Budgerigar info - Budgie information

PARROT NAME:
Eng. Budgerigar, Budgie, Parakeet
Lat. Melopsittacus Undulatus

On the photo up you can see normal appearance of the budgerigar parrot, also often called budgie or parakeet.

ORIGIN: Australia

PHYSICAL APPEARENCE: Budgie (Budgerigar) natural color is various shades of green. With selective breeding, they can be blue, grey, white, yellow and different combinations or shades of these colors. Budgie sex can be determined by the color of cornea, which is blue for male budgies and a white or brown shade for female budgies. For young birds, it is harder to determine the sex. This also applies to those birds of lighter color. In that case, one should consult an expert for this kind of parrots for help. Their size is about 18 cm (7 in). More budgie picture is here (budgerigar pictures).

KEEPING BUDGIE: Budgerigar parrots can be kept in pairs or alone which is most common. The attention required for one bird is greater than for a pair. We recommend that one get a young bird to prevent the bird's shock of being taken away. It will also get used to one's owner more easily and accept one as its friend. Before purchasing, one has to provide an adequate cage that is not too small so that the bird feels comfortable in it. One must also find a location to place the cage. It has to be out of draught winds and direct sunlight. The first couple of days, one should leave the bird alone in order allow it to become accustomed to its cage and environment. After that phase, one can start to talk to the bird and teach it to come to one's hand. It is important that one's movements are slow so that the bird will not be frightened. After the first and most crucial contact, when the bird understands that one is not a threat but a friend, taming will go very easily and spontaneously. With persistence and luck, the bird will learn to talk. Budgie sound can be listen here.

On the photo you can see male and female budgerigar. Kiss???

DIET OF BUDGIE: Nutrition for Budgerigar parrots is made from a mixture of seeds that consist of millets, light seeds, shelled oats, panicum yellow and japanese millet which can be in seeds or spikes. Vitamins are very important for a normal growth progress. These should be in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables or vitamin preparations and/or a combination of these. The fruits one can add to the diet are: apples, grapes and bananas. The recommended vegetables are: carrots, mangel and dandelion greens. It should be understood that both fruits and vegetables must be fresh, clean and freeof any chemical preparations.

BREEDING BUDGIES: Breeding should be considered in terms of flocks instead of as a unit. Although it is not a coincidence to have the posterity of only one pair. Budgerigars, in nature, live and nest in flocks, choosing a sole partner. They nest in nature in a tree hole, but in captivity, they are satisfied with artificial nests such as a box–shaped one with a height of 25 cm (10 in), and a length and width of 20 cm (8 in).

On the photo you can see budgerigar pair ready for breeding. Male and female budgerigar takes care about baby birds together.

At the bottom of the nest, put bigger wood chips. The nest should be on the top of the cage or aviary depending on where one keeps the birds. The female usually has 5 to 8 eggs in a 2 day period. Only the female sits on the eggs and does not leave the nest for the 21 days of incubation. The male now has the primary role of feeding the female. His care will determine the bird's hatching. If the male dies, the female does not abandon the nest.

On the picture you can see budgie eggs with some baby birds. Budgerigars parents color in this case is yellow.

Young birds in the nest are not the same size, so when a female has eight eggs, the oldest one is 16 days old and the youngest only one. This difference is slighter as the birds get older, because older younglings feed the younger ones and they all leave their nest at the same time. They stay with their parents until they start to take food by themselves. Ten days after that, they abandon the nest. To facilitate parents while feeding the younglings, one can give the younglings soft food consisting of freshly boiled eggs or dehydrated eggs that are less perishable and can be kept at a higher temperature.

On the picture you can see blue baby budgies in the nest box.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BUDGERIGAR: Budgerigar parrots can be seen in two very rare variations. These are the budgerigars with a crest and the budgerigars with curly feathers. They can learn to pronounce about one hundred words and phrases. Some nice videos and moves you can look at our budgie video section.

This pet budgie is get used to eat some beans directly from the pot.

It is considered that they talk automatically without any order and meaning.
Budgies are not bred in red and black colors. Some species have lived up to 20 years, which is a real rarity. Normal budgie life span is around 8-14 years.

One more photo of nice tamed budgie. This blue budgie is learned to pronounce about 100 words and phrases.

More photos, videos and music on our CD... Keep reading..