Budgerigar
Male Normal Green budgerigar
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Psittacinae Tribe: Platycercini Genus: Melopsittacus Gould, 1840 Species: M. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 Species in 85 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions The true parrots are about 330 species of bird belonging to the Psittacidae family, one of the two "traditional" families in the biological order The Psittacinae (Latin psittacinus, from psittacus parrot from Greek psittakosis) a subfamily in the parrot family A broad-tailed parrot is any of about 35–40 Species belonging to the tribe Platycercini, sometimes considered a subfamily ( Platycercinae John Gould ( 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English Ornithologist. undulatus
Binomial name
Melopsittacus undulatus (Shaw, 1805)
The Budgerigar's natural habitat is colored in red

The Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus, nicknamed budgie), commonly called parakeet, shell parakeet, or common pet parakeet in US English, the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus, is a small parrot belonging to the tribe of the broad-tailed parrots (Platycercini); these are sometimes considered a subfamily (Platycercinae). George Shaw ( December 10, 1751 - July 22, 1813) was an English Botanist and Zoologist. Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 Species in 85 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions In Biology, a tribe &mdashor infrafamily&mdashis a Taxonomic rank between family and Genus. A broad-tailed parrot is any of about 35–40 Species belonging to the tribe Platycercini, sometimes considered a subfamily ( Platycercinae In Biological classification, family ( Latin In the latter case, the Budgerigar is sometimes isolated in a tribe of its own, the Melopsittacini, although it is probably quite closely related to Pezoporus and Neophema. In Biology, a tribe &mdashor infrafamily&mdashis a Taxonomic rank between family and Genus. The genus Pezoporus contains two Australian species the Night Parrot ( Pezoporus occidentalis) and the Ground Parrot ( Pezoporus The Genus Neophema is an Australian genus of Broad-tailed parrots with six or seven species ^[2] Though Budgerigars are often called Parakeets, especially in American English, this term refers to any of a number of small Parrots with long flat tails. A parakeet is a North American term for any one of a large number of unrelated small to medium sized Parrot species that generally have long-tail feathers Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. The Budgerigar is found throughout the drier parts of Australia and has survived in the inlands of that continent. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions ^[3]

Etymology

Several possible origins for the English name Budgerigar have been proposed:

• A compound of budgery, "good" and gar "Cockatoo". A cockatoo is any of the 20 Bird Species belonging to the family Cacatuidae. ^[4] This is supported by the Oxford English Dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English The word budgery itself, also spelt boojery, was formerly in use in Australian English slang meaning "good". Australian English ( AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia.
• An alteration of Gamilaraay gidjirrigaa (IPA: [ɡiɟiriɡaː]),^[5] possibly influenced by the slang word budgery mentioned above. The Gamilaraay or Kamilaroi (see below for other spellings language is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup found mostly in South East Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language. This is supported by the American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ( AHD) is an American Dictionary of the English language published by

The genus name Melopsittacus comes from Greek and means "melodious parrot". The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c ^[6] The species name undulatus is Latin for "undulated" or "wave-patterned". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[7]

Taxonomy

The Budgerigar was held by Forshaw to be a link between the genera Neophema and Peoporus based on the barred plumage. The Genus Neophema is an Australian genus of Broad-tailed parrots with six or seven species ^[8]

