African Gem's - The Jardine's Parrot

Hen Jardine's Parrot

African Parrots are feathered gems. They posses great beauty, are highly sought after and not too mention incredibly intelligent. The most well known species of African Parrot is the African Grey which is largely famed for its ability to mimic and its intelligence. Who remembers the brilliant, Alex the African Grey? If not Google away. You are sure to be impressed.


The demand for African Parrots as pets and aviary birds continues to grow and within Australian Aviculture a number of African species are being bred. In the near future I will feature a small article on the species kept within Australia but for now I wish to focus on one of the most incredible birds I have ever seen.

On the weekend I visited an Aussie breeder who is working with what is one of the rarest species of  Parrot in Australian aviculture at the moment. That bird being the Jardine's Parrot, an African Parrot of the Poicephalus genus. The Jardine's Parrot is an incredible species measuring around 25-28cm's in length.

Jardine's have the personality of a large bird and beauty to rival any species and were named after their discoverer William Jardine. Poicephalus (means dark head) gulielmi (is latin for William). As a species they don't posses the flashy colours of say a Blue & Gold Macaw but they are by no means plain in colour. Take one look at the photos I've posted here and you will see what I mean.

The nominate race features large amounts of black on the wing

3 Sub-species of Jardine's exist and all are distinctly different. The sub-species in the photograph you see on this page is the nominate form (Poicephalus g. gulielmi). The bird in the photos is a hen and it is said that hens are slightly brighter in colouration. So what does the future look like for these birds in Australian aviculture? Well a small number of Australian breeders are working with Jardines (not just the nominate race) and slowly increasing the numbers. Jardine's Parrot are a challenge to breed and it is hoped that they will succeed and establish a good population of these birds.

Happy Birdkeeping.
Jade
www.jadewelchbirds.com

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