Budgie / Parakeet

Overview

The budgerigar (budgie) is native to the semi-arid interior of Australia, where enormous nomadic flocks follow rainfall and seed availability across the outback. In the wild they are small, swift, and highly social - flocks of thousands are common. They are the third most popular pet in the world after dogs and cats, and the best-selling pet bird globally. With training, many budgies develop the ability to mimic speech - some hold records for the largest bird vocabulary.

Quick Facts

History

George Shaw described the species in 1805, and John Gould gave it the binomial Melopsittacus undulatus in 1840, the same year he carried four live birds home to Britain from his Australian expedition. Most of what Gould brought back survived the voyage only as stuffed specimens; the budgerigar was hardy enough to arrive alive. Aviculturists had it breeding in captivity by the 1850s, and blue birds soon turned up in continental collections, fetching a steep premium once they reached British keepers. The Budgerigar Club formed in 1925 and staged its first show the year after, setting the exhibition standards that produced the heavy show type kept alongside the ordinary pet bird.