Budgie
Budgie Facts
| Size | 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) |
| Speed | Unknown |
| Weight | 1-1.4 ounces (30-40 grams) |
| Lifespan | 5-10 years |
| Food | Seeds |
| Predators | Snakes, big birds |
| Habitat | Australia (worldwirde as a pet) |
| Order | Parrots |
| Family | Psittaculidae |
| Scientific name | Melopsittacus undulatus |
| Characteristics | Small parrot with colorful plumage, typical chirping |
Main Characteristics
Budgerigars are small, vibrant parrots. Their most distinctive feature is the wavy patterns on their heads, backs, and wings. They are among the most popular birds globally and are the species most commonly kept as pets. They are quite talented in speech and can learn up to 1,700 words.
Name
Their scientific name is "Melopsittacus undulatus" This includes the word "Psittacus", which is the origin of the term "parakeet" – a colloquial term for all long-tailed parrots. "Undulatus" means wavy and refers to the wavy patterns in their feathers. The name budgeriar most likely derives from the language from the native australians. Budgeri means “good” and “gar” means cockatoo.
Distribution and Habitat
Budgerigars are native to dry and warm regions in Australia. They inhabit bush and scrubland as well as savannas, favoring eucalyptus trees. They are perfectly adapted to life there and fly several miles daily in search of water.
Lifestyle
Budgerigars are awake and active during the day, with their liveliest times being in the morning and afternoon. They are very social and form large flocks in the wild.
Anatomy and Appearance
Size and Weight
Budgerigars measure 7-9.4 inches (18-24 cm) in length and weigh 1-1.4 ounces (30-40 grams).
Colorful Feathers
In the wild, budgerigars are green, but as pets, they come in a variety of colors ranging from yellow, yellow/green, to white and blue.
Flexible Head
Budgerigars can rotate their heads up to 180 degrees. This ability allows them to quickly look in all directions and spot predators early. Their head's mobility is particularly noticeable when they prepare for sleep: they fluff up their feathers and turn their heads to tuck it under a wing.
Long Tail feathers
The tail feathers can grow up to 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) long.
Female or Male?
You can tell whether you have a male or female in front of you by looking at the waxy skin on their beak. This is located right at the top of the beak's base. For females, it is brown or white, while for males, it is always blue. Young birds have a more pinkish waxy skin.
Diet
Budgerigars are herbivores. They prefer grass seeds as their main food source. However, they also occasionally eat fruits, berries, and other plants.
Behavior
Flying
Budgerigars cannot build up fat reserves, which means they are unable to undertake long and strenuous flights. They literally lack the “power,” or energy, that other birds draw from their fat reserves. Their maximum is a three-hour flight without a break, during which they can cover up to 60 miles (100 km).
Senses and Abilities
Cute Sounds
Budgerigars can produce eleven different sounds. They are especially known for their characteristic trilling. Additionally, they can mimic human speech quite well.
Sense of Vision
Budgerigars perceive the light from lamps differently than we do. From their perspective, it flickers constantly. This is due to alternating current, which has a frequency of 50 Hertz. The human eye is too slow to notice flickering. However, for budgerigars, light only appears flicker-free when the frequency exceeds 150 Hz. To help reduce their stress, it's best to completely cover their cage with a blanket at night.
Intelligence
Budgerigars are clever little creatures. Numerous studies demonstrate their intelligence. They recognize their own names, solve puzzles that require multiple steps, open cage doors with their beaks, and lids and drawers with their feet. They can distinguish colors and shapes and have an excellent memory.
Linguistic Ability
Budgerigar with the Largest Vocabulary
A budgerigar named Puck holds the world record for the largest vocabulary ever recorded in a bird. He mastered 1,728 words. Unfortunately, Camille Jordan's bird passed away in 1994, but his remarkable ability earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of Records in 1995.
Budgerigar that Masters Children's Rhymes
Another budgerigar named Sparkie Williams lived from 1954 to 1962 and was a talking budgerigar with a special talent: he could recite eight children's rhymes and memorize 380 sentences, mastering over 500 words.
The Most Musical Budgerigar
In a competition held by the BBC, he outperformed 2,768 other budgerigars and became somewhat of a celebrity in England. His voice was recorded on a record that sold 20,000 copies. Additionally, he inspired English composer Michael Nyman and German musician Carsten Nicolai to create an opera titled "Sparkie: Cage and Beyond," which was performed in Berlin in March 2009.
Life Expectancy
In the wild, budgerigars typically live for about 4 to 6 years. As pets, they can reach an age of 5 to 8 years. The oldest budgerigar on record was Charlie, who was born in 1948 and passed away in 1977, making him 29 years old!
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
The most significant natural enemy around the house is the domestic cat. In the wild, birds of prey such as hawks, sparrows, and falcons are particularly fond of feasting on budgerigars.
Budgerigar as a Pet
Cage Keeping Often Cruel
Budgerigars are very popular pets due to their playful and intelligent nature. They can learn tricks and even mimic words. However, they are often kept in cages that are too small. In our pet guide, we explain what it means to care for budgerigars responsibly and in a way that meets their needs – if that is even possible for birds.
Beware of These Foods!
Certain foods and liquids are toxic to budgerigars: avocado, chocolate, coffee, caffeine, onions, and products containing lactose (milk sugar).
Never Release Budgerigars
Budgerigars cannot survive in the wild in cooler regions, such as Northern USA. They struggle with cold and frost and have difficulty finding suitable food. Released budgerigars have never learned to forage for themselves and will either starve or fall prey to domestic cats. Therefore, if you can no longer keep a budgerigar, you should never release it but instead take it to a shelter.
Reproduction
In southern Australia, budgerigars breed in spring and summer, while in northern Australia, they breed in autumn and winter. They stay together for life and raise their young together. They build their nests in tree hollows. A typical clutch contains 4-6 eggs, and the incubation period lasts 18-20 days. When the chicks hatch, they weigh only 0.07 ounces (2 grams). Additionally, they are naked and blind. The mother keeps them warm and feeds them. After 30-35 days, they already have feathers and can fly.
Fun Facts
Budgerigars glow in the dark
... but only when exposed to UV light! Their feathers reflect ultraviolet light, which is why they shine under UV light.
Hansi-Bubi
Hansi-Bubi is not just an ordinary name for budgerigars; it is a term used by budgerigar breeders to refer to the small budgerigar that is closest to the wild form.
Sources:
- „Budgerigar flight in a varying environment: flight at distinct speeds?“ (https://royalsocietypublishing.org)
- „Experience with speech sounds is not necessary for cue trading by budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)“ (https://journals.plos.org)
- „Largest vocabulary for a bird living“ (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
- „Oldest budgerigar in captivity“ (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
- „Largest vocabular for a bird ever“ (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
You want to keep these birds? Our pet section has a detailed pet profile for the budgie and many other birds.
