Fun English Parakeet Facts For Kids

The English budgie (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a variation of the native English Budgerigar that was born into existence by selective breeding in England during the 19th & early 20th century. These birds are native to Australia.

The budgie or parakeet is often thought of as a beginner bird however, this social, friendly little bird deserves just as much care and consideration as larger parrots. They are one of the most popular pet.

Budgies are funny, food lovers, and can match any parrot in terms of communicating ability. This bird is endemic to many interior areas of Australia.

The primary prey of budgies are seeds, fruit, insects, and berries, similar to the diet of other species of parrots. They belong to class Aves and kingdom Animalia.

English budgies are the result of selective breeding efforts. Wild budgies weigh about 1.6-2.2 oz (45.3-65.3 g) on average.

English budgies are large, up to 10 in (25.4 cm), and can tip the scales at almost double the weight of a wild bird. This bird is similar to the parrot bird species and their lifespan is around 15-21 years.

They display tiny, bright blue-violet cheek bits and a series of three black spots across each side of their necks called throat patches. The two external neck points are located at the base of each face patch.

They have many health issues like Parrots fever, gastrointestinal disease, and sour crop. The breeding season of these birds starts in October and finishes in April.

The English budgie has hook-bills and long tail feathers. Their brightly colored plumage, which can be seen in many color varieties, is one of the features of an English budgie that have made them so popular in the pet birds trade.

American budgies have delightful singing & chirping voices, and a group will spend a lot of time conversing among themselves. Sometimes they are also called an American parakeet as they look similar and belong to the same species of budgies.

For more relatable content, check out these derbyan parakeet facts and monk parakeet facts for kids.

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English Parakeet Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an English parakeet?

The English budgie is a type of budgies birds species and are popular pet bird. They are similar to parrots. Some other types of parakeets are Alexandrine parakeet and Jandaya parakeet. These budgies are also similar to the American parakeet.

What class of animal does an English parakeet belong to?

English budgies belong to the class Aves, from the phylum Chordata.

How many English parakeets are there in the world?

The total worldwide English budgie population is estimated to be more than 5,000,000 and growing.  

Where does an English parakeet live?

Budgies live in open woodlands and grasslands near water.

What is an English parakeet's habitat?

The English budgies habitat mainly consists of woodlands, open grassland, and dry scrub throughout non-coastal Australia. These Australian birds are mostly found in Australia and Florida, but are distributed across the world. Many people also keep them as a pet bird.

Who do English parakeets live with?

Budgies that are kept as a pet bird are actively known to build an emotional bondwith their owners when enough time and the right care is given. The bonds formed between a parakeet and an owner is strong on both sides of the relationship.

How long does an English parakeet live?

English budgies have a smaller lifespan than standard budgies due to inbreeding and generally have a lifespan of 15-21 years. With proper care, budgies can live longer and have a healthy lifespan.

How do they reproduce?

Budgies reproduce by cloacal copulation, whereby the two birds rub their cloaca so that sperm is transferred from the male to the female. This is achieved by the male balancing on the female's back and it normally lasts only a few moments.

Female budgies reach adulthood around eight months of age. In the wild, these birds will pair up to mate and raise children. The females usually lay between four to six eggs in a single coupling.

These eggs can take up to 20 days to hatch, however sometimes, it will only take seven to 10 days for all the eggs to hatch. Chicks are born blind, without down, and with different wings.

Their mothers are responsible for keeping them warm over the first 10 days until their eyes open. Budgies begin breeding when they are a year old, and they give birth to babies whenever the rainy season rolls around.

The babies will then begin to grow down and feathers, but it will be another four or five weeks before these younglings leave the nest.

Fledglings will start to learn to fly and try to left the nest after six to eight weeks. The age at which they leave the nest differs depending upon the number of chicks in the family and the age of every chick.

What is their conservation status?

The English budgerigar conservation status is of Least Concern as it has stable population as of now.

English Parakeet Fun Facts

What do English parakeet look like?

American budgies or wild-type budgerigar parakeets consists of different species. Budgerigar parakeets are sexually dimorphic.