Characteristics

The anatomy of a male budgerigar

Appearance

Budgerigars are about 18 cm (7 in) long and weigh 30-40 grams. For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. Wild Budgerigars display a green body color (abdomen and rumps), while their mantle (back and wing coverts) is black edged in yellow. The forehead and face is yellow in adults, and barred black with yellow in young till they change into their adult plumage at 3-4 months of age. Plumage refers both to the layer of Feathers that cover a Bird and the pattern colour and arrangement of those feathers Each cheek has a small dark purple patch (cheek patches) and a series of 3 black spots across each sides of their throats (throat-spots) of which the outermost spots are situated at the base of each cheek-patches. The tail is cobalt (dark-blue); outside tail feathers display central yellow flashes. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures Their wings have greenish-black flight feathers and black coverts with yellow fringes along with central yellow flashes which only becomes visible in flight and/or when the wings are stretched. Bill olive grey and legs blueish-grey, with zygodactyl toes. In Biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits ( Fingers and Toes on the Hands feet, or sometimes Wings of a ^[9] Wild budgerigars are noticeably smaller than those in captivity. Animals that live under human care are in captivity. Captivity can be used as a generalizing term to describe the keeping of either Domesticated Animals ( Livestock These parrots have been bred in many other colors in captivity, such as white, blue, and even purple, although they are mostly found in pet stores in blue, green, yellow and occasionally white. A pet store or pet shop is a retail business which sells different kinds of animals Budgerigar plumage is known to fluoresce under ultraviolet light, a phenomenon possibly related to courtship and mate selection. Fluorescence is a Luminescence that is mostly found as an Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage ^[10]

The colour of the cere (the area containing the nostrils) differs between the sexes; royal blue in males, pale-brown to white (non-breeding) or brown (breeding) in females and pink in immatures of both sexes (usually of a more even purplish-pink color in young males). Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species An organism's sex is defined by the gametes it produces males produce male gametes (spermatozoa or Sperm) while females produce female gametes (ova or Egg cells; individual Reproduction is the Biological process by which new individual Organisms are produced Some female budgies develop brown cere only during breeding time and later disappears. Young females can often be identified by a subtle chalky whiteness that starts around the cere nostril holes. Males that are either albino, lutino and/or recessive pied (aka Danishpied aka Harlequin) always retain the immature purplish-pink cere colour their entire life. Albinism (from Latin albus, "white" see extended etymology) is a form of hypopigmentary Congenital disorder, Recessive pied is a Budgerigar selective breeding variety A mature recessive pied can be distinguished from other budgerigars by the availability of iris ring (a white ring ^[11][9]

Colour Mutations

Main article: Budgerigar colour genetics

Adult females (left above) display beige to brown ceres while adult males (right above) typically have blue ceres or purplish-pink in Albinistic and recessive-pied varieties. The science of Budgerigar colour Genetics deals with the Heredity of colour variation in the feathers of the species known as Melopsittacus undulatus

There are presently at least 32 primary mutations in the Budgerigar, enabling hundreds of possible secondary mutations (stable combined primary mutations) & colour varieties (unstable combined mutations). In biology mutations are changes to the Nucleotide sequence of the Genetic material of an organism Each of these primary mutations falls into one of four basic groups:

• Albinism : where eumelanin is either partially or completely reduced in all body tissues & structures. Albinism (from Latin albus, "white" see extended etymology) is a form of hypopigmentary Congenital disorder, Melanin is a class of compounds found in the Plant, Animal and Protista kingdoms, where it serves predominantly as a Pigment.

• Dilution : where eumelanin is partially reduced in only feathering. Melanin is a class of compounds found in the Plant, Animal and Protista kingdoms, where it serves predominantly as a Pigment.

• Leucism : where eumelanin is completely reduced from total or localized feathering. Leucism is a condition characterized by reduced Pigmentation in animals Melanin is a class of compounds found in the Plant, Animal and Protista kingdoms, where it serves predominantly as a Pigment.

• Melanism : where eumelanin is increased in the feathering. Melanism μέλας is an increased amount of black or nearly black Pigmentation (as of Skin, Feathers or Hair) of an organism resulting from Melanin is a class of compounds found in the Plant, Animal and Protista kingdoms, where it serves predominantly as a Pigment.

