Budgerigar
Male Normal Green budgerigar
Conservation status
Least Concern [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Psittacinae Tribe: Platycercini Genus: Melopsittacus Gould, 1840 Species: M. undulatus
Binomial name
Melopsittacus undulatus (Shaw, 1805)

The Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus, nicknamed budgie), 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). 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.^[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. The Budgerigar is found throughout the drier parts of Australia and has survived in the inlands of that continent for over 5 million years.^[3] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 489 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1226 pixel, file size: 641 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph of male English Budgie taken by User:Althepal. ... 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. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Families Cacatuidae Psittacidae The order Psittaciformes (Parrots) includes about 353 species of bird which are generally grouped into two families: the Cacatuidae or cockatoos, and the Psittacidae or true parrots. ... For the runtime engine for Perl 6, see Parrot virtual machine. ... Tribes Psittrichadini Cyclopsittacini Polytelini Psittaculini Psittacini The Psittacinae is a subfamily in the parrot family Psittacidae. ... A broad-tailed parrot is any of about 35 species belonging to the subfamily Platycercinae. ... John Gould John Gould (14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... George Shaw. ... Systematics (but see below) Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos) Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo) Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos) Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos) Family Psittacidae (true parrots) Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) Tribe Arini (American psittacines) Tribe Cyclopsitticini (fig parrots) Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots) Tribe Nestorini (kakas and... In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic classification in between family and genus. ... Genera  Psephotus  Cyanoramphus  Lathamus  Barnarduis  Melopsittacus  Neophema  Neopsephotus  Northiella  Pezoporus  Platycercus  Purpureicephalus A broad-tailed parrot is any of about 35 species belonging to the subfamily Platycercinae. ... ... In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic classification in between family and genus. ... Species Pezoporus occidentalis Pezoporus wallicus Synonyms Geopsittacus The genus Pezoporus contains two Australian species: the Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) and the Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus). ... Binomial name Neophema bourkii (Gould, 1841) The Bourkes Parrot (Neophema bourkii), or Bourkie, is a small parrot originating in Australia. ... For the runtime engine for Perl 6, see Parrot virtual machine. ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ... Tails may refer to: Tailcoat – a type of coat used in evening dress Miles Tails Prower – a video game character Tails – Lisa Loebs debut album This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ...

Etymology

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

• A compound of budgery, "good" and gar "Cockatoo".^[4] This is supported by the Oxford English Dictionary. The word budgery itself, also spelt boojery, was formerly in use in Australian English slang meaning "good".
• An alteration of Gamilaraay gidjirrigaa (IPA: [ɡiɟiriɡaː]),^[5] possibly influenced by the slang word budgery mentioned above. This is supported by the American Heritage Dictionary.

The genus name Melopsittacus comes from Greek and means "melodious parrot".^[6] The species name undulatus is Latin for "undulated" or "wave-patterned".^[7] This article is about the family of birds. ... The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of... Australian English (AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia. ... The Gamilaraay or Kamilaroi language is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup found mostly in South East Australia. ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ... The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (AHD) is a dictionary of American English published by Boston publisher Houghton-Mifflin, the first edition of which appeared in 1969. ... The Greek language (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA // – Hellenic) is an Indo-European language with a documented history of some 3,000 years. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

Taxonomy

The Budgerigar was held by Forshaw to be a link between the genera Neophema and Peoporus based on the barred plumage.^[8] Binomial name Neophema bourkii (Gould, 1841) The Bourkes Parrot (Neophema bourkii), or Bourkie, is a small parrot originating in Australia. ...

Characteristics

The anatomy of a male budgerigar

Appearance

Budgerigars are about 18 cm (7 in) long and weigh 30-40 grams. Wild Budgerigars display a green body colour (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. 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. 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.^[9] Wild budgerigars are noticeably smaller than those in captivity. These parrots have been bred in many other colours in captivity, such as white, blue, and even purple, although they are mostly found in pet stores in blue, green, yellow and occasionally white. Budgerigar plumage is known to fluoresce under ultraviolet light, a phenomenon possibly related to courtship and mate selection.^[10] BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... Closeup on a single white feather A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird. ... Closeup on a single white feather A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird. ... // In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits (fingers and toes) on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. ... Animal husbandry Animals that live under human care are in captivity. ... A typical pet store in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ... For other uses, see Ultraviolet (disambiguation). ... Suitor redirects here. ...

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 colour in young males).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.^[11][9]
A cere is a fleshy, often waxy area above a birds beak. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Reproduction (disambiguation) Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. ... Albinism is a genetic condition resulting in a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. ...

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.

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). Each of these primary mutations falls into one of four basic groups: Melopsittacus undulatus at Chai-Negev, Revivim, Israel. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Blue_Parakeets. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Blue_Parakeets. ... For linguistic mutation, see Apophony. ...

• Albinism : where eumelanin is either partially or completely reduced in all body tissues & structures.

• Dilution : where eumelanin is partially reduced in only feathering.

• Leucism : where eumelanin is completely reduced from total or localized feathering.

• Melanism : where eumelanin is increased in the feathering.

