Fun Budgerigar Facts For Kids

Budgerigars, with the scientific name Melopsittacus undulatus, are also called 'budgies', 'parakeet budgies', or just 'parakeets'. Budgies are one of the most abundantly found parakeets that fall in the category of bird pets. Budgerigars are a trendy pet bird found across inland Australia and have a population of about 5,000,000 worldwide. They are native to savannas, grasslands, open forests, grassy woodlands, and farmlands of Australia and they are usually found near water. In line with their most favorable nomadic conditions, they are often spotted moving in small flocks and even sometimes bigger flocks of birds. Budgies feathers are made up of keratin.

Budgies are 6.5-7.8 in (17-20 cm) tall and they weigh about 1.1-1.4 lb (498-635 g). They have a length of 7 in (18 cm). Once these budgies have finished mating and their eggs are fertilized, the female bird lays eggs over a timespan of 10 days, laying one egg at a time. They have a clutch size of four to eight eggs and the incubation period lasts for 18-20 days. Nesting can occur at any time of the year, with pairs capable of producing more than one clutch at a time.

The lifespan of wild budgies is often found to be nearly four to six years, and the ones held captive (pet budgies) have a life span of about five to eight years when they are well taken care of as pets. According to the IUCN, the conservation status of a budgie is Least Concern (this means that their population is increasing).

Here are some interesting facts on the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) that everyone will enjoy. If you like these, then do read our guides to the great crested flycatcher and the secretary bird too

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What type of animal is a budgerigar?

A budgie is a bird.

What class of animal does a budgerigar belong to?

Aves is the class of animal that a budgerigar belongs to.

How many budgerigars are there in the world?

Budgies are a very popular pet bird with a population of about 5,000,000 worldwide.

Where does a budgerigar live?

Budgies are found in savannas, grasslands, open forests, grassy woodlands, and farmlands. A budgie is also usually found near water. In search of food and water they are often seen moving in flocks. Normally, budgies are spotted moving in small flocks but sometimes they are seen in bigger flocks of birds.

What is a budgerigar's habitat?

Budgie birds are widely distributed in the arid interior of Australia. They are mainly found in Australian savannas, grasslands, open forests, grassy woodlands, and farmlands and, as previously mentioned, they are usually found near water. A budgie bird is nomadic in nature, so they are often found moving in flocks from one place to another whilst looking for food and water. Whilst they are considered an Australian native bird, these truly wild flocks can be spotted in some different parts of the world too, including some parts of Florida in the USA.

Who do budgerigars live with?

A budgie is found living in flocks of its own kind and they are often found moving in small flocks from place to place in the various Australian regions. Budgies have also been seen mingling with other species of birds, although most times, they are seen with flocks of their just own kind. They are often seen existing in pairs too and, when a budgie is kept as a pet, people like to keep them in pairs. This shows that budgies enjoy existing and living with birds of their own kind.

How long does a budgerigar live?

The lifespan of wild budgie birds is often found to be nearly four to six years, and the ones held captive (pet budgies) have a life span of about five to eight years when they are well taken care of as pets. In rare cases, if pet budgies are very fortunate, it is also possible for them to live for up to 15 to 20 years.

Wild budgies (parakeets) live their life in the wild, and as such, their chances of death are far higher than those held captive. They are exposed to every possible predator including predatory birds, reptiles, and mammals. Also, the availability of food and water plays another important role in their reduced life expectancy in the wild as budgies living in the wild sometimes struggle to find food and water which are both needed for their survival. This is why droughts are so dangerous for budgerigars, as in a drought period, they risk dying due to the lack of availability of water and food.

How do they reproduce?

Once a budgie has finished mating and its eggs are fertilized, the female budgie lays eggs over a timespan of 10 days, laying one egg at a time. In some situations, the budgerigar needs to breed many times before the female's eggs are fertilized. Once the mating and fertilization process is complete, the female budgie will situate herself in their nest, and the male budgie will start to feed her for the period of time when she is nest bound. They have a clutch size of four to eight eggs, and the incubation period lasts for 18-20 days. Nesting can take place any time of the year, with pairs of budgerigars capable of producing more than one clutch each year.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN, the conservation status of a budgerigar is Least Concern as their population is actually increasing. This means that they are free from the threats of becoming extinct or vulnerable. Right now they have a current population of about 5,000,000 worldwide. They are mainly found in Australia's grasslands and farmlands, but they are also seen existing in other parts of the world like some regions of Florida in the USA. So, keeping in mind that they are found in different parts of the world and are existing in an abundance, we can happily say that they are not under the threat of becoming endangered.

