Budgerigar

Latin name (Melopisittacus undulatus) Vital Statistics Body length: 8.5 in Life span:10-15 yrs (up to 20).

Appearance:

Commonly seen with green, yellow, blue or grey plumage, parakeets have also been bred in a rainbow of colours, including violet and turquoise. In general, you can tell a male bird by his bright blue cere, the fleshy area just above the beak. Measuring in at about seven inches, budgies have an average lifespan of four to seven years.

Personality:

Hailing from Australia, this gentle and docile bird bird is content to perch on his caretaker's shoulder and will keep his human family in good humor with his budgie antics. Budgies are a fun and low-maintenance pet. They will play with anything. A budgie needs plenty of toys, but safe toys. Nothing that they can swallow, catch their feet in or tangle themselves in. Budgies will chew on everything, testing it with their beak and gnawing on it. The are very easy to tame if acquired at a young age a regularly handeled.

Pairs of birds make good company for each other, but usually will not bond as well with their owners or mimic speech as well. A single bird is fine, as long as you spend a significant amount of time interacting with the budgie on a daily basis.

Talking Ability:

Budgies can talk up a storm. Believe it or not, a budgerigar can learn hundreds of words.

Noise Level:

Quieter than some other parrots (although they can still be noisy).

Cage Size:

The minimum cage size is 18 inches long by 18 inches wide, and 20 inches tall, but larger is better. The spacing of the cage bars should be 1/2 inch or less. Horizontal cage bars offer the best opportunity for climbing and exercise. Budgies should be given a nice-sized cage with a variety of perch widths and textures to keep their feet in shape. Budgies also like to have a swing in the cage. Beaded swings with a bell are very popular. Budgies are very playful and will enjoy beaded toys with bells. Rotate their toys to keep them amused and prevent boredom.

Choosing a Bird:

It is best to choose a hand fed baby or at least a young bird that has been handled regularly. You can expect to pay more for a hand reared or very young bird, but this is worth the extra cost. Remember many bought from pet store will have an unknown history, and older birds will be more challenging tame. Make sure that you get a written guarantee of health and where you have the option of returning the budgie if any health problem is discovered by your veterinarian.

What to look for:

Look for a bird that is bright, alert and active. An alert and playful budgie is generally a better bet than the small, quiet budgie that sits alone in the corner. Alertness and activity is usually one sign of happy, healthy budgie.

Choose a breeder that has a good environment for their budgies. This includes a clean cage and play area, plenty of toys, fresh water, fresh foods, and well trained employees.

The feathers should be smooth and shiny and lay down flat on the body. The feathers around the vent should be clean, dry, and free of fecal matter. The scales on the feet should be smooth, the nails in good condition, the beak should be smooth and well-shaped, and the nostrils should be clear and clean.

Look for clean, clear nostrils. Avoid buying a bird with caked on mucous on its beak or nostrils. This is a clear indication of a respiratory problem. Feathers and Wings: A healthy budgie should have complete wings. The wings may be clipped, but make sure that all the feathers are there. The feathers shoud be shiny and full.

Look for a young budgie. They will have horizontal bars on the forehead if they a very young. These bars will go after the first molt at about 3 or 4. Count the toes. A normal, healthy budgies should not be missing any toes. Also watch to see the bird perching, grasping, climbing, and basically making good use of its toes.

Look for a budgie with good socialization skills. A socially happy budgie will be playful with other budgies and even humans if someone has taken the time to tame them.

What to Avoid:

Buying any bird from a place that has bad conditions, unhealthy birds, and untrained employees only rewards those business and reaffirms them to continue their bad practices. It is important to avoid "pity purchases" from such places.

A bird sitting quietly with puffed feathers might be ill and is best avoided.

Listen to the bird breathe. If you can hear 'clicking' sounds this may be a sign of air sac mites or other respiratory problems. A wheezing budgie is not a healthy budgie.

Check the beak. An overgrown beak is often a sign of mites, or other more serious problems.

Overweight budgies often show an obvious indented 'line' down the breast where the keel bone is. The fattier tissues are pushing beyond the keel. In an underweight budgie, the keel bone sticks out from the rest of the body tissue and is often a sign of a digestive problem or other health issues.

If the toes show any abnormal scaliness this could also could be an indication of the existance of mites which is something to avoid.