Budgerigar Discussions (Enclosure)

Species Name: Budgerigar

Species Latin Name: Melopsittacus undulatus

Also known as: Common Parakeet, Shell Parakeet, or Budgie

Female Name: Hen

Male Name: Cock

Baby Name: Chick

Native To: Australia

Located in: Throughout all inland regions of Australia with exception to Tasmania. Also found along the coast of Western Australia with exception to the far northern and far southern coastal areas of Western Australia.

Habitats: Grasslands which include areas which include spinifex, pastoral country areas, saltbush, mallee, and mulga. Also located near eucalypts on watercourses, freshwater lakes, crops, and roadsides.

Size (length): 170 – 200mm (6.7 – 7.9 inches)

Wing span: 120 – 140 mm (4.7 – 5.5 inches)

Bill size: 12 – 15 mm (0.5 – 0.6 inches)

Weight: 30 – 40 g (1.1 – 1.4 ounces)

Lifespan: 5 – 20 years

Group size: Usually found in small flocks but can be found in rather large flocks if conditions are favourable.

Diet: These birds are herbivores and primarily feed on seeds of various types of grass. They will also eat lawn grass seeds as well as cereal crops.

Lifestyle: Arboreal, altricial, nomadic, terrestrial, oviparous

Migration Behaviour: Not a migrant

Group Name: Flock, company, pandemonium

Voice: The types of calls these birds make consist of constant but musical chirrups, rasping scolds, zizzing chattering and warblings that can be described as a 'chedelee chedelee' sound. Can make a harsher 'chek chek chek' when flushed or alarmed. Male budgerigar's are known for their skils in mimicry when in captivity.

Mating Behaviour: Budgerigars are monogamous and form pairs. They will show affection for each other by preening each others feathers and feeding each other. The female will incubate the eggs and will only leave the nest for a quick stretch or a quick meal, otherwise they will stay at the nest and will usually be fed by their mate. Females will not allow a male inside the nest unless he forces himself inside. The mother will feed her chicks when they hatch and keep them warm.

Reproductive Season: March – January (from June to September in northern Australia and from August to January southern Australia). Will also breed after rain.

Nest Description: Nests will usually be located in the hollow in a trees, fence posts, or logs lying on the ground.

Eggs Per Clutch: 4 – 8 eggs

Egg Description: White and rounded

Egg Size: 19 x 14 mm (0.7 x 0.6 inches)

Incubation Period: 18 – 21 days

Fledge date: 5 weeks

Independent Age: 6 – 8 weeks

Scientific Classification:

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittaculidae

Subfamily: Loriinae

Tribe: Melopsittacini

Genus: Melopsittacus

Description:

In the wild these birds will typically have yellow feathers along their face and forehead, black striped feathers that go along their cheek, down the back of their head, neck, back, and along their wings. Apart from the yellow feathers they will have blue feathers along their cheek and the rest of their bodies will have green feathers along the rest of their bodies. Their tail feathers will be a blue-green colouration. They have short grey legs and feet and they have very short bills that point downwards. Females will have a blue coloured nasal area above the bill whereas the females will have more of a pinkish/creamy colour to their nasal area.

In captivity the colouration of these birds can vary due to various colour mutations. These colour mutations can be divided into two basic series of colours such as white-based groups consisting of blue, grey, and white colours, and yellow-based groups consisting of green, grey-green, and yellow colours. There are currently 32 primary mutations listed which enable hundreds of possible secondary mutations. Budgerigars in captivity can also vary in size with exhibition budgerigars (also known as show or English budgerigars) can be twice as large as ones found in the wild.

Behaviour:

Budgerigars are nomadic in nature and will tend to stay around areas based on availability of food and water. Drought can their flocks into more wooded habitats or more coastal areas. These birds wake up just before sunrise and start their day by preening, singing, and moving from one tree to another. They will spend the rest of the morning foraging for food then they will spend the middle of the day in the shade sheltering from the heat as well as to rest. During the evenings they will fly around and call loudly before returning to their roosting sites to sleep.

Population (approximate): Unknown

Population Trend: Increasing

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Potential threats and conservation: There are no major threats listed to this bird at this moment. The IUCN indicates that the species is abdundant throughout its range.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budgerig…

Birdlife: birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/…

Australian Museum: australian.museum/learn/animal…

Animalia: animalia.bio/budgerigar

Bush Heritage Australia: www.bushheritage.org.au/specie…

Book References:

The Australian Bird Guide Revised Edition published by CSIRO Publishing

Birds of Australia published by DK Nature Guide

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia published by Harper Collins

The Slater Field Guide To Australian Birds Second Edition by Peter Slater, Pat Slater, and Raoul Slater