50 Incredible Budgie Facts You Need To Know
Budgies are one of the most popular pet birds in the world.
These small, colourful birds are full of personality and make great companions for those who enjoy their lively nature.
While many people may know a thing or two about their feathered friends, there is a plethora of interesting and lesser-known facts about budgies that are sure to surprise even the most knowledgeable bird lovers.
Read on to discover 50 fun budgie facts that you probably never knew before.
Fact #1: Budgies Are Native To Australia 🇦🇺
Although they’re currently kept as pets worldwide, budgies originate in Australia.
Budgies are commonly found in the outback/arid lands of Australia, which they share with other parrots like cockatiels, lorikeets, and cockatoos. If you ever find yourself in the Australian outback, you’re bound to see a flock of budgies.
Fact #2: Budgies Live In Huge Flocks
Budgie flocks can surpass hundreds and sometimes thousands of individual birds.
Budgies will normally fly in groups of less than 100, but when food and resources are abundant, multiple flocks will come together to form a HUGE flock. Big flocks offer a “safety in numbers” advantage over predators, just like a large school of fish!
Fact #3: Budgies Are One Of The Most Popular Pets
Just behind cats, dogs, and fish come birds as the fourth most popular pet worldwide. (source)
With birds being the fourth most popular pet and budgies being the most popular bird, that’s a lot of households with budgies! Their popularity is likely due to their small size, friendly personalities, low cost, and high intelligence.
Fact #4: Budgies Can See Ultraviolet Light, We Cannot
Budgies can see a whole range of colours and patterns not visible to us humans.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is invisible to us humans, but budgies can see it very clearly. Budgies can see the rays that come off UV light that we cannot. We humans need high-tech devices to see UV light while our birds can just see them naturally.
This makes a budgie’s vision far superior to human vision. How interesting!
Fact #5: Budgies Have Many Names
“Budgie” is not the only name for these cute little birds.
They also go by “parakeet”, “budgerigar”, “shell parakeet”, and the “warbling grass parakeet”, and their scientific name is Melopsittacus Undulatus.
Fact #6: Budgies Can Live 7 – 15 Years In Captivity
7 – 15 years is the average lifespan of budgies living as pets or in captivity.
This is quite an extension of their wild counterparts’ lifespans, who only live 4 – 6 years on average due to dangers and predators. PetMD
Fact #7: Wild Budgies Have Just 1 Colour Combination
The only budgies you’ll see in the wild are green budgies.
These budgies are mostly green across their plumage but have yellow patches, such as on their head and wings.
In captivity, budgies come in a range of colours due to selective breeding.
Fact #8: There Are 32 Main Colour Mutations In Budgies
Including their wild green colour, there are 32 primary colour mutations for budgies in captivity.
Some of the most common mutations include the blue budgie, albino, and yellow. These colours can mutate on the plumage, wing feathers, and head. Breeding budgies with colour mutations will result in a similar colour for the offspring. (BeautyOfBirds)
Colour mutations can also combine, which can produce many different coloured budgies.
Fact #9: Parakeets Mate For Life
Parakeets are monogamous, meaning they stay with the same partner for life.
It’s only when their partners die do budgerigars seek out another mate to breed and raise chicks with. Budgies are also known to change in behaviour after the death of their mate, such as loss of appetite and increased aggression.
To me, this sounds like grieving symptoms, which show a high level of emotional intelligence.
Fact #10: A Budgie Has The Highest Vocabulary Record
Puck the budgie was awarded the “bird with the highest vocabulary” record.
According to the Guinness World Records, Puck, a pet parakeet in the USA, was able to speak 1,728 words before its death. Budgies can rival any bird, including African Greys, in terms of speaking and mimicking ability.
Fact #11: Budgies Learn From Watching Other Budgies
Budgies are super smart and can learn actions by watching other budgies.
By watching others, budgies can learn specific behaviours, sounds, and body language cues to help communicate better. This sign of high intelligence also applies to training, where a budgie will learn the trick from watching other budgies being trained.
Some birds, not budgies, have been shown to learn by watching birds on TV! (Source)
Fact #12: Budgies Communicate Via Body Language
Budgies can not only communicate through sounds, but also through specific body language.
Eye pinning, feather position, and head bobbing are all ways budgies communicate specific messages to one another. We can also use this body language to determine their moods and current desires.
Fact #13: Budgies Have Been Kept As Pets Since 1850
Budgies started to become commonly kept in captivity in 1850.
Around this time, people started breeding budgies in captivity and selling them to other people to be kept as pets. Since then, budgies have become one of the most popular pets worldwide. This is around 45 years after they were first discovered.
Fact #14: Budgerigars Were First Recorded In 1805
English zoologist named George Shaw first described budgies to the scientific society in 1805.
