. In some countries, there are already exhibition standards for Corell color. It is in the nymphs, in comparison with all other parrots, the largest number of color options for plumage is recorded.

It is better to buy Corella in the pet store, where they go on sale from trusted suppliers, passing the veterinary control. They come to the store in the morning or in the evening and watch the nymphs at the time when they are most active. This should be done so as not to attract the attention of the bird - for this, stand near the cage.

A healthy individual behaves actively - she is interested in food, toys, neighbors in the cage and even what is happening outside of her. If the bird is sluggish and indifferent to everything, then this is a sign of her ill health. Sometimes a parrot can just sleep and you will see that he is sitting on a perch, holding tightly to it with one foot.

Before buying inspect the appearance of a parrot, taking it gently in his hands. Make sure that all the feathers are in his place, there are no bald spots, no sores on his body, the feathers are not disheveled and are lying smoothly. Look at the paws - all fingers should be in place, whole and healthy. Go to the beak - outwardly it should look smooth, without damage, with the right, tight closure; We immediately look at the nasal passages - in a healthy nymph they are dry, without discharge.

Pay attention to how the bird eats. If she is actively looking for food and eats it - this is a good sign. Look at the litter - it should be thick consistency, while sick birds have watery droppings.

When choosing a shell, pay attention to her behavior. If you want to find a parrot that will be friendly and contact you, pay attention to the most active, noisy and curious individuals, they willingly give themselves together. It is best to get used to the person nymphs aged from 5 to 6 weeks. It happens, of course, that a bird cannot get used to a man because of its fearfulness, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

If the purpose of your purchase is breeding Corell, then choose adults between the ages of 1.5 and 2 years. For healthy offspring, take birds from different litters so that there is no genetic kinship between them. Determining the floor of a nymph is a difficult task, the easiest way to do this is for birds with a gray traditional color, when the plumage clearly shows where the male and female are. In hybrid species, sex determination is difficult and an inexperienced breeder can easily miss.

The acquisition of a long-awaited pet is always a joyful and exciting event, but for a nymph new living conditions are always stressful. Before you establish contact with Corella, the pet should be given 2-3 days to adapt - at this time it is best to leave it alone, protecting it from harsh sounds, flashes of light, and smells. To calm the Coral, you can begin to talk in a quiet voice with her a little. So you start to accustom her to yourself and cause interest.

Soon you will see that the parrot is very sensitive to communication, and it is necessary for it. In order to make friends with a parrot faster, the bird cage must be at the level of your eyes. When the nymph is left alone, she can turn on the radio or television, creating the sounds she needs.

Next, you need to teach the bird to stay with you outside the cage. To do this, the cockatiel is removed from the cage and goes with it into the room with the windows closed so that the pet does not fly out into the street. The bird is released, and when it sits on an object, it is approached and friendly talked. Over time, the nymph gets used to you and you can teach her to sit in your hand.

In order for the taming process to go smoothly, you need to praise your pet and give treats for each success. Parrots love it when they stroke their feathers, take them in their arms and pay attention.

If you decide to start a cockatiel, you need to understand that breeding will be associated with certain financial costs. It is necessary to buy a spacious cage, toys, two containers for food - dry and wet, a drinker, a container for swimming. In addition, you will need a small carrying in order to carry a pet to the vet in it.

The parrot’s diet should contain 65–70% of the food in the form of grains, and the rest includes vegetables, fruits, boiled beans and corn, greens. In the cage, there must always be fresh water, which must be changed immediately after contamination.

It is necessary to accustom the bird to water procedures - so that the Corella does not hurt, it irrigates feathers every few days. To do this, take the sprayer and 1-2 times sprinkle warm water to your pet on the feathers. Soon at the sight of you with a spray in the hands of the bird itself will begin to be active in water procedures - will spread its wings and wait for irrigation.

In the period from October to December, molting begins at the parrot - it drops the old feathers and grows new ones. Usually this time coincides with the breeding season. The pet becomes aggressive and it is constantly itching due to the change of plumage. At this time, he should be given vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as to protect against sudden changes in temperature and humidity.

For the reproduction of parrots, it is necessary to equip the cage so that the home conditions resemble the natural ones. You will need to make a house where they will build a nest. In order for a female to lay an egg laying, products with a high content of calcium should be present in her diet.

Care for parrots daily takes time: they need to be fed on time, monitor the availability of water, regularly clean the cage.

If your pet is sick, you will notice a change in its behavior. A parrot can start tossing around the cage, screaming, being aggressive, and, on the contrary, can become quiet and indifferent to everything. In this case, without losing time, consult your veterinarian.

Common Corella Diseases

• Inflammatory diseases - stress, fear, poor nutrition, improper temperature conditions weaken the body, and against this background, under the influence of bacteria and viruses, inflammation of the beak begins, and then the digestive system. White plaque appears on the mucous membranes of the tongue, the tongue swells, grows, the bird cannot eat, it is difficult for it to swallow and breathe. Pet refuses to eat, he loses weight, apathetic, and such a state can quickly lead him to death. To diagnose, a bird takes a swab from the oral cavity and prescribe treatment. At this time, feeding is carried out with a liquid mixture through a syringe.

• Overgrowth and deformation of the beak - the wrong composition of nutrition contributes to the fact that the horny parts of the beak do not grind and grow in time. This is the case with soft feed without the proper load for splitting hard seeds. The deformation of the beak over time leads to its incomplete closure and disrupts the process of eating. To fix this, put the plumes of branches with bark in the cage, place mineral stones to grind the beak, and also transfer the bird to another diet, at which it will receive solid food with vitamins A, C and calcium.

• Scabies Tick - The disease is transmitted with poor-quality food, through dirty objects of bird lives and from sick birds. Tick ​​parasitizes in the area of ​​beak, cloaca, near the eyes and on the legs. The decorative appearance of a parrot deteriorates, the bird weakens and may die. For treatment, the cage and all objects in it are sanitized, and the affected areas are smeared on the bird every three days with aversectin ointment until complete recovery.

• Parrot plucks out his feathers. - The cause may be an infection, stress, lack of attention, pest perojedy, hormonal disruptions, poor conditions.Veterinarians are advised to exclude from the diet protein - cottage cheese, egg - and add mineral supplements. In addition, it is necessary to check and, if necessary, change the conditions of detention. In the presence of peroedov in the cage and the bird itself, it is necessary to carry out insecticidal treatment.

• Gastroenteritis - the bird does not eat well, the droppings are liquid, green in color, with half-digested food pieces and an admixture of blood, there may be vomiting. The parrot is nervous, constantly comes to the drinker and drinks a lot of water. The nature of the disease is infectious. For treatment, a sanitary treatment of the cell is necessary, exclusion from the diet of greenery and germinated grains. Food is mixed with powder tablets "Levomitsetin" or "Ftalazol", add pieces of activated charcoal or oak bark.

• Intestinal dysbiosis - an infectious disease that affects the intestines and is accompanied by liquid droppings. For the treatment of poultry 5 days give "Polifan", which is mixed with grain feed. In addition, intestinal enzymes of the drug "Linex" are added to parrot food for two weeks.

In the opinion of the owners of the parrot Corella parrot, communication with the pet gives them a lot of positive emotions. Parrots are often equated with full-fledged family members over time. Corellas are friendly, sociable and interesting in their behavior. Caring for them is a habit and not as burdensome as it may seem at first. Children love these birds for a restless and cheerful disposition, while adults enjoy watching the leprosy of their feathered pets.

To learn how to tame a parrot Coral, see the video below.