Each of these mutations is inherited via one of the following dominance relationships:

• Autosomal co-dominant
• Autosomal complete dominant
• Autosomal incomplete dominant
• Autosomal recessive
• Autosomal polygenic
• Sex-linked recessive

Because birds have a ZW sex-determination system, sex-linked recessive traits are more common in females than in males, rather than the reverse as is found the more familiar XY determination of humans and other mammals. Sex linkage is the phenotypic expression of an Allele that is related to the chromosomal sex of the individual Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The ZW sex-determination system is a system that determines the sex of offspring in Birds, some Fish, and some Insects (including Butterflies The XY sex-determination system is the Sex-determination system found in Humans most other Mammals some insects ( Drosophila) and some

Personality

Care should be taken when placing several female budgies together, as they can do serious harm to one another if they do not get along. It is easier and often more convenient to keep either an even number of both males and females or to only keep male birds altogether as these generally get along with each other without any problem. They are relatively easily tamed. Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals

Bird lovers often comment on the differences in personality in each individual bird. Budgerigars each have their own unique ideas about how much they like to be handled, which toys are their favourites, and even what music they like or are indifferent to.

Vision

Like many birds, budgerigars have tetrachromatic color vision, but all four classes of cone cells operating simultaneously require the full spectrum provided by sunlight. Tetrachromacy is the condition of possessing four independent channels for conveying Color information or possessing four different cones. Color vision is the capacity of an organism or machine to distinguish objects based on the Wavelengths (or frequencies) of the Light they reflect or emit Cone cells, or cones, are Photoreceptor cells in the Retina of the Eye which function best in relatively bright Light. Sunlight, in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the Electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ^[12] Additionally, budgies have been known to see in the ultra-violet spectrum, which brightens up their feathers to attract mates. Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays The throat markings in budgies have been most notable for reflecting UVs.

Habitat and behavior

Budgerigars are nomadic birds found in open habitats, primarily in Australian scrubland, open woodland and grassland. Scrubland is a Plant community characterized by scrub Vegetation. Ecologically a woodland is an area covered in trees differentiated from a Forest. Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody The birds are normally found in small flocks, but can form very large flocks under favourable conditions. A herd is a large group of animals The term is usually applied to mammals particularly Ungulates. The species is extremely nomadic and the movement of the flocks is tied to the availability of food and water. Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. ^[9] Drought can drive flocks into more wooded habitat or coastal areas. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply They feed on the seeds of spinifex, grass weeds, and sometimes ripening wheat. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include WEED (1390 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Spanish format Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. ^[13][9]

The wild budgerigar has evolved alongside the Eucalyptus tree and over a million years has developed an intimate bond with the tree and its leaves. Eucalyptus (From Greek ευκάλυπτος meaning "well covered" is a diverse Genus of Trees (and a few shrubs the members of which Wet eucalyptus leaves excite and invigorate both the wild and aviary budgerigar into a frenzy of joy. They love to bathe in the wet leaves and breeding hens destructively chew the bark. The eucalyptus oil from the leaves has medicinal properties that stimulate the immune system and promote a strong natural resistance to disease{3}.

Feral birds have been found since the 1940s in the St. Petersburg, Florida area of the United States, but are much less common than they were in the early 1980s. A feral organism is one that has escaped from Domestication and returned partly or wholly to its wild state St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Increased competition from European Starlings and House Sparrows is thought to be primary cause of the population decline (Pranty 2001). The European Starling, Common Starling or just Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a Passerine Bird in the family

Budgerigars keep themselves clean by preening. They do it very often to remove dirt and dust from their feathers which are important for flight. Budgerigars show signs of affection to their friends by preening or feeding one another. They help clean each others hard-to-reach spots. Budgerigars feed one another by eating the seeds themselves, and then regurgitating it into their friend’s mouth.

When budgies sleep, they often fluff up their feathers, trapping in warm air, and making themselves cozy.

Captivity

Pet budgerigars.

