A small, quiet Central and South American parakeet marked with fine dark barring (lineolations). Calm, gentle, and relatively quiet, 'linnies' are popular as mellow companion birds.
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Mexico through Central America to the northern Andes of South America
Origin
New World
Climate
⛰️ Montane
Family
Psittacidae
Genus
Bolborhynchus
Part of the Parrotlets
Parrotlets (genus Forpus and relatives) are among the smallest parrots in the world, tiny New World birds with bold, big-parrot personalities and strong pair bonds.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Pair cage + out time
≈ 24 × 18 × 24 in, ½ in bar spacing
Lineolated Parakeets (Linnies) are quiet, slow-moving small parrots that prefer climbing to flying. A welfare minimum is a 24 × 18 × 24 in cage per pair with ½ in bar spacing, varied perches (including horizontal branches and ladders), foraging toys, a bath, and daily out-of-cage time.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Flight cage / small aviary
≈ 30 × 18 × 30 in flight cage
A 30 × 18 × 30 in flight cage with rotating foraging toys, varied perches (climbing-focused), a bath, and daily out-of-cage time keeps Linnies content. They are gentle and quiet, great apartment birds, but still need flock or human companionship.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Walk-in aviary / bird room
Walk-in aviary or bird-safe room
A walk-in aviary or bird-safe room with branches, climbing ropes, foraging substrate, and bathing is the welfare ideal. Provide a nest box, varied seed/pellet/veg diet, and pair-housing — Linnies are peaceful and can be mixed with similarly calm small parrots.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Birds develop inside a hard-shelled egg incubated by the parent(s). Egg size, shell color, and clutch size vary by species; the embryo develops over days to weeks before hatching.
Photo coming soon
Hatchling / Chick
Hatchlings are either altricial — naked, blind, and dependent on parents (typical of parrots and songbirds) — or precocial — downy, mobile, and self-feeding soon after hatching (typical of poultry and waterfowl). Down gives way to the first feathers.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile / Fledgling
Fledglings grow in their juvenile plumage and begin to fly and feed themselves, though they may still beg from parents at first. Juvenile feathering is often duller than the adult and is replaced as the bird matures.
Adult
Adults attain full body size and mature plumage, and are capable of breeding. Many species show distinct adult coloration, and in sexually dimorphic birds males and females differ in plumage, size, or markings.
(c) Francisco Dubón, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) via iNaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/199717761
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Provide a roomy cage of at least about 60 x 45 x 60 cm for one or a pair, larger if possible, with bar spacing around 1 cm. Linnies are deliberate climbers more than frantic flyers, but they still benefit from horizontal space, natural perches of varied diameter, ladders, swings, and foraging and chew toys. Offer a shallow bath dish, as many enjoy bathing.
Keep them at comfortable room temperatures, protected from drafts and cold; although they originate from montane regions and tolerate cool conditions better than some tropical parrots, they should not be exposed to frost or damp chill. No UVB is required indoors with a balanced diet, but full-spectrum light is beneficial.
Substrate
Plain newspaper or paper-based litter in a pull-out tray is simplest and easiest to monitor for these small parrots. Avoid corncob and walnut-shell substrates, which can mold or be ingested. A wire grate keeps them off droppings.
Equipment & setup
Provide a roomy cage with horizontal bars and 3/8 to 1/2 inch spacing, oriented for their deliberate, climbing-style movement; they prefer dense, branchy setups over open flight. Offer many natural-wood perches at varied angles, leafy cover, chew and foraging toys, a bathing dish, and full-spectrum lighting. Keep them at comfortable room temperature and out of drafts.
Diet
Base the diet on formulated pellets or a quality small-parakeet seed mix, supplemented daily with chopped vegetables, leafy greens, sprouts, and small amounts of fruit. Linnies can be prone to obesity, so limit high-fat seeds such as sunflower and offer plenty of fresh produce and foraging opportunities.
Provide cuttlebone or a mineral block for calcium and clean fresh water daily. Avoid avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and salty foods.
Behavior & temperament
Lineolated parakeets are notably calm, gentle, and quiet for a parrot, with soft chirps and chatters rather than loud screams, which makes them well suited to apartments. They move in a characteristic slow, deliberate, almost sideways climbing style and are less destructive and less aggressive than many small parrots, including lovebirds and parrotlets. Hand-raised linnies are typically sweet and amenable to handling.
They are social and do well in compatible pairs or with substantial human interaction. Enrichment through foraging toys, shreddables, ladders, and gentle training keeps them engaged. Their mellow temperament makes them a favorite for first-time small-parrot keepers seeking a quiet bird.
Health
Linnies are generally hardy but prone to obesity and fatty liver disease on rich seed diets, so weight management is important. Other concerns include respiratory infections, PBFD, polyomavirus, and egg-binding in breeding hens. As small birds, they hide illness and can decline rapidly.
Prevention includes a varied, controlled-fat diet, clean housing, quarantine of new birds, and routine avian-vet checks. Seek prompt veterinary care for any lethargy, fluffing, tail-bobbing, or change in appetite or droppings.
Tips, DIY & hacks
"Linnies" are quiet, gentle, and love to clamber, so fill the cage with branches, ropes, ladders, and foliage rather than a single open perch. They enjoy bathing, so offer wet greens or a shallow dish regularly. Provide spray millet and shreddable foraging toys for low-stress enrichment, and keep them in pairs or with daily interaction since they are social.