What do budgerigars look like?

Budgerigars look a lot like a parrot. They are very cute creatures and are very small. They are green and yellow in color and are extensively found in the regions of Australia. They have distinguishing black scalloped markings on their nape, back, and wings. Some budgies that are held in captivity can also be found in different colorings of blues, yellows, grays, whites, and also with different colored crests.

Adult budgerigars have a yellow face with a tipped lower cheek in the colors violet and blue. In female budgies, you can see visible black spots under their throats, and they have a blue tail and green underparts. You will find fewer spots on the throat (or even none at all) of a young budgie, as compared to a grown-up budgie. They have a yellow forehead just like the adult budgies, but they have a shorter tail and dark brown eyes.

How cute are they?

Budgies are very cute birds. They are very playful and friendly creatures and are loved worldwide as pet birds by many. They can be kept as solo pets or in pairs, but most people prefer to keep them in pairs, and watching a pair of budgerigars interact with each other is super cute too! Budgies are less tamed and they don't mimic speech as well as parrots. However, they are very intelligent and curious and are usually kept caged in areas of the houses where the family spends a lot of time. They are amused by simple toys and they love to explore their surroundings.

How do they communicate?

Budgies communicate by talking in a high-pitched chirp and at a fast pace. They can also pick up a few words or phrases that they hear commonly and may start repeating them.

How big is a budgerigar?

Budgerigars are 6.5-7.8 in (17-20 cm) tall and they weigh about 1.1-1.4 lb (498-635 g). They have a length of 7 in (18 cm) and they are two times bigger than a rat.

How high can a budgerigar fly?

Budgerigars usually tire easily but they can fly up to one mile in distance if they catch a wind current or feel frightened.

How much does a budgerigar weigh?

Budgies weigh about 1.1-1.4 lb (498-635 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no specific male and female names for budgerigars, they are simply known as male budgerigars and female budgerigars.

What would you call a baby budgerigar?

A baby budgerigar is usually called a juvenile or a chick.

What do they eat?

Budgies usually eat seeds, berries, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Are they loud?

Budgie sounds are not considered to be too loud when compared to other species of birds but they are can be noisy to keep in your home. If you don't love constant chatter and noise then a budgie might not be the best pet for you. They love to chatter and chirp happily to themselves, and they often sing too! They can also pick up words or phrases that they hear around them, and might start repeating these all day long!

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, pet birds, including parrots and parakeets, are hugely popular and budgies are a worldwide famous pet bird. They are very playful and friendly creatures but, compared to parrots, budgies are less tamed and they don't mimic speech quite as well. Being very intelligent and curious, they are usually kept caged in areas of the houses where the family spends a lot of time. They are amused by simple toys and love to explore their surroundings thoroughly. They do make good pets, as long as they are provided with good care and basic food like seeds and vegetables. With good care, they can live for 15 to 20 years, thus exceeding the normal lifespan of a wild budgerigar.

Did you know...

Budgerigars are known to be one of the smallest parrot species and the scientific name of budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus, when translated means a 'melodious parrot'.

Budgies feathers are made up of keratin and budgies usually eat seeds, berries, fresh fruits, and vegetables as part of their diet.

Australian budgies have been seen mingling and co-existing with English budgies (also known as parakeets). The English budgie species is actually very similar to the Australian budgie species and people like to keep them as pets too. Have you ever seen an English budgie or an Australian budgie? We wonder if you'd be able to tell the difference between these different parrot species!

Budgies love their owners! If you give your pet budgie lots of love and attention it will truly love you, how special?

If you own a pet budgie you might not even notice its pee as budgies only produce a tiny amount of urine.

How much does a budgerigar cost?

A pet budgerigar bird will cost roughly between $10 to $35 in the US. As they are very small birds they are less expensive than some other types of pet birds.

How do you pronounce budgerigar?

Budgerigar is pronounced "buh-juh-ree-gaa".

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 frigate bird, or the golden pheasant bird.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our budgerigar coloring pages.