Birds
Lineolated Parakeet (Barred Parakeet)
Bolborhynchus lineola
Care level
Beginner
Lifespan
10 to 15 years, and up to 20 with excellent care
Adult size
16 cm, small with a short tail
The Lineolated Parakeet, or Linnie, is a small, calm and remarkably quiet parrot marked with delicate dark barring across green (and many colour mutations). Unlike most small parrots they move deliberately, often walking and climbing rather than flitting, and they have a gentle, easygoing temperament. Their low noise level and sweet nature make them one of the best small parrots for apartment living and for owners wanting a peaceful companion.
Housing & setup
Provide a cage of at least 45 x 45 x 60 cm for one bird, larger for a pair, with bar spacing of about 1 to 1.25 cm so heads cannot get trapped. Because Linnies love to climb and clamber, include plenty of horizontal bars, ladders, ropes and natural-wood perches of varying diameter, plus chewable and foraging toys. Keep some open space and place the cage in a calm, sociable room.
Diet & feeding
Feed a base of formulated pellets (about 60 to 70 percent) with a smaller portion of seed, plus daily fresh vegetables, dark leafy greens and small amounts of fruit. Linnies can become overweight and develop fatty tumours on a seed-heavy diet, so keep fatty seeds and millet as occasional treats. Provide a cuttlebone or mineral block for calcium and vitamin A from natural vegetables. Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion and salty foods are toxic and must be avoided.
Temperature, light & environment
Keep them at a stable 18 to 28 C, away from draughts, direct sun and kitchen fumes. Provide natural or full-spectrum light and 10 to 12 hours of quiet, dark sleep nightly. Non-stick (PTFE or Teflon) cookware, air fryers, self-cleaning ovens and scented candles emit fumes that kill birds within minutes, so keep the cage far from the kitchen. Give daily supervised out-of-cage time in a bird-proofed room for climbing and flight.
Company & handling
Linnies are gentle, social and enjoy interaction, bonding well with their owners and getting along peacefully with their own kind, so they do well singly with daily attention or in compatible pairs. They are among the quietest parrots, with soft chirps and warbles rather than loud calls, which makes them ideal for flats and shared buildings. They are generally placid and rarely nippy when handled kindly from a young age.
Enrichment & exercise
Provide foraging toys, shreddable paper and soft wood, ladders, ropes and swings that suit their love of climbing, rotating them to keep interest. Because they clamber more than they fly, plenty of climbing structures are appreciated. Chewing keeps the beak healthy, and daily out-of-cage exercise is important. Gentle trick and target training suits their calm, clever nature.
Common health problems
Obesity and fatty tumours (lipomas)
Signs: Excess weight, visible fatty lumps, reduced activity and breathlessness, often in seed-heavy birds.
Prevention: Feed a balanced pellet-based diet, limit fatty seeds and millet, and encourage daily climbing and flight.
Feather plucking
Signs: Bald patches, chewed feathers and over-preening, usually from boredom, stress or insufficient enrichment.
Prevention: Provide foraging enrichment, daily interaction and good sleep, and have an avian vet rule out disease.
Hypovitaminosis A (vitamin A deficiency)
Signs: Crusty nostrils, sneezing, white mouth spots, poor feather colour and recurring respiratory infections.
Prevention: Feed vitamin-A-rich vegetables such as sweet potato, carrot and dark greens instead of a seed-only diet.
Psittacosis (chlamydiosis)
Signs: Fluffed posture, lethargy, nasal or eye discharge, lime-green droppings and laboured breathing.
Prevention: Quarantine and vet-test new birds and keep housing clean and ventilated; note this disease can spread to people.
See a vet urgently if...
- !Sitting fluffed on the cage floor instead of perching, an emergency
- !Tail bobbing at rest or open-mouth, laboured breathing
- !Not eating, vomiting or sudden weight loss
- !Sudden silence, drooping wings or inability to grip the perch
- !Bleeding or a stuck egg
In Macau
Like all parrots, Lineolated Parakeets fall under CITES Appendix II, so buy only captive-bred birds from a documented, reputable source. Their exceptionally quiet voice and calm nature make them one of the best parrot choices for a Macau apartment. Keep housing cool, dry and ventilated against the heat and humidity, never run non-stick cookware or scented products near the bird, and quarantine plus vet-check any new arrival.
Lineolated Parakeets are unusual among small parrots for their deliberate, almost mammal-like way of walking sideways along branches, and in the wild they live at high mountain altitudes in Central and South American cloud forests.
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General guidance reviewed by the Royal Veterinary Center team. Not a substitute for a veterinary examination. Always confirm species-specific and legal requirements for Macau.