Quartet of copycats settling in to home

Try not to be perturbed if you hear disembodied voices coming from the bushes at Otago Museum’s tropical forest on your next visit.

It may just be four Indian ring-necked parakeets having a chatter after being released into the large enclosure for the first time on Thursday.

They are not shy, they are renowned for their remarkable ability to repeat what they hear, and they have been known to live for more than 30 years.

A museum spokeswoman said the sibling parakeets had been hand-reared at the Dunedin Botanic Garden and were given to the museum in November last year.

Since then, they had been living in a cage to help them settle into their new life, while being taught to associate the cage with a place to get food and sleep, trained to come when called, and to "step up" (stand on a staff member’s hand) so they could be checked.

She said staff would continue working with the birds daily for ongoing training, and would monitor their behaviour and overall wellbeing to ensure they were healthy and happy.

While some might wonder whether the birds had an appetite for butterflies, their diet consisted mainly of seeds, fruit and vegetables.

"So the other animals in the forest, including the butterflies, should be just fine."

john.lewis@odt.co.nz