Facts About Budgerigar

Also known as ‘Melopsittacus undulatus’, Budgies are often displayed in bird shows and also make popular pets. Playful, lively and entertaining are terms that best describe a budgerigar. It is a small green bird with a yellow face and black line on the head, back and wings. However, the bird can be found in several colors like black, white, opaline, grey, green, blue and yellow. A common budgerigar is around 17 centimeters long, however, show budgies, also known as English budgerigars have a much bigger head and are commonly, 22-24 centimeters long. Originally from Australia, budgerigars are nomadic birds that move from place to place in search of water and food. They are also found in Australasia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and nearby islands. Budgerigars make wonderful pets due to their small size and brightly-colored feathers. Some great attributes of the bird are its colorful and attractive persona and bubbly nature. Read on further to know more interesting facts and amazing information on budgerigars.

Fast Facts

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Subfamily: Pssitacinae

Genus: Melopsittacus

Species: M. undulates

Group Name: Flock, chatter, company

Length: 19 cm

Weight: 30-35 g

Lifespan: 10-15 years

Diet: Omnivore.

Habitat: Open dry woodlands, farmlands, roadsides and grasslands near water.

Age of Sexual Maturity: 3-4 months

Gestation Period: 18-21 days

Number of Offspring: 3-6 eggs

Status: Endangered

Interesting & Amazing Information On Budgerigars

Male and female budgerigars can easily be distinguished by the color of their cere (the flesh above the beak where the nostrils are located). While the male budgerigar has a blue cere, the female budgie’s cere is brown or tan in color.
Like all parrots, budgerigars have two toes that face forward and two that face backward, unlike other birds that have three toes facing forward and 1 facing back.
Budgies are the most popular pet birds in the world today.
A common behavioral trait for a female budgerigar is chewing tough material such as wood.
The first mention of a budgerigar ever was in a book called ‘Birds of Australia’ written by John Gould, in 1865.
The bird is known by several names such as Budgie, Parakeet, Warbling Grass Parakeet, Shell Parakeet, Common Pet Parakeet, Canary Parrot, Zebra Parrot, Flight Bird, Scallop Parrot and alternate spellings like Budgerygah and Betcherrygah.
These birds are capable of turning their heads around at 180 degrees.
Budgerigars communicate with one another by making loud voices.
A budgerigar feeds on grass seeds, fruits (pineapples, apples, apricots, bananas and others), insects, berries, eucalyptus leaves, and various other seeds and greens.
When tamed, the budgerigar is capable of pronouncing over 100 words and phrases.
Budgerigars are excellent flyers and when required, they can fly hundreds of miles across vast regions in search of water and food.
The birds breed during rainy season when there is plenty of water.
A budgerigar is one of the few bird species that does not build a nest and finds a hole in the tree to lay eggs.
Budgerigars have the ability to see ultraviolet light.
Common predators of budgerigars are snakes and other birds of prey like hawks.
Budgerigars are well adapted to their desert habitat and hence can survive for a month without water.
After a budgerigar’s eggs have hatched, both, the mother and father, take turns in feeding the babies.
Guinness Book of World Records states that in 1958 a budgie named Sparkie Williams won a talking contest in England. Before the budgerigar died, he could pronounce 531 words and 383 sentences.
The word ‘budgerigar’ comes from the aboriginal Australian language. It is believed that the aboriginal people discovered the budgerigar 40,000 years before the Europeans.
The female budgie will lay an egg every two days until she has about 6 to 8 eggs. Incubation period lasts for about 18-21 days before the eggs hatch.
Budgerigar’s can hear sounds from a range of 400 to 20,000 Hz.
Did you know that a budgie’s heart beats more than 200 times a minute?
The normal body temperature for a budgerigar is 102°F.
It is believed that the fluorescent pigments of budgies’ wings, help them in attracting mates.

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