Raising and Releasing a Group of Orange-chinned Parakeets into the Wild
- Roger Valls Martínez
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to rehabilitate a group of orange-chinned parakeets and accompany them all the way through to their release. From just a few days old to their return to the wild several months later, together with my entire team, we successfully guided five of these little ones back to the nature they belong to.
Arrival: Tiny chicks!
One orange-chinned parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis) chick arrived at our center on the morning of March 20. A neighbor (allegedly — you never really know if what you’re being told is entirely true) had found it that same morning on the ground, fallen from its nest. Four days later, we encountered a similar situation, but this time, there were four chicks of the same species — even smaller than the first.
In every case, we estimated the chicks' age based on their morphology. We estimated the first to be about 15 days old: its eyes were open, the first feather sheaths were beginning to emerge on the back, wings, tail, and head, and it could hold itself upright. The others, still with eyes closed, completely featherless, and unable to sit up, were estimated to be between 4 and 9 days old — all siblings from the same nest.
So, we were now caring for five Brotogeris jugularis chicks estimated to be 4, 6, 8, 9, and 15 days old, which we needed to raise and rehabilitate with the goal of reintroducing them into their natural habitat.
Raising them: More science than it seems
To begin with, we kept the first chick separate from the others to minimize the risk of disease transmission. The remaining four, who had arrived together, were marked with different colors of nail polish from day one so we could distinguish them easily. While their sizes and stages of development made it easy to tell them apart initially, if one slowed its growth, it could be mistaken for another. Worse yet, such a slowdown could go unnoticed. And so, their names were: Big (the largest), White, Black, Green, and Red.
The next step was to establish a rearing protocol to ensure proper development while minimizing contact with humans (that is, with us, their caregivers). I spent an afternoon researching similar species and successful hand-rearing protocols. In the end, I used a study by Petzinger, Heatley and Bauer (2015) on growth curves in hand-fed monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) as our foundation. Both species belong to the Psittacidae family, are small parrots native to the Americas, share similar biology, and follow a broadly herbivorous diet — mostly fruits, seeds, and flowers.
That protocol defines four age ranges, with the number of daily feedings decreasing as the animals grow (see Figure 1). It also provides the recommended caloric density for each stage and the amount of food to offer per feeding, depending on body weight. Based on this data — and assuming equivalent caloric needs per unit of body weight between the two species — I calculated how much food to offer per feeding, per chick, based on their weight and the number of feedings indicated by the protocol. We created a spreadsheet that automatically updated each chick’s age and then indicated the correct number of feedings and amount to administer, based on each individual’s weight, which we recorded manually every morning.
The system also factored in the characteristics of the formula used. After all, 10 mL of a 0.3 kcal/mL formula is not the same as 10 mL of a 0.8 kcal/mL formula — the latter delivers more than twice the energy, which can significantly impact development. So, the spreadsheet included the nutritional profile of the product used, including its caloric density and the proportions prepared based on age.
With this system in place, the entire animal care team could follow the same protocol consistently — they simply had to update each bird’s weight every morning. All that was left was to put it into practice and monitor the chicks' development throughout the process.
Monitoring chick development
Closely tracking the development of hand-reared chicks is critical — especially in group settings — because it allows easy comparisons between individuals. But that’s not the only benefit. We recorded each bird’s weight daily, along with other variables: behavior during feedings, the amount of formula scheduled (per the spreadsheet), and the amount actually consumed. We also noted key events and behavioral milestones: the introduction of solid food, the first time they tasted it, the first flight attempt, reduction in feedings, and so on.
By tracking these data, we could interpret each animal’s progress day by day and intervene promptly and effectively to improve the rearing process. We also built a valuable database to inform future rehabilitation efforts — a way to learn from both our successes and our mistakes.
We monitored their physical growth daily (via weight) from their arrival until they were 45–60 days old (depending on the individual), at which point they were moved from the kennels to their pre-release enclosure. With all this data, we created growth curves for each bird, and finally, an average growth curve for the species — a reference we’ll be able to use in future hand-rearing processes for Brotogeris jugularis.
The pre-release enclosure
As the chicks — now more like juveniles — grew, we had to decide on a space to prepare them for a hard-release. We quickly realized that none of our existing enclosures were suitable: the mesh was too wide, and they could escape.
With limited time and budget, we set out to build a new enclosure. We bought wooden beams, screws, staples, galvanized mesh, hinges, and everything needed to construct a 3×2 m enclosure where the birds could socialize, exercise, and prepare for life in the wild.
In just a couple of weeks — thanks to volunteers and assistants (thank you all!) — we finished the 6 m², 2.2 m-tall enclosure. The floor was left natural, but we laid cement blocks around the perimeter to prevent digging predators from entering. We also covered the first meter of the walls with fabric stapled to the wooden structure (low-cost, I know, but effective!) to deter attacks through the mesh. The top was covered with corrugated metal sheeting, and we added gutters to avoid flooding. Building enclosures in the jungle is no easy task — there are endless variables to consider.
To minimize human contact, we covered the most exposed sides with opaque mesh to block their view of us. On one of those sides, we installed a small hatch with a custom bracket so we could feed the birds using a tray — without entering the enclosure and without them seeing us.
Once inside, the birds were cared for following a simple, low-contact protocol that ensured basic health monitoring and offered an ideal environment for their development:
6 a.m. (daylight): Feeding and fresh water via the hatch. Then, a quick visual check of the birds.
6 p.m. (dark): Enter the enclosure with a headlamp to hang fruit skewers (one per bird) with wild fruits like mango, papaya, carambola, or melina (for the day after). Remove old leaves, add fresh ones. Rake the ground once per week.
With this minimal-intervention protocol, we quickly got the birds ready to return to the wild. They never interacted with people, had space to practice flying, lived in a sizable social group, and were surrounded by native plants and seasonal wild fruits — just like they’d encounter in their natural habitat. After several weeks of monitoring their physical and behavioral progress, the release day finally arrived.
Life is giving you a second chance — enjoy it!
Almost three months after their arrival at the center, the parakeets were ready for release, around three months old. We searched for a site that met three key criteria:
Far from urban areas to reduce risk of capture.
Known presence of wild parakeet populations, to help with adaptation.
Availability of natural food sources they already recognized.
The selected site was Refugio Romelia, in a coastal but remote area of Montezuma. Reaching it required a challenging one-hour hike from the nearest town. The area was full of fruiting mango trees (Mangifera indica), which provided a familiar and nutritious food source. Additionally, wild populations of orange-chinned parakeets had been frequently recorded in the area, increasing the chances that our released birds would integrate into an existing natural population. Finally — and importantly — the refuge is managed by friends of the center (shoutout to Jacob!), who are deeply committed to conservation. We had full confidence they would monitor the birds without interfering, should any post-release sightings occur (which, fortunately, never happened).
Although it's difficult, in the following video you can see two of the parakeets after their release (make sure to switch to full-screen mode):
I’m incredibly proud of the work our team accomplished with these birds. It was a challenging process, but one that flowed smoothly overall, with full control of their development throughout. Now, all we can do is wish them the very best — and be grateful we had the chance to give such incredible creatures a second chance at life in the wild.
I hope you found this post interesting and enjoyed reading it. As always, I encourage you to leave any comments, questions, or suggestions in the comment section below. See you in the next one!
Roger Valls Martínez
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Petzinger, C., Heatley, J., & Bauer, J. (2015). Growth curves and their implications in hand-fed Monk parrots (Myiopsitta monachus). Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports, 6, 321–327. https://doi.org/10.2147/VMRR.S73804
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