Budgie Bird Information

The blue cere above the beak indicates this budgie is a boy.

Budgies (also known as parakeets) are often sold as an "easy" pet and sent home with new bird owners with little, even incorrect, information about their care. With good basic care, budgies can live anywhere from 7 to 15 years. Understanding this bird's care needs should help owners provide the best care possible for their pet budgie.

Plumage

Wild budgies have green feathers on their belly and yellow and black patterned feathers on their neck and back. Their face is bright yellow and their tail colors include blue, yellow and black. As pets, budgies have been bred to come in a variety of colors, called morphs, including white, blue and even purple.

Native Habitat

Native to all regions of Australia except the coast, budgies have adapted to a variety of habitats and to where temperatures can range from 30 to more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Joseph Forshaw in "Parrots of the World," budgies are found in dry grasslands, farmlands and cities. Wild ones tend to be found in eucalyptus trees, but they do stay close to water sources.

Behavior

Forshaw states that budgie flocks of thousands have been reported in the wild. Just as social as pets, budgies seek interaction from their owners or other cage mates. Budgies always seem to be on the move and pet budgies will spend much of their day playing with toys.

Diet

Like other parakeets, budgies are considered herbivores, eating a variety of seeds, leaves and fruits in the wild. This causes confusion for many pet budgie owners. Pet owners are often incorrectly informed that seeds are the best food source for their budgie. In fact, seeds found in the pet store do not meet the nutritional needs of a budgie. A budgie needs a variety of foods including formulated pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables to go with some seeds.

Health Concerns

The most common cause of health problems in pet budgies is diet related, in particular when budgie are only feed dry seeds. Says veterinarian Gary A. Gallerstein in "The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook," the "problem with seeds is they are high in fat (up to 50 percent), (and) deficient in some important nutrients..." Other health problems budgies are prone to include psittacosis (a bacterial infection), giardia and respiratory infections.

References

• "Parrots for Dummies"; Nikki Moustaki; 2005
• "Parrots of the World: An Identification Guide"; Joseph M. Forshaw; 2006
• "The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook"; Gary A Gallerstein, D.V.M.; 1994
• "Birds for Dummies"; Gina Spadafori and Brian L. Speer, D.V.M.; 1999