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Budgerigar, Parakeets

Budgies

Family: PsittacidaeA Group of Very Colorful BudgiesMelopsittacus undulatusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   Not only does the Parakeet or Budgerigar make a super pet, but is also available in over 100 color forms!

  Colorful, attractive, and lively are just some of the great attributes of the Parakeet or Budgerigar. With their warm and inquisitive personalities, they make a great pet for both the beginner or an experienced bird keeper. They are quite hardy, inexpensive, and easy to care for.

To learn more about Parakeets and their needs visit:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Parakeet

Geographic Distribution Melopsittacus undulatus Data provided by GBIF.org Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae

Scientific Name: Melopsittacus undulatus

Overview, history, and species variants:    The parakeet, or Budgerigar, belongs to the family of true parrots, which explains why the parakeet is relatively adept at learning to talk. The parakeet comes from Australia and the first European to write anything about these colorful birds was John Gould in 1865 in his work titled "Birds of Australia".
   This bird, along with about 30 - 45 other small broad-tailed parrot species, belong to a tribe called Platycercini. The members of this group are all native to Australia in particular, but also to Australasia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and nearby islands. Besides the Budgerigar, It includes birds like the grass parrots, Rosellas, and the New Zealand parrots.
   In the wild, the Parakeet or Budgerigar, comes from the interior of Australia where the landscape is almost desert-like and there are no regular rainy seasons. This arid environment will go for months and sometimes years without rain. Needless to say, this is a hardy bird.

Pet appeal:    Parakeets make very good pets as long as they have a lot of attention and love. These birds are very social by nature. Living in groups of 20 to 40 and sometimes as many as 60 birds in the wild, and donÂ’t like to be left alone. So if you own only one bird and you work 8 hour days, think about possibly getting him a mate or finding someone to at least keep the bird company for part of the time that you are gone. Parakeets make just as good of pets singly or in pairs or more, but make sure that you introduce one bird at a time.
   Parakeets are monogamous so once they find a mate it is usually for life unless of course one of them has an untimely death in which the other would then find a new mate. Parakeets are very good flyers. In the wild they fly back and forth across vast regions searching for food and water, so provide them with free flying time and you will have a much happier birds.

Description:    Parakeets come in over 100 color forms but primarily in green (typical in the wild), various shades of blue, opaline, gray, white, yellow (lutino), pied (combination in one bird), and in various shades of these colors, some rarer than others.
   Parakeets are 7" to 9 3/8" in length from the tip of the bill over the head to the tip of the tail. The tail by itself is 3 1/8" to 4 1/2" long. Parakeets weigh anywhere from 1 - 1.4 ounces ( 30-40g). The life expectancy of the average parakeet is 12 to 14 years. They reach sexual maturity at 3 to 4 months. By this time they have there adult plumage which is quite unusual in the bird kingdom.

Care and feeding:    Ready made staple seed mixes are usually available at your local pet store or super market which contains a mixture of canary grass seed, white millet, yellow millet, oats and groats and red millet, niger seed and linseed. Some higher quality seed mixtures come with thistle, anise, rape, sesame, and safflower seed. Vitamin pellets with iodine in them are sometimes present to prevent thyroid problems. Store seed in a dark but airy place. Not in plastic bags but in a clothes bag in a closet. Offer fresh foods such as eggplant, green peas, cucumber, young dandelion greens, sweet corn, beet greens, carrots, unsprayed lettuce, green peppers, sorrel, spinach leaves, tomatoes and zucchini. Fruits that are suitable are: Pineapples, apples, apricots, bananas, most other fruits.
   Food that is bad for birds includes: All members of the cabbage family, raw and green potatoes, green beans, grapefruit, rhubarb, plums, lemons, avocado.
   Parakeets also need a mineral block and a cuttlebone in their cage. These provide all the minerals and trace elements that they need. Offer spray millet every so often as a treat. And of course fresh water daily.

Housing:    Provide a roomy cage with the minimum dimensions of: 20" long x 12" deep x 18" high. The ideal size is: 40" long x 20" deep x 32" high. Preferably a cage with horizontal bars to make climbing easier. You can also attach a perch/play area on top of the cage. In the cage have about three perches of different diameters (or branches with some angling) without the sandpaper guards. A swing and mirror among other toys are available but be sure to leave enough room for flying! Food and water dishes, preferably automatic dispensing, or if not, ones with guards to prevent waste contamination. Clips to hold spray millet and fresh food. A bath house with a textured bottom is a favorite, or a slow running faucet will do. Provide a breeding box if breeding is what you have in mind.