Each of these mutations is inherited via one of the following dominance relationships: Albino redirects here. ... Melanin is a polymer of either or both of two monomer molecules: indolequinone, and dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid. ... Note: this page refers to dilution in the sense of trademark law. ... Melanin is a polymer of either or both of two monomer molecules: indolequinone, and dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid. ... Leucism is characterized by reduced pigmentation, resulting in an individual with white or brighter patches of fur, plumage or skin than in the typical representative of the species. ... Melanin is a polymer of either or both of two monomer molecules: indolequinone, and dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid. ... The Black Panther is the prototypical example of melanism. ... Melanin is a polymer of either or both of two monomer molecules: indolequinone, and dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid. ... See Heredity (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... In genetics, dominance describes a specific relationship between the effects of different versions of a gene (alleles) on a trait (phenotype). ...

• 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. It has been suggested that sex chromosome be merged into this article or section. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... The ZW sex-determination system is a system that birds, some fishes, and some insects (including butterflies and moths) use to determine the sex of their offspring. ... Drosophila sex-chromosomes The XY sex-determination system is the sex-determination system found in humans, most other mammals, some insects (Drosophila) and some plants (Ginkgo). ...

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. Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated. ...

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.^[12] Additionally, budgies have been known to see in the ultra-violet spectrum, which brightens up their feathers to attract mates. The throat markings in budgies have been most notable for reflecting UVs. A tetrachromat is an organism for which the perceptual effect of any arbitrarily chosen light from its visible spectrum can be matched by a mixture of no more than four different pure spectral lights. ... 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. ... Normalized responsivity spectra of human cone cells, S, M, and L types Cone cells, or cones, are photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye which function best in relatively bright light. ... Prism splitting light High Resolution Solar Spectrum Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ... Note: Ultraviolet is also the name of a 1998 UK television miniseries about vampires. ...

Habitat and behaviour

Budgerigars are nomadic birds found in open habitats, primarily in Australian scrubland, open woodland and grassland. The birds are normally found in small flocks, but can form very large flocks under favourable conditions. The species is extremely nomadic and the movement of the flocks is tied to the availability of food and water.^[9] Drought can drive flocks into more wooded habitat or coastal areas. They feed on the seeds of spinifex, grass weeds, and sometimes ripening wheat.^[13][9] Scrubland is plant community characterized by scrub vegetation. ... Limber Pine woodland, Toiyabe Range, central Nevada Biologically, a woodland is a treed area differentiated from a forest. ... The Konza tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas. ... A herd of Wildebeest A gaggle of Canada geese For other uses, see Herd (disambiguation). ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Fields outside Benambra, Victoria, Australia suffering from drought conditions A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. ... This writeup is about biological seeds; for other meanings see Seed (disambiguation). ... species Spinifex is any species of various clump-forming, perennial Australian grasses, growing in arid regions and having awl-shaped, pointed leaves. ... For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... Yellow starthistle, a thistle native to southern Europe and the Middle East that is an invasive weed in parts of North America. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat Wheat For the indie rock group, see Wheat (band). ...

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. Wet eucalypt 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^{[citation needed]}. This article is about the plant genus. ...

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. Increased competition from European Starlings and House Sparrows is thought to be primary cause of the population decline (Pranty 2001). A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... For other uses, see St. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Binomial name Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 The European Starling or Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae. ...

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). Believed to be the most common pet Parrot in the world, 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. Budgerigars in England. ... Budgerigars in England. ... Systematics (but see below) Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos) Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo) Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos) Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos) Family Psittacidae (true parrots) Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) Tribe Arini (American psittacines) Tribe Cyclopsitticini (fig parrots) Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots) Tribe Nestorini (kakas and... Dogs and sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated. ... [[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]] {{{diversity}}} Binomial name Agapornis roseicollis (Vieillot, 1818) Trinomial name {{{trinomial}}} Type Species {{{type_species}}} {{{subdivision_ranks}}} {{{subdivision}}} [[Image:{{{range_map}}}|{{{range_map_width}}}|]] Synonyms {{{synonyms}}} The Rosy-faced Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) also known as the Peach-faced Lovebird is a species of Love Bird which is often kept as a pet. ... Albinism is a genetic condition resulting in a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. ...

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. 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. This article refers to the sight organ. ... The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which, in addition to eating, is used for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, probing for food, courtship, and feeding their young. ... This article is about animals kept for companionship. ...

Budgies are not expensive, which is another reason to why they are very common pets. They are usually found between 10 to 30 dollars, but some breeds can go up to 50.^{[citation needed]}

Budgerigars are intelligent and social animals and enjoy the stimulation of toys and interaction with humans as well as with other Budgerigars. A common behaviour is the chewing of material such as wood, especially for female Budgerigars. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ...

Budgerigars can be taught to speak, whistle tunes, and play with humans. 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. Speak can mean: Look up speak in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Whistling is the production of sound by means of a constant breath of air from the mouth. ...

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. The term Exercise can refer to: Physical exercise such as running or strength training Exercise (options), the financial term for enacting and terminating a contract Category: ... In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. ...

