A graceful Australian grass parakeet; the male is emerald-green with a vivid blue shoulder and a red rump, while the female is muted olive. Hardy and melodious, it is a classic, easy-care aviary bird.
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Medium-small parrot, about 27-28 cm long, 55-85 g.
Lifespan
10–20 years
Social needs
pair
Native region
Southeastern Australia
Origin
Old World
Climate
🍂 Temperate
Family
Psittaculidae
Genus
Psephotus
Part of the Grass Parakeets
Grass parakeets (the Australian 'grass parrots,' including Neopsephotus, Neophema and relatives) are small, gentle, ground-foraging parakeets prized for their soft colors, quiet voices, and peaceable aviary temperament.
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 flight cage
48 × 24 × 30 in, bar spacing 1/2 in
Australian grass parakeet — best kept as compatible pairs, not solo. Provide horizontal flight, varied natural perches, foraging, and a vegetable-rich diet. Avoid mixing with other parakeet species during breeding (cocks become territorial).
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Long flight cage or indoor flight
72 × 30 × 36 in flight cage
A 6-ft horizontal flight allows real wing extension, foraging stations, and bathing. Red-rumps fly low and fast — width matters far more than height.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Outdoor aviary
10 × 3 × 6 ft outdoor aviary
Walk-in planted aviary with a frost-free shelter, ground foraging (Red-rumps feed on the ground in the wild), and bathing pools. Best for natural behaviour, song, and breeding success.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
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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.
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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.
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Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Red-rumps are strong flyers that need a flight aviary rather than a small cage; provide a flight of at least about 2.4-3 m in length with natural perches, seeding grasses, foraging opportunities, and a shallow bath. They forage readily on the ground, so a clean, well-drained floor is important. They can be territorial and aggressive toward other parakeets, especially in breeding season, so are usually kept one pair per flight.
They are hardy and tolerate cool temperate conditions, but outdoor aviaries should provide a dry, draft-free, frost-protected shelter. No UVB is needed indoors with good nutrition, though natural light and fresh browse benefit them. Their pleasant song means they are not a noise problem for most keepers.
Substrate
Line the cage tray with plain paper, paper-based pellets, or a thin layer of bird-safe litter for easy daily cleanup; avoid loose grit on the floor as these grass parakeets spend a lot of time foraging on the ground and can ingest soiled bedding. In a planted aviary, sand or gravel over a drainable base works well and can be raked clean.
Equipment & setup
House in a long flight cage or aviary (horizontal space matters more than height for these strong, agile flyers), with multiple natural-branch perches of varying diameter and a shallow bathing dish. They tolerate cool temperatures well if kept dry and draft-free, but provide shelter from wind, frost and damp; full-spectrum lighting helps in indoor or dim setups. Males can be territorial in breeding season, so allow ample space if housing multiple birds.
Diet
Feed a base of a grass-parakeet/small-parrot seed mix or formulated pellets, supplemented with seeding grasses, leafy greens, sprouted seed, vegetables, and small amounts of fruit. As ground foragers they enjoy scatter-feeding and millet in moderation.
Provide cuttlebone or a mineral block for calcium and clean fresh water. Avoid all-seed diets, which lead to obesity, and never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or salty foods.
Behavior & temperament
Red-rumped parakeets are active, hardy, and known for the male's pleasant, melodious song. They are generally not cuddly companion birds; many remain somewhat flighty and are valued as beautiful, easy-keeping aviary birds, though hand-raised individuals can become tame. They can be territorial and pugnacious toward other parakeets, particularly when breeding.
Enrichment through flight, foraging, seeding grasses, and natural branches keeps them fit and content. Their undemanding nature, attractive plumage, and song make red-rumps a popular choice for beginner aviculturists keeping a single pair.
Health
As ground feeders, red-rumps are prone to intestinal worms and protozoal infections, so regular fecal checks and worming are recommended. Other risks include respiratory infections, nutritional disease from seed-only diets, and egg-binding in hens lacking calcium.
Prevention relies on clean, dry, well-drained housing, parasite control, a varied diet, and quarantine of new birds. Routine avian-vet exams and prompt attention to lethargy, weight loss, or abnormal droppings keep these resilient birds healthy.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Offer foraging opportunities like millet sprays clipped low and seeding grass heads to mimic their natural ground-feeding behavior, and rotate fresh greens and sprouted seed. A simple roofed nest box (around 20x20x30 cm) suits breeding pairs; quarantine new birds 30+ days. Keep an eye on weight, as captive red-rumps are prone to obesity and fatty tumors on all-seed diets.