They have yellow wings barred with black on the back of its head and body with plain yellow wings on the forehead and neck. The two external neck points are located at the base of each face patch. Also, they can reach an extraordinary length of 10 in (25.4 cm) from head to tail tip.

Budgies are considerably diverse in size and appearance. Their wings have green black flight feathers and black coverts with yellow borders with the middle yellow rays, which only become visible in flight or when the wings are outstretched.

Budgies are divided into two groups of colors and have a minimum of 32 color mutations. They can be white-based, sky blue, cobalt, mauve, gray, violet, or white.

The green strip is dominant, and blue (white plate) is passive. These color mutations in the budgerigar enables hundreds of possible secondary color mutations and varieties.

The two basic types of pet budgerigar parakeet are the English budgie, a bird with a bigger head and chest, and the American budgie, a more productive bird with a small tail. There is no specific physical differences between the sexes, meaning that people can't  identify a male or female member of this species.

However, mature male budgerigars usually have an area of blue shading around their noses.

Adult female budgerigars have a pinkish coloring around their noses. Many mutant color variations have been developed in the captive population.

How cute are they?

The English budgie, as a cage parakeet, has a cute behavior and is colorful in appearance which makes it lovable and adorable. Those kept in cages as pet birds must be provided with toys or a companion of their own kind or other budgerigars to keep them occupied.

How do they communicate?

An English budgie as a parrot can communicate both vocally and through body language. They have good, friendly personalities. The males are the best speakers, though females can learn a few words and can also flute well.

How big is an English parakeet?

The English budgie parrot has an overall body size of between  7-7.8 in (18-20 cm), which is five times bigger than an Eurasian tree sparrow.

How fast can an English parakeet fly?

The American budgie bird species has two distinct speeds. A slow speed of about 11 mph (17.7 kph) for increased maneuverability and a top speed of 22 mph (35.4 kph).

How much does an English parakeet weigh?

American budgies generally weigh around 1.6-2.2 oz (45.3-65.3 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The female and male names of the English budgie are unknown.

What would you call a baby English parakeet?

Babies of English or American budgies are simply known as chicks.

What do they eat?

English budgie birds eat healthy and natural food such as grass seeds for most of their diet in the wild. Budgies also look on the ground to forage for fruits and veggies. Berries are also a popular diet, but too much fruit can cause budgies to have health problems.

Are they dangerous?

An English budgie can be troublesome to farmers and are exceptionally dangerous to grain products. Otherwise, they have a great personality and are friendly beings.

Would they make a good pet?

The English budgie is a suitable pet for owners who want a tangible, calm, and loving pet bird. The English budgie is usually a quiet, active, and laid-back pet bird.

They love rough perches to perch on as it gives them a sense of their natural habitat even in a cage. A budgie can be trained for shows and pet presentations. If a calm and quieter bird is what you are looking for, then the English budgie might just be the right pet for you.

Also, these parrots can get on well with families, kids, and a good bird for first-timers. The best temperature for these birds is between 60-70 F (15-21 C), though they can manage living in higher temperatures for short periods.

The diet of of these budgies includes a high-quality pellet diet supplemented with lots of greens and seeds. Mineral blocks or cuttlebone should always be placed in the bird's cage.

The right number of perches in a budgie's cage depends on the size of the cage and how many birds share it.

English budgies have a higher tendency to turn, hop, and play rather than flying. You must take good care of their health if kept as pets, since they are vulnerable to several health issues.

Did you know...

An English budgie holds the record for most words acquired by a bird with over 1,700 words. People don’t even notice this feature because of their low voice.

Do English parakeets talk?

English budgies can talk like humans if you provide them with training to learn how to talk. The constant repetition of the desired word or phrase will often be rewarded with a low but audible reply. Those kept as pets learn to say 'thank you' when their owners feed them.

Can English budgies live alone?

English budgies can be kept alone, but only when they are provided with the best environment. Budgies are communicative and active birds and without a buddy to play with, they need something else to keep their mind busy such as a lot of toys that must be in their cage.

They are social birds and don't do great in a life of isolation.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our pigeon facts and macaw facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable English parakeet coloring pages.