The Bourkes Parakeet is rapidly becoming a very popular little bird. They are often just called Rosie due to the pink on their breasts but the Rosie Bourkes is actually a colour mutation that has much of the bird’s feathers pink instead of just the breast.

Any bird that becomes popular has different colour mutations bred and the Bourkes is no exception. Although I haven’t seen anything other than the normal and the rosie, there are presently pieds and lutinos in existence now and there may be more.


This is a picture of my little normal Bourkes Parakeet, Jerry.

Bourkes are a very quiet bird that is normally active in the early morning and late evening. The rest of the day, they are seldom heard from. They originate in the arid and semi arid regions of south central Australia and are just slightly larger than the normal Budgerigar (Budgie).

With the normal coloured Bourkes, you can tell their sex after their first moult because the male has a blue line of feathers just above the beak.

These birds are very peaceful and can be kept in a mixed aviary with other parakeets and with smaller finches. My Bourkes, Jerry has lived with Cockatiels, Turquosine & Red Rumped Parakeets, doves, Button Quail, Zebra & Society finches and a canary. He didn’t bother any of these birds and they didn’t bother him.

A great source of information on Australian Parakeets can be obtained in The New Australian Parakeet Handbook available from Amazon.ca.