Fun Green Parakeet Facts For Kids

Green parakeets (Psittacara hypochlorous), often referred to as budgies, are medium-sized parrots native to Central and North America. They also inhabit the northern parts of Mexico, southwestern Nicaragua, and southern Texas.

You might be able to trace a parakeet easily in the southern parts of Texas but in reality, they are not abundant.

Although their numbers are not declining at an alarming rate, some attention is required to prevent them from being threatened.

Factors like climate change and large-scale deforestation have negatively impacted their natural habitat and are perhaps the major reasons behind their diminishing numbers. Nevertheless, in the modern world, these birds are often bred in captivity and taken up as pets owing to their bright and beautiful appearance coupled with their jovial and outgoing nature.

If you enjoy exploring interesting facts about various species of birds then these green parakeet facts are the best to feed your inquisitive mind, read on to know more about them. You can also read through some enlightening facts about other bird species like the blue jay and the monk parakeet.

Green Parakeet Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Green Parakeet?

A green parakeet is a bird.

What class of animal does a Green Parakeet belong to?

A parakeet belongs to the class Aves of birds.

How many Green Parakeets are there in the world?

According to the data provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the population of green parakeets is decreasing by the day. Currently, the number of adults stands at approximately 200,000.

Where does a Green Parakeet live?

Native to central and North America, parakeets can be located in places like Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Honduras as well as parts of Texas. These birds live in forests, woodlands, and shrublands. Since the species of parakeets are not migratory, they stick to these places throughout the year.

What is a Green Parakeet's habitat?

The habitat of these parakeets is mainly forests, shrublands, and tropical or sub-tropical terrestrial regions. They are also abundantly found in captivity as pets.

Who do Green Parakeets live with?

Parakeets that live in the wild normally stay in flocks. Moreover, they stick together as a pair even when they are bought as pets.

An isolated parakeet might not survive for a long period as it is dependent on its mates. Parakeets also live with human beings in cages as their pets although they are better suited to their natural habitat in the wilderness.

How long does a Green Parakeet live?

The life span of a parakeet depends on several factors like the habitat, diet, threats, and other significant elements. Normally, a parakeet enjoys a life span of 15 to 20 years in the wild but when it is held captive, it lives only for about six to 12 years.

A healthy parakeet can even live to become 29 or 30 years old!

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction process in parakeets normally commences when both the males and females attain maturity, that is when they develop distinct bright blue or brown colored ceres (area above the beak) according to their sex. The first step towards mating is boding between the pair.

Normally, the birds select their partners and perch close to each other engaging in displays of affection including cooing and regurgitation of food.

The birds often feed each other and gradually they initiate the mating process on their own accord. After breeding, the females enter the incubation period when they lay eggs and then sit on them for about 18 to 20 days until they hatch.

The hatchlings or chicks require maternal care for some time till they are capable enough to feed on their own.

When kept as pets, these birds require a proper nesting space (a nest box) where they can lay eggs and care for the newborns. The clutch size generally consists of four to eight eggs.

What is their conservation status?

As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, green parakeets have been classified as a species with of Least Concern. This is perhaps because the bird species is not vulnerable.

They are abundant in numbers and can be traced easily to their habitat. However, the population of these birds has been showing a downward trend although they are not declining rapidly enough to be considered among the threatened species.

Green Parakeet Fun Facts

What do Green Parakeets look like?

They possess the lustrous green color of the parrots along with a long and pointed tail. They are mostly green in color with possible markings in red, or orange, upon their breast.

The lower side of their flight feathers exhibit a yellow tinge with yellow feathers sometimes present on the edge of wings too. These birds exhibit sexual dimorphism.

An adult male parakeet can be distinguished from a female by the color of its cere. The males have a blue-colored cere while the females possess a brown, tan, or yellowish cere.

How cute are they?

Have you seen a pair of yellow and green parakeets indulging in explicit expressions of love? They look the cutest when they portray love, care, and affection for each other. Generally, the parakeets have a vibrant appearance that makes them highly attractive and cute.

How do they communicate?

Like all other birds, parakeets communicate their feelings by vocalizing along with gestures and body movements. Parakeets are social birds.

These birds generally make chirping sounds to communicate with their flock mates or owners. A happy bird might croon a song, excitedly moving its body in rhythmic patterns or shaking its head vigorously. When kept as a pet, these birds are smart enough to pick up certain words frequently spoken by the owners and sometimes they talk too much!