The Budgerigar is one of the two Parrots to be genuinely domesticated as a species along with the Peach-faced Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis). Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 Species in 85 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals The Peach-faced Lovebird ( Agapornis roseicollis) also known as the Rosy-faced Lovebird, is a species of Lovebird native to arid regions in southwestern It is widely acknowledged as the most common pet Parrot in the world and possibly the most common cage bird. The Budgerigar has been bred in captivity since the 1850s. Breeders have worked over the decades to produce a wide range of colour, pattern and feather mutations, such as blue, white, violet, olive, albino and lutino (yellow), pied, clearwing, spangled, and crested. Albinism (from Latin albus, "white" see extended etymology) is a form of hypopigmentary Congenital disorder,

Modern show budgerigars, also called English budgerigars and/or Standard-Type Budgerigars are larger than their wild-type (natural form) counterparts, with puffy head feathers, giving them an exaggerated look. The eyes and beak can be almost totally obscured by feathers. Eyes are organs that detect Light, and send signals along the Optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species Most Budgerigars in the pet trade are not of the show variety (Standard-Type aka English Budgies) and are similar in size and body conformation to wild Budgerigars and thus aptly called wild-type Budgies. A pet is an Animal kept for companionship and enjoyment or a househeld animal as opposed to Livestock, Laboratory animals Working animals

Budgerigars are intelligent and social animals and enjoy the stimulation of toys and interaction with humans as well as with other Budgerigars. This article is about playthings For other uses of the term see Toy (disambiguation. A common behaviour is the chewing of material such as wood, especially for female Budgerigars. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs

Budgerigars can be taught to speak, whistle tunes, and play with humans. Human whistling is the production of Sound by means of a constant stream of air from the mouth Both males and females sing and can learn to mimic sounds & words. Both singing and mimicry are more pronounced and much more perfected in males. As a whole, females rarely if ever learn to mimic more than a dozen words or so. Males can very easily acquire vocabularies ranging between a few dozen to a hundred words. Generally speaking, it is the pet Budgies and even more so the ones kept as single pets which talk the best and the most.

In captivity, Budgerigars live an average of five to eight years, but are reported to occasionally live to 15 if well cared for. ^[14] The life span depends on the budgerigar's breed (show Budgerigars typically do not live as long as wild-type Budgerigars) and on the individual bird's health, which is highly influenced by exercise and diet. This article is primarily about the human diet For a discussion of animal diets see List of feeding behaviours.

Budgerigars have been shown to cause "bird fancier's lung in their handlers, a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Bird fancier's lung is a type of Hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by bird droppings Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (also called extrinsic allergic alveolitis, EAA is an Inflammation of the Alveoli within the Lung caused by ^[15]

Female parakeets love to chew on anything they can find in their cage, which comes from their instinct to build nests for their eggs. Since in captivity parakeets don’t have as many things to gnaw on as they do in the wild, cuttlebone is often placed in their cages to help them keep their beaks clean and trimmed.

Although wild Budgerigars eat grass seeds almost exclusively, avian veterinarians recommend captive birds' diets be supplemented with foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds, pasta, whole grain bread and other healthy human foods, as well as pellets formulated for small parrots. Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored An avian veterinarian is a Veterinarian who has undertaken additional training to treat Birds Birds are very different in Anatomy and Physiology The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Sprouting is the practice of soaking draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they Germinate, or sprout Pasta ( Italian for "dough" is a generic term for Italian variants of Noodles. Whole grains are cereal grains that Bran and germ as well as the Endosperm, in contrast to Refined grains, which retain only Bread is a Staple food prepared by Baking a Dough of Flour and Water. Compound feeds are feedstuffs that are blended from various raw materials and additives Adding these foods provides additional nutrients and can prevent obesity and lipomas, as can substituting millet, which is relatively low in fat, for seeds mixes. A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment Obesity is a condition in which excess Body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected A lipoma is a Benign tumor composed of fatty tissue. These are the most common form of Soft tissue tumor The millets are a group of small- Seeded Species of Cereal crops or grains widely grown around the world for Food and Fodder Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water Budgerigars do not always adapt readily to dietary additions, however. Chocolate, alcohol, rhubarb (including the leaves) and avocado are recognized as potential toxins. Chocolate ( pronounced or /-ˈələt/ comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical Cacao tree In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon Rheum is a genus of Perennial plants that grows from thick short Rhizomes The genus is in the family Polygonaceae, and includes the vegetable The avocado ( Persea americana) (from Nahuatl āhuacatl) also known as aguacate ( Spanish) butter pear or A toxin ( Greek:, toxikon, lit (poison for use on arrows is a Poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low ^[16]