Budgerigars have been shown to cause "bird fancier's lung in their handlers, a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.^[15] Bird fanciers lung is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by bird droppings. ... Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an inflammation of the lung caused by the bodys immune reaction to small air-borne particles. ...

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. 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. Budgerigars do not always adapt readily to dietary additions, however. Chocolate, alcohol, rhubarb (including the leaves) and avocado are recognized as potential toxins.^[16] For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... This writeup is about biological seeds; for other meanings see Seed (disambiguation). ... An avian veterinarian is a veterinarian who has undertaken additional training to treat birds. ... Popular Japanese fashion magazine throughout the 1990s; the photography of which has recently been reissued in two collections from Phaidon press. ... Vegetables on a market Vegetable is a nutritional and culinary term denoting any part of a plant that is commonly consumed by humans as food, but is not regarded as a culinary fruit, nut, herb, spice, or grain. ... Mixed bean sprouts Sprouting is the practice of soaking, draining, then rinsing at regular intervals seeds until they germinate and begin to sprout. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Bread (disambiguation). ... Compound feeds are feedstuffs that are blended from various raw materials and additives. ... Nutrients and the body A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organisms metabolism, growth, or other functioning. ... A lipoma is a common, benign tumor composed of fatty tissue. ... For other uses, see Millet (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see FAT. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ... For other uses, see Chocolate (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses see Rhubarb (disambiguation) Species About 60, including: R. nobile R. palmatum Rhubarb is a perennial plant that grows from thick short rhizomes, comprising the genus Rheum. ... Binomial name Mill. ... For a list of biologically injurious substances, including toxins and other materials, as well as their effects, see poison. ...

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. The male will then wrap his tail under the female's raised tail, place his cloaca (most male birds have no penis) against hers and rub it back and forth to stimulate ejaculation. The male may move away for a moment before returning for another session. An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. ... In zoological anatomy, a cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts of certain animal species. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. ...

Breeding

This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)

Budgerigars are easily bred. 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. 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. 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). 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. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Shepherd with his sheep in Făgăraş Mountains, Romania. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Yellow faced honeyeater chicks 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 mistake them for opposite sexes, so you can’t differentiate them by this behavior. Breeding difficulties arise for various reasons. Some chicks may die from diseases or attacks by their parents (virtually always hens). 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 sex, and will not reproduce with them. Another problem may be the birds' beak being underlapped. This is where the lower mandible is above the upper mandible. For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ... A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ...

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

Budgerigar 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. 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. For other uses, see Flight (disambiguation). ...

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. (Amazon Parrot species), Eclectus ssp. (Eclectus sub-species), Psittacula spp. (Afro-Asian Ringnecked Parakeet species) and male specimens of Melopsittacus undulatus (Budgerigar Parakeet).

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.^[17][18] Guinness World Records 2008 edition. ...

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 Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixel, file size: 187 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	Budgerigar hen of natural colouration Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (600x765, 114 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Budgerigar User:Theelf29 User:Bcsr4ever/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added...	SF Violet Blue cock Budgerigar Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	Budgerigar hen Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 372 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Suffused Blue (White) Budgerigar Image File history File linksMetadata Wellensittich. ...	Young female Opaline-Cinnamon Olive Budgerigar Image File history File links Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (533 × 800 pixel, file size: 79 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) grüne Vögel kommen am meisten vor. ...	Budgerigar chick at eleven days of age Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 710 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 676 pixel, file size: 47 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Please see the file description page for further information. ...	Male YellowFaced type I Cobalt Australian (Banded) Pied Budgerigar Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ...
Male Light-Green Mongrel, or possibly a dominant pied split Lacewing (?) Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 528 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1359 × 1542 pixel, file size: 1. ...	A young sky-blue Budgerigar with a few remaining pin feathers Image File history File links Size of this preview: 399 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (533 × 800 pixel, file size: 103 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... A pin feather, sometimes called a blood feather, is a developing feather on a bird. ...	Pet Continental Dutch Pied Yellowface type I Cobalt Budgie, wet from the rain and visible pin feathers Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 1224 pixel, file size: 368 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Jack the budgie after time in the rain. ...	The full profile of a male budgerigar

See also

Budgerigar colour genetics Melopsittacus undulatus at Chai-Negev, Revivim, Israel. ...

References

Pranty, B. 2001. The Budgerigar in Florida: Rise and fall of an exotic psittacid. North American Birds 55: 389-397. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Henry George Liddell (1811‑1898)was a British historian and academic, editor at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford, of which in 1855 he became Dean. ... Robert Scott (January 26, 1811 - December 2, 1877) was a 19th-century British academic philologist and a Fellow (later Master) of Balliol College, Oxford University. ... A Greek-English Lexicon is the standard lexicographical work of the ancient Greek language, begun in the nineteenth century and now in its ninth (revised) edition. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Cited text

• Forshaw, Joseph M. & Cooper, William T. (1978): Parrots of the World (2nd ed). Landsdowne Editions, Melbourne Australia ISBN 0-7018-0690-7

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Budgerigar

• 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