Budgies, Budgerigars, and Parakeets

For centuries Budgies have been kept in captivity.  They have the reputation of being very intelligent, great at talking, friendly, and easy to breed.  These birds come in so many color combinations that finding one to your liking is not difficult.  Just go to any pet shop and you’ll find a variety of mutations all of which are striking.  As pets they are easily tamed and can fit perfectly into human households.  A tame budgie makes a fantastic pet for both new and experienced bird enthusiasts.

Budgies belong to the species Melopsittacus undulatus. These parrots are known in two different versions, the standard Budgerigars and the English Budgie.  Both belong to the same genus; however, they are not different species.  Rather, it is genetic mutations that separate them from their original ancestors and define these separate versions.  Standard Budgerigars are a bit larger than their wild cousins and the English Budgie is larger then both the standard Budgerigars and wild Budgerigars.  All come in a variety of mutations.   The English Budgie is the bird of choice for competing in shows, especially in Europe.

These parrots are small and very stocky.  They may appear small but they are true parrots.  They have a hooked beak and two toes on the front and back of their feet.   They have large foreheads and prominent ceres (noses).  Most budgies have patterns or lines that start at the forehead and extend towards the back.  As the budgie matures the lines will fade and the forehead will be exposed by a solid color.  Their tails are long and fan open during flight.  Though a budgie has parrot feet, it cannot manipulate or hold objects with its feet like most parrots.

Keeping a budgie as a pet is fun and will bring years of enjoyment to your life.  These parrots are not prone to being aggressive and can easily be tamed, even if the budgie has been inside an aviary for years.  They are very affectionate and will spend every chance the get seeking your attention.  Among many of the benefits these parrots have to offer, they are great at talking too.  They can develop large vocabularies and will continually impress their owners with their constant learning abilities.

Budgies are small parrots that have everything their larger cousins have to offer plus extra advantages.   Here at petbudgie.com we hope to bring you more information that will better help you care and educate yourself about budgies.