Kakariki Care Guide: Housing, Diet and Colour Mutations

Kakarikis are busy, curious little parakeets that hardly ever sit still. They're friendly, fun to watch and not too loud, but they need lots of space, as they spend their day flying, climbing, bathing and scratching about on the floor like tiny chickens. If you can give them a roomy aviary or a big flight cage and plenty to do, they make brilliant birds to keep.

Kakariki quick facts

• Size: around 25-28cm from head to tail tip (almost half of that is tail), weighing roughly 60-65g.
• Lifespan: usually 10-15 years with good care. Sources vary, and some quote up to 20.
• Temperament: inquisitive, playful and very active. They can become tame, but many don't love being handled a lot.
• Noise: chattering and fairly gentle for a parrot, though they do call out, especially when excited.
• Social needs: sociable birds, best kept in pairs or more.
• Origin: New Zealand. "Kakariki" is the Māori word for small parrot.

The red-fronted kakariki (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) is the one you'll usually see in the UK. The yellow-crowned kakariki (Cyanoramphus auriceps) is a little smaller, with a golden crown and a narrow red band above the beak, and needs much the same care.

What are kakarikis like as pets?

Kakarikis are the comedians of the small parrot world, dashing about, hanging upside down and investigating everything. Their best-known habit is scratching at the floor for food, just like a hen. It's completely natural, so give them somewhere to do it.

They're also fast and nosy, and well known for slipping out of open doors. An aviary needs a safety porch (double door), and indoors you should check windows and doors before opening the cage.

How big a cage does a kakariki need?

An aviary is the best home for kakarikis. Some keepers suggest a flight of around 3m long x 2m high x 2m wide as a sensible minimum, and longer flights are even better. If you keep them indoors, choose the largest flight cage you can fit. Petcare guidance suggests at least 100cm long x 70cm deep x 130cm high for a pair, plus a good couple of hours of supervised flying time every day.

• Fit plenty of perches at different heights and thicknesses, plus ropes and swings for climbing. A rough Adventure Bound Twisted Cement Perch helps keep claws and beaks in trim.
• Kakarikis spend a lot of time on the floor, so keep it clean and dry. A shallow tray of clean sand to scratch through, with a few seeds scattered in it, keeps them happily busy.
• Give them a large, shallow water dish for bathing. Kakarikis love a bath.

Can kakarikis live outside in the UK?

Yes. Kakarikis cope well with a British climate once they've acclimatised, and an outdoor aviary suits their energy perfectly. As with most aviary birds, damp and draughts are more of a problem than cold.

• Provide a dry, draught-free shelter they can roost in, with a watertight roof.
• Keep the floor well drained. Ground foragers can pick up parasites from damp, dirty floors, so ask your avian vet about routine dropping checks or worming.
• In winter, check that water hasn't frozen, and consider a light on a timer so they have longer to feed on short days.

What do kakarikis eat?

Kakarikis are hearty eaters. As a base, use a good small parrot, parakeet or cockatiel seed mix, such as Bestpets Cockatiel & Parakeet Exotic Bird Mix. For more variety, try a fruity mix like Johnston & Jeff Premium Fruity Parakeet - Complete Parakeet Seed Mix.

• Fresh foods every day: they need more fresh food than many small parrots. Good choices include apple (no pips), grapes, strawberries, kale, spinach, carrot, sweetcorn, celery, dandelion leaves and seeding grasses. Sprouted seed is a real favourite.
• Minerals: always have a cuttlefish bone or mineral block available. Johnson's Small Iodised Condition Peks are a handy option.
• Treats and foraging: hang up something like Johnson's Honey Rings now and then, or scatter a little seed in the sand tray for them to dig out.
• Water: fresh every day for drinking, plus separate bathing water.

Never feed: avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion, garlic, fruit stones or apple pips, mouldy food, or salty, sugary or fatty human food.

Daily, weekly and monthly care

• Daily: fresh food and water, take away leftover fresh food, refresh the bath, check droppings, and give indoor birds flying time.
• Weekly: kakarikis are messy eaters, so clean the floor and change the sand, scrub dishes, and rotate a few toys.
• Monthly: deep-clean the cage or aviary with a bird-safe cleaner, check nails and beaks, and replace worn perches and ropes.

Keeping your kakariki safe at home

Birds' lungs are very sensitive. Overheated non-stick (Teflon/PTFE) pans give off fumes that can kill birds within minutes, so keep them out of the kitchen, and away from smoke, scented candles, plug-in fresheners, aerosols and strong cleaning sprays.

When should I take my kakariki to the vet?

Kakarikis hide illness until they're quite poorly, so see an avian vet if you notice:

• fluffed-up feathers, or a usually busy bird sitting still
• tail bobbing or laboured breathing
• runny or changed droppings
• weight loss, or eating less
• discharge from the eyes or nostrils
• feather plucking, lameness, or overgrown claws or beak

Kakariki colours and mutations

• Normal (green): the wild colour, a bright green bird with a red forehead, a red stripe through the eye, a red patch on each side of the rump and blue on the flight feathers.
• Cinnamon: a softer, dustier brownish-green with misty grey-blue flights and pale pinkish legs. Chicks hatch with plum-red eyes that darken as they grow. Cinnamon is sex-linked.
• Blue: strictly speaking, breeders call this mutation turquoise. The bird can't make yellow pigment, so the green becomes a blue or turquoise shade and the red markings turn a salmon-pink.
• Pied: patches of clear feathers mixed in with the normal colour. On a green bird the patches are yellow. Every pied is different, and the pattern can change as the bird moults.
• Blue pied: a blue (turquoise) bird with the pied patches showing as cream or white rather than yellow.
• Cream: one of the newest kakariki mutations, giving a soft, creamy-coloured bird with salmon-pink markings. It's still quite new, so you won't find it in older colour guides yet.

You may also hear of yellow ("goldcheck"), fallow and spangle kakarikis. Names vary between breeders, so if you're unsure, just ask.

Can you tell male and female kakarikis apart?

Not reliably by eye. Adult males tend to be larger, with a bigger head and beak, but there's lots of overlap. DNA sexing is the only sure way.

Breeding kakarikis

Kakarikis are very prolific. Clutches of five to nine eggs aren't unusual, and pairs will go again and again if allowed, which can wear a hen out. Limit the rounds each year, give extra calcium, and only breed if you have homes lined up.

Kakariki FAQs

Are kakarikis noisy?

Not especially. They chatter and call now and then, but are much quieter than larger parakeets.

Why does my kakariki scratch at the floor?

It's how they find food in the wild. A sand tray with a little seed scattered in it lets them do it properly.

Can I keep a kakariki with other birds?

Usually, with similar-sized birds in a large aviary, but their energy can bother quieter species, so watch closely at first.

Pop in and see us

We sometimes have kakarikis in the shop at 125-127 Corporation Road, Grimsby. Pop in or give us a ring on 01472 267480 to see who's in. We're always happy to talk through set-ups and seed mixes too.

This guide is general advice and isn't a substitute for advice from an avian vet. If you're worried about your bird, please speak to your vet.