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Melopsittacus undulatus
Physical Characteristics
- Commonly referred to as “budgies,” parakeets average seven inches in length and weigh around an ounce.
- Wild parakeets typically have green body plumage, yellow faces with black mantle markings and royal blue tail feathers with yellow flashes. Wings are generally greenish-black, with yellow flashes that are visible only when the birds are in flight. Beaks are olive-gray, and legs are bluish gray. Parakeets have small purple cheek patches and black throat spots.
- Captive parakeets can be varying shades of green, blue, yellow and white; these are selectively bred color mutations.
- Like all parrot species, parakeets have zygodactyl toes, meaning that they have two forward-facing toes and two backward-facing toes.
Habitat and Diet
- Parakeets are native to scrublands, open woodlands and grasslands throughout mainland Australia.
- Wild diet includes grass seeds, grass and a variety of vegetation and bark. Zoo diet consists of seeds, fruits and vegetables.
Behavior and Reproduction
- Parakeets are an extremely social species, often found in flocks numbering in the thousands in Australia.
- Budgerigars bond with their mates by preening and feeding one another. Breeding generally takes place between October and December in the wild; in captivity, between February and November.
- Females lay eggs on alternate days, with an average clutch size of four to six eggs. Only the female broods, while the male returns to the nest site to feed her at regular intervals.
- The incubation period is 17 to 18 days, and chicks fledge the nest around 30 days after hatching. Chicks are able to fend for themselves a week after fledging.
Status in the wild
Parakeets are not currently listed as endangered. |
