A mustache parakeet is a species of parrot that lives in parts of Asia. It has a distinctive plumage, including a gray patch beneath its beak, and is a medium-size bird. The species is becoming popular as a pet because of its intelligence and attractive features. It is a social bird that usually needs to be kept in groups.
This species of bird is natively found in China and Indonesia. There are eight different sub-species of the mustache parakeet, although most have similar appearances. The birds also are known as red-breasted parakeets and Java mustached parakeets, depending on the location. On average, a mustache parakeet lives from 20 to 25 years.
Mustache parakeets have predominantly green plumage and a gray head. One of the main distinguishing features of the mustache parakeet is a small black strip beneath its beak. This also is where it gets its name, because the strip looks somewhat like a mustache. The bird is of medium size, with most growing no larger than 16 inches (40 cm). Males and females have noticeable differences in plumage and beak color, with male birds usually having red beaks in contrast to the females' black beaks.
The birds flock in large numbers of up to 50 when in the wild. When in groups, the parakeets make a lot of noise, meaning they are often heard before they are seen. When breeding, the female bird usually lays around three eggs, which take approximately 20 days to hatch.
This species of bird is intelligent and willing to interact with other birds and humans and, as a result, it is becoming more and more popular as a pet as of 2011. A mustache parakeet that has been properly handled and socialized from a young age usually makes a good pet, although they can be aggressive when not handled or trained correctly. The birds can learn to talk, although their speech is not as clear as that of larger parrots.
This type of parakeet is a highly sociable bird, which is why it’s important for it to be kept in pairs. Parakeets kept on their own will often be lonely and more difficult to socialize unless the owner is willing to interact with them on a regular basis. Aside from other birds, it’s also essential to provide a mustache parakeet with lots of toys and other forms of stimulation, because boredom is one of the main causes of noisy and aggressive behavior.