Although budgies were likely known to the indigenous people of Australia well before this date, 1805 is the official discovery date of the parakeet.
Fact #15: Budgie’s Resting Heart Rate = 274 BPM
Yarmouth Veterinary Centre says that a budgie’s resting heart rate is 274 beats per minute, which is super fast! Especially compared to the resting heart rate of us humans, which is only 60 – 100 beats per minute.
Your budgie has a faster heart rate while resting than you do when exercising. That’s crazy interesting!
Fact #16: Budgie’s Resting Breathing Rate = 70 BPM
Budgies also have a fast breathing rate of 70 breaths per minute while resting. (YVC)
Again, this is super fast compared to us humans, who only have a breathing rate of 12 – 16 breaths per minute.
Fact #17: Parakeets Are 7 Inches Tall On Average
When measured from the head to the tail end, budgies are 7 inches tall on average.
This makes them one of the smallest parrots in the world, just behind the parrotlet that measures roughly 5 inches tall. A budgie’s small size makes them suitable pets in apartments and other small dwellings.
It also means they’re comfortable in a smaller cage.
Fact #18: Parakeets Weigh 30 – 40 Grams On Average
Healthy budgies weigh somewhere between 30 and 40 grams.
For reference, this is just lighter than a regular-sized egg and slightly heavier than 4 grapes. In other words, it’s not hard to hold a budgie on your hand as they’re super light!
Fact #19: There Are 2 Budgie Types: English & American
English and American budgies look different but behave and sound very similar.
One of the more noticeable differences between English and American budgies is size. English budgies tend to be slightly taller than American budgies. English budgies also appear to have more feathers around the head.
Fact #20: Budgerigars Can Fly Up To 10 m/s
At top speed, budgies can cover 10 meters per second, which is 22 MPH. (HFSP)
However, this is only half the speed at which cockatiels can fly as they can reach a top speed of 43 MPH. When budgies are travelling at a “cruising” speed, they normally fly at just half their top speed (5 m/s).
Fact #21: They Can Fly Up To 62 Miles In A Single Flight
Budgies can fly 62 miles (99 Km) non-stop in a single flight. (AnimalFunFacts)
It takes them approximately 3 hours to complete a 62 mile flight, so that’s 3 hours of non-stop flight, which is impressive. Budgies will fly these long distances in search of food and water sources.
Once found, they often don’t need to travel that far again for quite some time.
Fact #22: Budgies Can Survive 48 Hours Without Food
Although this is true for wild budgies, I don’t suggest starving your bird for 48 hours.
Glenlivet Wildlife says that a budgie in good health can survive 48 hours without food, but it’s not good for them. If wild budgies can’t find food in the scarce environment of the Australian outback, they’ll be fine for 48 hours.
Fact #23: They Can Survive Many Hours Without Water
Budgies are capable of withstanding water deprivation for many hours.
As you now know, budgies live in the arid outback lands of Australia, where resources like water are scarce. They’re very adaptable to these lands and can survive quite a while without drinking water.
If the foods they eat contain water, they can survive even longer.
Fact #24: Budgies Have A Third Eyelid 👁
Budgies have a third transparent eyelid called the “nicitating membrane”.
Although you’ll likely never see it, the third eyelid flashes past the eye super fast and is used to moisturise the eye without closing it. This helps wild budgies keep their eyes healthy without sacrificing the ability to watch out for predators.
Eagles, cats, and even crocodiles also have these cool eyelids!
Fact #25: Budgies Have A Wingspan Length Of 11.5 Inches
Natural Inspiration Parrot Cages have measured the wingspans of almost all bird species.
These wingspan measurements were taken on anesthetized birds. They found that on average, budgies had a wingspan length of 11.5 inches. This is much short than a cockatiel’s wingspan, which measures 19.5 inches in length.
Fact #26: Parakeets Can Fly 30 – 35 Days After Hatching
Within 35 days of being hatched, budgies are ready to fly!
They would be practising flight between 30 and 35 days after hatching, but around the 35th day, they are fully capable flyers! That’s pretty quick, especially compared to macaws which can fly after 3 – 5 months of being born.
Fact #27: Baby Budgies Bloom Feathers At 10 -15 Days Old
Between 10 and 15 days after hatching, budgies will bloom some feathers.
They won’t be full feathers as they’re still developing, but you’ll be able to tell what colour the baby budgie will be around this time. The feathers will still be very spikey, so be careful not to poke them!
Fact #28: They Don’t Open Their Eyes Until 10 Days Old
Before budgies reach 10 days old, they’re not strong enough to open their eyes.
Not only that, but they also cannot lift their heads until around the same time. But they don’t need to see anything while they’re babies as they’re completely dependent on their parents for food and safety.
Fact #29: Baby Budgies Weigh Roughly 2 Grams
Newly hatched budgies weigh roughly 2 -3 grams, but they gain weight quickly.
