Breed: Parakeet
Average Size: 7 inches in length
Appearance: The word 'budgie' is short for budgerigar which is a native green and yellow bird in Australia. There is a distinct difference in what we call a parakeet and an English Budgie for show. English Budgies are much larger, especially in the head area.
Lifespan: 12 - 15 years
Habitat: Parakeets need a large cage. Your parakeet needs to be able to hop-fly from perch to perch to get some exercise when they can't be out enjoying the room. The cage bars should be close enough together that the bird's head can't fit through them. A typical restriction is that they should be .5 inches or less apart. Put a variety of wood and/or rope perches into the cage. You want the parakeet's feet to have different textures and different sized perches to grab onto, so the feet get some exercise. Parakeets love to chew and the perches can aid in this. Birds love bells, ropes, and hoops as toys. Don't use the Christmas-bell types with tiny openings. Bird feet can get caught in these. Use the Liberty-bell type ones with a bit opening at the bottom and a clapper. Parakeets are very smart and can get bored so change out the toys regularly. Line the bottom of the cage with paper and change it every week. Don't use gravel paper because it can rip open the birds feet if walked on. You will also need a sheet or some type of cover for the cage during down and sleep time.
Food: The recommended diet for a parakeet consists of: 50% cooked beans, whole wheat bread, cooked rice, pasta, and seed, 45% fresh broccoli, carrots, yams, spinach, dandelion greens, other green/orange fruits and veggies, and 5% eggs, tuna packed in water, well cooked meat. Parakeets are lactose-intolerant and cannot eat a lot of dairy product. You can feed a parakeet fresh fruit such as apples and cherries, but be careful about the seeds as those have toxins in them. Millet is very high in fat and is a treat for parakeets. It should only be fed to them occasionally. You should change your parakeet's water daily. Water that sits still for a while gets stagnant plus make sure the water is up high so no hulls or feathers fall into it.
Temperament: Budgies are active, playful little birds. A very tame budgie is also cuddly, loving to have it's head scratched. More than anything else, they're very 'happy' little birds, always busy doing something. Tame budgies love being out of the cage and doing things with you.
Special Traits: Please remember that although they're small, inexpensive, and 'common', they are still parrots, and truly should require the same commitment that the more 'exotic' species do. When they have that commitment from you, and you work with them everyday, they have the potential to be a wonderful companion. Budgies are one of the most popular pet birds. Young budgies are also called 'Shell' parakeets because of their markings on their faces.
Other Important Info: The 'most talking bird' in the Guinness Book of Records was 'Puck' a blue parakeet who lived in Petaluma, California. He had a vocabulary of over 1700 words. The name parakeet is an American term and is used to distinguish the smaller pet version from the larger Exhibition or English Budgie that is shown in many bird shows.
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