Maintenance:    The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week. A total hosing down and disinfecting of an aviary should be done yearly, replacing anything that needs to be freshened, such as old dishes, toys and perches.

Handling and training:    Take it slow at first and let the parakeet get used to you and its new surroundings before trying to get him to go onto your finger. Allow flying time and donÂ’t worry about catching him to put him back into the cage, leave the cage door open and sooner or later he will get hungry. After a while curiosity will overcome fear and training can begin.
   Most but not all parakeets have the inclination to talk, be repetitive and patient.

Activities:
   Free flying time is very important. Try to offer several hours a day in a bird safe room. A bird tree ( this can be made by wiring branches together into a tree or surrounding a tall house plant with perches, not poisonous of course), is very useful. Set it across the room from the cage, so that they fly back and forth. This will provide them with ample exercise.

Breeding:    The male parakeet's cere is blue and the femaleÂ’s is tan or light yellow. The "cere" is the area located at the base of the beak, just below the forehead or crown area. It is where the two nostril type openings (nares) are also located. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part this coloration is fairly accurate. In young parakeets, under 3 months, it is pale pink to tanish but changes after sexual maturity.
   If a pair of parakeets are ready to mate they will court one another first by playing and then feeding each other. The male then attempts a balancing act on the females back and lowers his tail under hers till the vents connect.
   The female picks the nesting sight and lays her eggs, one or two every other day, for a total of 4 to 6 eggs in a clutch. Incubation is 18 days but the hen will remain on the nest till the chicks start to get featherÂ’s. Separate the nesting hen from the other parakeets. Nesting material is not necessary till after the chicks hatch then you can cover the bottom of the box with pine shavings, never saw dust. Be sure that the hen is feeding the young and if not, hand rearing may be necessary.

Potential Problems:    The most common would be a parakeet plucking out its own feathers. This is usually caused from loneliness and boredom. Another problem is if the leg band is too tight then a veterinarian will have to remove it. If taken care of, the parakeet is a hardy pet well worth the money and effort!

Availability: Budgies are readily available and inexpensive.

Author: Clarice Brough, CAS

Lastest Comments on Budgerigars - Parakeets View all 604 comments on Budgerigars - Parakeets Add Your Comment

amal - 2012-02-07 thanks for the tips earlier but the nuts for the birds must be raw or toasted...and one more thing i jus caught them mating i left the room while they're out for less than five min to come back and see this shall i put them in the same cage but i can't have them having babies my parents were not happy about them from the beginig what shall I do ?? Click For Replies (3) Charlie Roche - 2012-02-07 If you didn't want babies, then you should have gotten just one or two of the same sex. It is probably to late to do anything now. tre - 2012-02-10 You have to keep them in the same cage amal - 2012-02-10 The problem is when I got them they were little baby birds and I didn't know their sex ! So I don't know what just happened and I love them so much I won't be able to give any of them away Reply

Debra Milhoan - 2012-01-26 i have a male and female parakeets i did see them mating other day they have been acting strange lately i have now notice the female has taken out all their out cup by taking her feet pushing out food . so now does this meaning she marking where she may hatch her eggs if she is going to have them she never done this before and male follows her every where .is there something i need to do ?? thank you Click For Replies (4) Charlie Roche - 2012-01-26 Yes, if you do not provide a nesting area they can be quite creative. Enjoy Rich - 2012-01-31 Go to the pet store and purchase a nest box and nesting supplies she may have kids on the way however I heard first round sometimes are infertile orley - 2012-02-06 I think the male is following because he is her partner and is caring for her and get a nesting box let the male with the girl tre - 2012-02-10 Did you put a nesting box Reply

