Bourke's

Other Names:

Scientific Name:

Length:

Distribution :

Widespread and generally common across the arid interior of Southern Australia from Western NSW, west to North west Cape and Shark Bay WA. Mainly sedentary or locally nomadic.

Cock: usually a blue brow and a flatish head

Hen: No blue brow and roundish head

Bourkes usually live communally congregating at waterholes at dawn and dusk often when it is still dark.

A quiet and unobtrusive bird, they feed on various grasses and their seeds, and the seeds of Acacia and Cassia.

Breeding occurs from August to November laying 3-6 eggs incubated by the hen for approx. 18 days after which both parents participate in raising the young.

Captivity :

These birds are the first you hear in the morning and the last at night. Generally it is dark outside and you hear them twittering and flitting around their cages. It is a good thing to keep Bourkes away from other birds that do not have the same nocturnal activities that they do to prevent night flights from other parrots. A quiet steady bird with an inquisitive nature that have big eyes that do not miss much and aid in their early activities.
We have kept them in a communal cage and as single pairs. The young fledge as a very quiet bird that does not throw itself around the cage like other parrots. The cocks at breeding time go through a wonderful display process to attract their hen. They fly from perch to perch dipping their head then they thrust their head up, shoulders out and chest out. One or two will also do this while jumping up onto the wire. Whistle at the right pitch and they will put on a show.