Reproduction

A flock of Budgerigars in an aviary

The male will stand on female's back while some beak contact is made between the mates. An aviary is a large enclosure for confining Birds. Unlike cages ' aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly hence aviaries are also The male will then wrap his tail under the female's raised tail, place his cloaca against hers and rub it back and forth to stimulate ejaculation. In zoological anatomy a cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal and urinary tracts of certain animal species Ejaculation is the ejecting of Semen from the Penis, and is usually accompanied by Orgasm. The male may move away for a moment before returning for another session.

Breeding

Budgerigars are easily bred. Animal husbandry, also called Animal science, stockbreeding or simple husbandry, is the agricultural practice of breeding In the wild, virtually all parrot species require a hollow tree or a hollow log as a nest site. Because of this natural behavior, Budgerigars most easily breed in captivity when provided with a nest box. Female budgerigars can lay eggs without a male partner but these eggs are unfertilized and will not hatch. This is just like the eggs that chickens lay, which are later sold at supermarkets. A female budgie will lay her eggs on alternate days. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. ^[17] After the first one, there is usually a two-day gap until the next. She will usually lay between four to eight eggs, which she will incubate (usually starting after laying her 2nd or 3rd) for about 21 days each. ^[18] Budgerigar Parakeet hens only leave their nests for very quick defecations and stretches once they've begun incubating and are by then almost exclusively fed by their cocks (usually at the nest's entrance). ^[19] Depending on the clutch size and the beginning of incubation, the age difference between the first and last hatchling can be anwhere from 9 to 16 days. In oviparous biology a hatchling is the newborn of Animals that develop and emerge from within hard-shell eggs.

Breeding difficulties

Often males will show courtship with males, and females will court females. It is easy to define what the birds gender is,you can tell either by the cere (the section right above the beak) or the behavior. To tell if the bird is a female or a male you will have to see if the cere is either light blue, brown, pink, or dark blue. If it is light blue to brown then it is a female. If the cere is pink to dark blue then it is a male. ^[20] However, if the bird is too young one will not be able to determine its gender by the colour of its cere. Breeding difficulties arise for various reasons. Some chicks may die from diseases or attacks by their parents (virtually always hens). Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly Other budgerigars (virtually always hens) may fight over the nest box, attacking the hen while she is laying her eggs. Sometimes parakeets are not interested in the opposite gender, and will not reproduce with them. Another problem may be the birds' beak being under lapped. This is where the lower mandible is above the upper mandible.

It is very important to realize that most health issues and physical abnormalities are genetically inherited and are thus consequence of high inbreeding frequencies. Inbreeding is breeding between close Relatives whether plant or animal Parasites (including fleas, mites and worms) and pathogens (bacteria, fungi and viruses), however, are contagious and thus transmitted between individuals through either direct or indirect contact. Budgerigars eggs are 1 to 2 centimeters long.

Development

The eggs will take about 18-20 days before they start hatching. When they start to hatch, the hatchlings are totally helpless and their mother feeds them around the clock day and night. Around 10 days of age, the chicks' eyes will open, and they will start to develop feather down, which typically indicates the best time for adding closed bands to the chicks (These rings should be about 4. 0 to 4. 2 mm. )

They develop feathers around 3 weeks of age. (One can often easily note the colour mutation of the individual birds at this point. ) At this stage of the chicks' development, the cock usually has begun to enter the nest to help his hen in caring and feeding the chicks. Some Budgie hens, however, totally forbid their cocks from entering the nest and thus take the full responsibility of rearing the chick. Depending on the size of the clutch, it may then be wise to transfer a portion of the hatchlings (or best of the fertile eggs) to another pair. The foster pair must already be in breeding mode and thus either at the laying or incubating stages and/or rearing hatchlings. In about 4 weeks the birds are ready to survive on their own.