How big is a Green Parakeet?

On average, these parakeets stand at a length of around 12.6 in (32 cm) irrespective of sex. These birds are smaller than parrots and even smaller than other birds like macaws, doves, and pigeons. However, they are larger than hummingbirds.

How fast can a Green Parakeet fly?

Parakeets, or budgies, can fly at two different speeds, that is, a high-speed flight and a low-speed flight. During the high-speed flight, these birds can achieve a speed of 32.8 ft/s (10 m/s) approximately while at a lower speed they fly at around 16.4 ft/s (5 m/s).

How much does a Green Parakeet weigh?

These birds generally weigh between 1.6-2.1 oz (45-60 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

The males and females of the species do not have special names and are generally referred to as a male parakeet and female parakeet respectively.

What would you call a baby Green Parakeet?

A baby bird is often called a hatchling or nestling. However, baby parakeets or budgies are also lovingly called chicks.

What do they eat?

Parakeets are omnivores. The best diet for these birds comprises a variety of food choices like fresh fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, vegetables, grain, eucalyptus leaves, and corn.

They are also known to feed on insects and ferns. When kept as a pet, it has to be ensured that they get fresh water and healthy food. Be sure to keep some treats and pellets handy.

Are they dangerous?

Normally, a parakeet is an absolutely harmless bird and when kept as a pet, it can prove to be a great companion to spend time with. They can bond well with the family members as a pet.

However, there are certain risks associated with these birds. Belonging to the family of parrots, they bear the potential risk of spreading parrot fever or other allergic reactions (like the bird fancier's lung). Additionally, they have the tendency to scratch and bite when annoyed, which does not make them child-friendly pets.

Would they make a good pet?

A pair of parakeets or budgies are known to make good pets. However, these wild birds must not be caged for mere fun and amusement.

Birds are meant to fly in open spaces and caging them limits their flight and freedom. Nevertheless, just like parrots, parakeets are also taken up by several households as a pet due to their jolly and bright nature.

To make a good pet out of a parakeet, one has to shower it with lots of care.

Firstly, the cage must be spacious so that it allows for easy movements and some space for it to fly. Secondly, while adopting, preferably a pair must be adopted as isolation and loneliness can affect a bird's lifespan.

Additionally, it has to be ensured that it has access to fresh drinking water and nutritious food. All animals and birds understand the language of love and care and they reciprocate likewise.

Did you know...

Parakeets can fly up to a height of 7218 ft (2200 m).

Do you know parakeets can talk? Parakeets are known to be talkative birds.

Since these birds belong to the family of parrots, they possess the basic instincts of vocalizing their thoughts and feelings through various kinds of sounds. Tweeting sounds or bursts of high-pitched, shrill sounds are common but these birds can even mimic certain human sounds!

Although these birds are inadept at vocalizing these sounds distinctly like the parrots or larger vocal birds like macaws, they are very expressive.

Comparisons with other Parakeets

Parakeets come in several colors. Apart from the primary color, green parakeets draw resemblance to the blue ones in their size and overall identical appearance. However, the birds of the former shade are known to be healthier. The latter are mainly bred for their vibrant color.

When compared with the rose-ringed parakeets, both species have a bright green color.

Nevertheless, the rose-ringed parakeets are native to the Indian subcontinent and Africa and have spread to northern and western European countries while the green parakeets are found in the USA, South-western Nicaragua, and Northern Mexico. The former is larger in size and comes with a long, pointed tail that helps the bird to maintain its overall body weight.

Also, unlike the green parakeets, the rose-ringed parakeets sport a red and black ring on their neck that makes them uniquely different from other parakeets.

Having your own Green Parakeet

Nowadays, taming a parakeet and keeping them as a pet has become common practice. Parakeets are easily available for adoption. These birds can be trained by offering them treats, pellets, and sometimes their favorite food.

Along with daily training, they need proper nutrition and care. A pair of parakeets can be offered a balanced diet that includes grains, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. They feed in small portions but at an interval of every two to three hours.

A pair of green parakeets can cost around $40 to $70. The price depends on the availability, location, as well as quality, and age of the bird.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the painted bunting and the blackbird.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our parakeet coloring pages.