Data sheet budgerigar
German name:
budgie
Scientific name:
Melopsittacus undulatus
Origin:
Australia
Size:
12cm – 16cm
Color:
yellow-green, blue
age expectation:
on average 4 – 8 years
Behave
Lining:
grain and seed mix, fruit and green fodder
Behave:
agile, social
Number:
flock of birds, at least 2 animals
Difficulty level:
Beginner
Guillaume PILLET from Cachan, France, Melopsittacus undulatus -Australia-8, CC BY 2.0
The budgie is one of the parrot birds. He originally only lived in Australia and was only brought to Europe by sailors in the mid-19th century. Originally, all budgerigars had yellow-green plumage.
Purchasing and keeping budgerigars
Budgies are flock birds and very social. Therefore, one should not be kept alone under any circumstances, although this was often the case in the past. Of course, keeping a whole flock of these birds would be best, but of course that’s not possible for many people. But then it should definitely be at least one pair. A rooster and a hen are logically ideal and those who do not want to breed can relatively easily prevent a brood. Even two cocks together are almost never a problem, with two females there are more disputes and you have to try it out to see if it works. If you get your birds from the breeder, you can easily make an exchange that may be necessary in such a situation. He also gets valuable tips for keeping the cute birds. If you keep more than one pair, there should be an even number of animals in the aviary, so that each bird gets a partner.
Of course, the right home for the birds is also important for species-appropriate husbandry. The cage for a couple should not be less than 80 cm high and wide and not less than 45 cm deep, but only if the birds can fly freely for several hours a day in an escape-proof room. It should be designed in such a way that the birds have several opportunities to sit and climb and have sufficient freedom of movement.
The sex differences of budgerigars
The sex of a budgerigar cannot be identified by its size and behavior. Some owners assume that the males chirp louder and are more willing to talk than the females and that they pick or gnaw objects more and are more moody. But that is only true to a very limited extent. However, what you can use to tell the sexes apart is the so-called nasal cere. It is the secondary sex characteristic par excellence. In adult females it is brownish or soft light blue and somewhat thicker, in adult males it is usually bright blue, rarely pink, flatter and smoother. However, this really only applies to adult animals, which is why determining the sex of nestlings is very difficult.
Diet of Budgies
In their Australian homeland, the birds feed exclusively on grass seeds, which they find in the wide steppes. Here you can buy special budgerigar food in specialist shops. It consists of different types of millet, the so-called canary seed and peeled oat grains. But budgerigars also love green fodder, fruit and millet. You can delight your feathered darlings with pieces of apple and banana or grapes, as well as with endive or lamb’s lettuce, with fresh dandelion leaves, tender spinach or chickweed. A budgerigar also needs minerals in the form of lime and small stones in the bird sand. Many also like to nibble on small branches. However, care must be taken not to overfeed the birds lest they become ill. If there is food lying around and your parakeets are just picking the best out of the bowl, the amount of food should definitely be reduced.
Breeding and rearing of budgerigars
Even with a couple, there is no need to prepare for the appearance of offspring. Budgerigars are cavity breeders and if the hen, as is usual in the cage, cannot find a breeding cavity, then as a rule she will not lay any eggs. However, if this does happen because the hen is in a very brooding mood, they can either be boiled or replaced with plastic eggs and the hen will eventually stop incubating them if they are not successful.
However, if you are toying with the idea of starting a breed with your budgerigars, you should carefully consider beforehand whether you meet the necessary requirements, for example whether you have the necessary knowledge and the necessary space. In addition, if possible, you should already have buyers for the young budgerigars if you are not planning your own flock. If the budgerigars are really supposed to breed, you have to provide them with an appropriate breeding cave, i.e. a nesting place. They also need special food to get them in the breeding mood. If everything goes well, the hen usually lays 5 to 6 eggs at intervals of a few days, from which the young hatch after about 18 days. The hen feeds these naked youngsters what is known as forestomach milk for a few days, after which they receive grain feed from both parents. A special rearing feed is best suited for this. At the age of 2 weeks, the nestlings already get green fodder. Of course, the nesting site must also be kept clean and cleaned, droppings and leftover food must be removed. Sometimes a chick that hatched later is also crushed by the larger siblings in the nest, which of course also has to be removed. After about 1 week the first feathers sprout in the budgerigar babies, after about 2 weeks the feather color can be seen and after about 4 to 5 weeks the young budgerigars leave the nest. However, they are still fed by their parents for a long time. Young budgerigars should not be given away before they are 8 to 10 weeks old.