🦜Kakariki: gear and buying guides

The kakariki is a hyperactive, curious and fairly quiet New Zealand parakeet, famous for scratching the ground with both feet like a little hen. Always on the move, it explores every corner and needs far more flying space than its size suggests. Not a cuddler but hugely entertaining, it is a bird for watching and playful interaction.

Profile : 25 to 28 cm including a long tail, 10 to 15 year lifespan, low noise level.

Species profile

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Adult weight

60 to 80 g

Size

28 cm

Minimum cage

100 × 50 × 70 cm

Temperament

A tireless, curious and acrobatic New Zealand parakeet that explores the ground as much as the branches and never sits still.

Health watch

susceptibility to intestinal worms and parasites from ground foraging · wear and injuries from a cage that is too cramped

🩺 Our hygiene and health advice stays general: it never substitutes for an examination by a veterinarian, the only person qualified to advise on your animal.

Kakariki gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  A large-parakeet seed mix or suitable pellets, with a generous share of vegetables, greens and sprouted seeds. Its fast metabolism means frequent small meals.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  A keen bather, it happily dives into a water dish every day. Its nails wear down naturally if it has varied surfaces to scratch.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  Set up a ground foraging tray with seeds hidden in clean substrate; it will scratch through it for hours. Ropes, ladders and moving toys complete its exploration circuit.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  A cage or aviary at least one metre wide, with horizontal space trumping everything, from 150 euros. Note: the kakariki is among the species whose keeping may require identification or formalities depending on regulations, so check before buying.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  A securely closed carrier, as it slips through surprisingly small gaps. During free time, secure plants, bins and floor-level nooks, its favourite exploration grounds.

• 🧰 Accessories

  Multiple perches, a floor scratching tray and stable feeders, as it readily tips over lightweight bowls. An indoor aviary beats a handsome but narrow cage.

Guides to read

• Scaly leg mite in budgies: recognizing and treating knemidokoptic mangeCare & grooming

  Knemidokoptic mange in budgies: the tell-tale crusty patches on legs and beak, the vet treatment, and how to prevent it.

• Nonstick pans and Teflon fumes: a deadly danger for pet birdsTravel & safety

  Why fumes from overheated nonstick cookware are lethal to cage birds, and how to keep your kitchen safe without giving up nonstick pans entirely.

• Clicker training for birds: the basics of positive reinforcementToys & enrichment

  How to start clicker training with your bird: the gear you need, the principles of positive reinforcement, and simple first exercises.

• Colored LED lighting in the cage: real enrichment or just a gadget?Accessories

  Colored LED lighting in a budgie's cage: what the research shows about its effect on behavior, and how to use it without disrupting sleep.

• Lovebird or budgie for beginners: which bird needs the most company?Accessories

  Lovebird or budgerigar: which one copes better with being alone, and which one absolutely needs a same-species partner? The practical comparison for choosing your first bird.

• Nest box for budgies: should you really add one to the cage?Bedding & habitat

  A wooden nest box looks harmless, but it can trigger a full breeding cycle in budgies that have no chicks to raise. What to know before adding one.

• Outdoor garden aviary: real budget and health-safety measuresBedding & habitat

  How much does an outdoor aviary cost, and how do you secure it against predators, weather and health risks linked to wild birds? The budget guide before you commit.

• Too many sunflower seeds: the mix mistake that threatens your bird's healthFood

  A seed mix too heavy in sunflower seeds drives obesity, fatty liver and atherosclerosis in cage birds. How to fix the ratio without frustrating your bird.