Janice E Pettey - 2012-02-07 I have 2 budgers a male w/blue chest,blk and wht fealther a female all white but the female seem to be in controll at all times. It seem as if the male can't eat until she lets him she even gets to the point she trys to fight him, then after a while he gets very loud w/ her an keeps turning his head back an force is he tryin to let her know he's the BOSS then they start kissin is the kissin a part of mating? CAN you tell me what's goin on with my birds I'm lost, their names are male (blue) female (ivory) what are the bracelet on them for Click For Replies (2) Charlie Roche - 2012-02-07 The 'bracelets' as you call them are identification bands and are put on the bird by the breeder, identifying the breeder. They should be a closed band. You can take it off - not easy but doable or have the vet do it. My opinion, most parrot females rule the roost outside of breeding season. It is their desires, their wishes, their wants that come first. This changes during breeding season when the male becomes more dominant and says 'stay in the back of the cage' or 'stay in the nest box' etc. Works for them. Yes kissing (or regurgitation of food) is part of the mating process. Janice E Pettey - 2012-02-08 Thankks for your help, I quess I need to by a nest Reply

amal - 2012-02-06 help me please my female parakeet is piking out here feathers...she is well fed ...clean....and i let here out of the cage four hours everyday...to play with my other parakeet i keep them in seperet cages cause i don't want them to mate....what may be wrong with it?? Click For Replies (4) Charlie Roche - 2012-02-06 There isn't any easy answer to this problem. Lottq people/vets trying to figure it out for a lotta years. Some say boredom - so more toys. One fella gives his parrot a magazine and everyday she chews a magazine up which stopped her from pulling out her feathers. My birds have a TV/toys/out of their cages and one still will pull her feathers out. Now might be good news here. If your little guy is pulling out this furry little white feathers that blow all over - it is normal. Depending on where you live - it is getting warmer and they don't want that undercoat of down. Pain trying to vacumn them up but normal. If she is actually pulling out her feathers trying soaking her down more often or spraying with aloe spray spritz. Try adding a little more oil to her diet via peanut butter, almonds, cracked walnuts. A magazine or anything she can chew up. Anonymous - 2012-02-06 SHE IS BORED AND NEED TO PLAY WITH MALE AND THEY MATE IN MONTH OF APRIL AND MAY THAT IS YOUR ANSWER amal - 2012-02-07 Thanx for the tips I'll try and add more oil but i wonder if they'll eat it I tried feedidng them fruit anf veggies but all they eat is the seeds that were fed to them in the pet store before i got them but I'll thy putting new things with there food but befere adding nuts do they have to be toasted or raw is fine ?? Charlie Roche - 2012-02-07 I never had a bird that ate fruits and veggies either. They just throw them at me. However, they do eat the dehydrtated fruits and vegetables that i get at Goldenfeast. I have used their food for over 15 years. Walnuts - just the regular in shell walnuts you buy at the grocery store and break them in half. They get a kick out of playing with them and they hold the walnut with their feet and eat the meat out. You can put peanut butter or almond butter on a ritz cracker. Again, they have fun cuz it sticks to their feet but they eat it. Almonds - I just get those in a package so I assume they are roasted. Reply

Liezl Velasco - 2012-01-30 I have one and died after we bought another one. And yesterday we bought another one and it looks like the first one got sick also. We keep everything clean everyday but looks like something is definitely wrong. I need to know what are the safe household staff to clean the cage, what bothers them a lot, common causes of illnesses and how do know if the poop is normal. thank you Click For Replies (2) Rich - 2012-01-31 If one of your birds already died I would consider not buying a bird from that pet store... I would go with one for a month clean the cage with soap and water shower will do well leaving out the bird while cleaning then if you have a slider tray at the bottom its easier to lay paper down to collect its droppings the poop should be hard not runny if you see that at the store avoid buyng them if you do purchase another one always keep in different cages close to one another then unite after a week or two also consider changing the pet food since cuase of death was unknown also wash all toys with soap and water and feed and water bowls and always make sure kids wash hands as well as adults after handling them parakeet seed works best and treats choclate candy will kill a bird Anonymous - 2012-02-06 If you are geting the same birds from the same pet store somthing is wrong with the pet store or the breeder and you should look at the poop if there is 80 drop of poop it mean that both bird are healythy if not go to the vet that is ANSWER THE POOP HAS TO LOOK LIKE GREEN AND WHITE AND NOT TO MUSH WATER Reply

cole - 2012-01-31 I am thinking of getting a parakeet but I can't find any breeders near me. I might go to the pet store or what should I do? Click For Replies (3) Charlie Roche - 2012-01-31 I would continue to look for a breeder or in the newspaper. Unless you have a very special bird store in your area, I would never recommend you get a bird from a store chain. Ida - 2012-02-04 Try your local vet that is how I found mine. Anonymous - 2012-02-06 Hi I am Orley and my answer to you that you should go to petsmart because my parakeet a healthy when I got thim from there and he 12 year old healthy GET A BIRD FROM PETCO AND CAGE DO NOT COST ALOT ONLY THERTY Reply

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