By the fifth week, the chicks are strong enough that both parents will be comfortable in staying more and more out of the nest. The youngsters will stretch their wings to gain strength before they attempt to fly. Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the Air (or movement beyond Earth's atmosphere, in the case of They will also help defend the box from enemies mostly with their loud screeching. Young budgies typically fledge (leave the nest) around their fifth week of age and are usually completely weaned a week later. However, the age for fledging as well as weaning can vary slightly depending on whether it is the oldest, the youngest and/or the only surviving chick. Generally speaking, the oldest chick is the first to be weaned. But even though it is logically the last one to be weaned, the youngest chick is often weaned at a younger age than its older sibling(s). (This can be a result of mimicking the actions of older siblings. ) Lonely surviving chicks are often weaned at the youngest possible age as a result of having their parent's full attention and care.

Human speech

Budgerigars are considered one of the top five talking champions amongst Parrot species, alongside Psittacus erithacus ssp. (Congo/Cameroon/Ghana/Princep's &/or Timneh African Grey Parrots), Amazona spp. The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the The African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus) is a medium-sized Parrot of the Genus Psittacus, endemic to primary and secondary Rainforest An Amazon parrot is a large Parrot of the Genus Amazona native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico (Amazon Parrot species), Eclectus ssp. An Amazon parrot is a large Parrot of the Genus Amazona native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico The Eclectus Parrot, Eclectus roratus, is a Parrot native to the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, northeastern Australia and the (Eclectus sub-species), Psittacula spp. (Afro-Asian Ringnecked Parakeet species) and male specimens of Melopsittacus undulatus (Budgerigar Parakeet). The Rose-ringed Parakeet ( Psittacula krameri) also known as the Ringnecked Parakeet, is a gregarious tropical Parakeet species that is popular as

A budgerigar named Puck holds the world record for the largest vocabulary of any bird, at 1,728 words. Puck, a male budgie owned by American Camille Jordan, died in 1994, with the record first appearing in the 1995 edition of Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U ^[21][22]

The budgerigar will typically speak words in the context to which he or she is accustomed to hearing them. For example, if the bird owner says "up" every time the bird is picked up, the bird may say "up" when it is picked up, or wants to be picked up.

Many budgerigars prefer non-verbal communication, such as stomping on their food dish and shrieking when they want fresh seed, rather than asking for it.

Gallery

Male Olive green Budgerigar placed outdoors	Budgerigar hen of natural colouration	SF Violet Blue cock Budgerigar	Budgerigar hen
Suffused Blue (White) Budgerigar	Young female Opaline-Cinnamon Olive Budgerigar	Budgerigar chick at eleven days of age	Male YellowFaced type I Cobalt Australian (Banded) Pied Budgerigar
Male Light-Green Mongrel, or possibly a dominant pied split Lacewing (?)	A young sky-blue Budgerigar with a few remaining pin feathers	Pet Continental Dutch Pied Yellowface type I Cobalt Budgie, wet from the rain and visible pin feathers	Grassy&Leafy . jpg A cock and hen pair
The full profile of a male budgerigar

See also

• Budgerigar colour genetics
• Budgerigar Society of Pakistan

References

Inline

General

• Pranty, B. 2001. The Budgerigar in Florida: Rise and fall of an exotic psittacid. North American Birds 55: 389-397.
• Forshaw, Joseph M. & Cooper, William T. (1978): Parrots of the World (2nd ed). Landsdowne Editions, Melbourne Australia ISBN 0-7018-0690-7

External links

• For a full information on budgerigars : Moi, l'Ondulée.
• A True Ambassador: the Budgerigar Referenced article on budgerigars
• List of Plants & Branches Hazardous to Birds Referenced list oriented toward pet birds
• Common Budgie Mutations Illustrated list of common budgerigar mutations