Our First Brotogeris

' 'I think we should go back and get is the way it started four years ago. My wife Chris and had just left a little Grey-cheeked Parakeet on the perch at a Florida coastal pet store one Sunday and were driving back home. He was a friendly little dude, chatted with everyone, got on your finger, paid attention to you, wanted a good home! I think we should go back and get turned into a parking lot along the road and we talked about where we would put him. After all, we did have an African Grey and a macaw at the time. We'll get a little cage and keep him in the kitchen for a while and see how he does. A good answer. went back the way we had come and, just as the place was closing, we bought Cheeks and a cage and headed for home. Four years later, our Grey-cheeked Parakeets have bred for three years. We are working on second generation breeding and have all of the Brotogeris species except the Tui, Plain, or Yellow-winged (Canary). Chris' Tiny Wings (CfW) Aviary CTW Aviary is set up in two areas: inside and outside. The indoor cages were custom made and each is 18 x 18 x 24. Each contains a toy, a Manzanita branch (for chewing), a water bowl, a fresh food bowl and a dry food bowl. Each cage has a pair of Brotogeris and a lovebird size nestbox. We house three pairs of Greycheeked and one pair of Orangechinned inside. There are several different sizes of cages set up in banks outdoors. Some of the cages are 24 x 24 x 36 and are arranged side by side. These cages are identical in every respect and are separated for three-fourths of their length with a privacy panel. We used 1 x 2 oak for perches and the nestboxes are x x 8. We have a small, two-compartment dog dish we use for feeding: fresh on one side, dry  on the other. In the front of each cage is the water bowl and each cage has a timed sprinkler. Another section has cages that measure 24 x 36 x 36, side by side and are identical to the smaller cages (except for size), right down to the sprinklers. There is also a community cage which is 36 x 36 x 48. This cage has two feeding positions and a larger water bowl. It also has two nestboxes with room for two more. For this cage, the sprinkler has a larger spray area. CTW Aviary is located in central Florida. For that reason, we can be a little more experimental with breeding indoors and outdoors. CTW Aviary presently has a good selection of Brotogeris and can evaluate different influences and how the breeding cycles relate. Population at CTW Aviary We have been able to add to our collection this year a single Greycheeked (paired with one of this year's babies will give us five pairs), two White-winged (which gives us two pairs and two males) and a single Orange-chinned (which gives us three pairs). We also have a pair of Cobaltwinged and two pairs of Goldenwinged Parakeets. The total Brotogeris population is as follows: Greycheeked Brotogeris pyrrhopterus, five pairs; Orange-chinned Brotogeris jugularis, three pairs; White-winged Brotogeris versicolorus, two pairs plus two males; Cobalt-winged Brotogeris cyanoptera, one pair; Golden-winged Brotogeris chrysopterus, two pairs. We have been successful for three years in breeding Brotogeris. This year we received our first clutch of Orangechinned eggs (all infertile). Next year, we expect our second generation of Grey-cheeked. Last year, one of our Grey-cheeked pairs gave us a double clutch. The hen laid and hatched five in January-February and laid five eggs and hatched two babies (the rest were infertile) in June-July. General Characteristics Cobalt-winged Parakeets are Chris' favorites. They give the initial appearance of tiny Amazons. They have a very small but vivid orange spot under the lower mandible. There is a yellow wash on the front, fading to light green on the crown. The wings are magnificent. The Cobalt-winged are stocky birds compared to most of the other Brotogeriswe have. Golden-winged Parakeets are my favorites. They are a dark olive green with a black wash to the facial feathers; the periophthalmic ring really stands out. The most impressive feature of the Golden-winged is the small, triangular patch of pure golden feathers at the bend of the wing. Only when the wings are extended is the golden patch visible against a dark green background. White-winged Parakeets are a little bit darker than the subspecies B.v. chiriri (Canary-winged). This subspecies has some white primary feathers that are almost invisible until the wing is opened. Some of the secondary feathers show a very subtle yellow wash on white. These birds tend to be a little more territorial and a couple of the males become very vocal when we change the water and food bowls. Grey-cheeked are friendly and just talk up a storm! When there are 10 to 15 together at any one time, they can be very loud. A solitary bird can become just as spoiled and just as demanding as any other larger bird, i.e. macaw or cockatoo, although will remain much more quiet. The most interesting feature of the Greycheeked is the orange patch under the wing next to the body. This orange patch tends to peek out at the bend of the wing on mature birds. Orange-chinned Parakeets are a middle green between the Goldenwinged and the Grey-cheeked. Being somewhat plain in coloring, they do have the same type of patch under the wing as the Grey-cheeked except the patch is a light yellow, not orange. These differ from the rest of the Brotogeris having ·a medium bronze patch on the outside of the folded wing. The orange (in Orange-chinned) is visible as a small spot under the lower mandible. Orange-chinned seem to be bossy birds.