Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

BirdParrotAustralia

Overview

The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a small, long-tailed parrot native to the arid and semi-arid interior of Australia. Wild budgerigars are green and yellow with fine black barring across the head, nape and wings — the barring is the origin of the species name undulatus.

It is the only species in its genus and belongs to the group known as grass parakeets. In the wild it is a bird of open country, feeding on the ground on grass seed and travelling in flocks that can be enormous.

The budgerigar is also the wild ancestor of the domesticated 'budgie'. Captive-bred colour varieties — blue, white, yellow, grey and many others — are the product of selective breeding and do not occur as the normal wild type. This profile covers the wild species; it is not a pet-care guide and offers no husbandry, feeding or veterinary advice.

Habitat & Range

Budgerigars live across the dry interior of Australia — open grassland, scrub, mallee, savanna woodland and dry farmland — and are largely absent from the wetter coastal fringes and dense forest. They depend on access to water and on grass seed, and their distribution shifts with rainfall rather than staying fixed.

Diet

Budgerigars are seed eaters, taking the seeds of grasses and low plants almost entirely from the ground. Feeding is concentrated in the cooler parts of the day, and flocks visit water regularly — a dependence that shapes where they can be at any given time.

Behavior

Wild budgerigars are highly gregarious and nomadic rather than migratory: they move in response to rainfall and seeding, so flocks appear where conditions are good and vanish when they are not. After good rains, flocks can reach spectacular sizes. They nest in tree hollows, especially in eucalypts, and breeding is triggered by rainfall rather than by a fixed season. Budgerigars are vocal, with constant chattering contact calls, and are capable of mimicry.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The budgerigar is one of the most widely kept pet birds in the world, and captive populations vastly outnumber attention paid to the wild species. In the wild it remains common and widespread within Australia, where it is protected and export is prohibited. Feral populations have established in a few places outside Australia. This profile covers the wild bird only and gives no advice on keeping, feeding, breeding or the health of pet birds — those questions belong with an avian veterinarian. Verify current status at the IUCN Red List.