That’s a light baby! 2 grams is about the weight of a small paper clip, a raisin, or a paper note. When handling baby birds, be sure to do so as gently as possible as they’re super vulnerable at this weight.
Fact #30: Male & Female Budgies Have Different Coloured Ceres
In most cases, male budgies have pale or solid blue ceres while females have a white or brown cere.
The cere is located above the beak and beneath the nose holes.
However, in order to accurately sex a budgie based on the cere, they’ll need to be over 1 year old as the cere colour can change with maturity.
Fact #31: The Oldest Budgie Lived For 29 Years
Charlie the budgie is the oldest budgie to have ever lived according to the GBOWR.
This bird was hatched in 1948 and passed away in 1977, which made him 29 years old at the time of his passing.
Fact #32: Budgies Lay 4 – 6 Eggs Per Clutch
When budgies are going through their reproductive cycle, they’ll normally lay 4 – 6 eggs per clutch. So, when your female budgie goes through hormonal surges and decides to start egg laying, they’ll likely lay 4 – 6 eggs within a few days.
Fact #33: Budgies Lay 2 – 3 Egg Clutches Per Year
Budgies normally lay an egg clutch 2 or 3 times out of the entire year.
However, this is influenced by many factors, including the weather, food abundance, and if nesting sites are available. Wild parakeets will typically breed and lay egg clutches 2 – 3 times per year.
Fact #34: Wild Budgies Are Opportunistic Breeders
Budgies will reproduce and raise chicks whenever the conditions are good enough.
In the wild, budgies breed when there is an abundance of food to feed the chicks, which normally happens after rainfall. Continuous warm weather also encourages budgies to breed, as does the condition of their food.
If circumstances are perfect all the time, budgies will attempt to breed more than 3 times a year.
Fact #35: Females Can Lay Eggs Without Male Fertilisation
If you’re the long-time owner of a female budgie, you likely know this:
When hormones are surging, female budgies can lay eggs without a male being present to fertilise them. The result of such behaviour is infertile eggs that won’t produce a chick. Despite this, females will continue to care for the eggs and keep them warm.
Fact #36: Wild Budgies Raise Their Chicks In Tree Hollows
Although captive budgies reproduce in breeding boxes, wild budgies breed in tree hollows.
The dark, confined space of a tree hollow makes for the perfect budgie nest and a safe place to raise chicks. This is a natural instinct that still exists in pet budgies, which is noticeable when they become hormonal in dark and confined spaces.
Fact #37: Both Male & Female Budgies Incubate The Eggs
Both the male and female parakeets will keep their eggs warm.
Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female budgies will protect and feed their developing chicks.
Teamwork makes the dream work!
Fact #38: Budgies Are Natural Ground Foragers
Budgies, like most parrots, find a majority of their food on the ground.
They feed on various plant matter, seeds, and sometimes even bugs, all of which they must graze for on the ground.
Fact #39: Budgies Spend 70% Of Their Days Foraging
Adding on to the previous fact: Budgies spend 70% of their daylight hours foraging for food.
Their search for plants and seeds takes up most of the day. Once food in a specific area is gone, they’ll fly to a new area to forage for more food. Considering how long wild budgies spend foraging, it’s important to provide plenty of foraging opportunities for them as pets.
Fact #40: Budgies Poop Every 15 Minutes 💩
Give or take a few minutes, budgies poop roughly every 13 – 15 minutes.
That’s about 4 poops every hour. So, if you have 1 budgie out of the cage for 2 hours, you’ll have 8 droppings to clean up. However, this fact doesn’t apply at night as budgies don’t poop while sleeping.
Fact #41: Young Budgies Have Striped Caps
Did you know that young budgies have stripes along their forehead feathers?
Until they go through their first moult, budgies will have striped caps, indicating that they’re still young. After the first moult, these stripes will go away and their caps will be a solid colour, indicating that they’re older.
Fact #42: Budgies Have Their First Moult At 4 – 5 Months Old
Young budgies won’t have their first moult until around 4 – 5 months of age.
After the first moult, their adult plumage colours will begin to bloom and their striped caps will turn to a solid colour. Their first moult also signifies their first step from a baby budgie to becoming an adult bird!
Fact #43: Young Budgies Have Full Black Eyes
Young budgies will have full black eyes with no visible pupil or iris.
As the budgie ages, the iris will begin to turn light grey and get progressively lighter, making the pupil more visible. However, rare exceptions apply and some budgies will have full black eyes throughout their entire life.
Fact #44: Wild Budgies Have Many Natural Predators
Wild budgies are natural prey birds and have many predators.
Predators include hawks, falcons, and other birds of prey will hunt budgies as they fly with their flock. Large reptiles, dingoes, and feral cats also pose a threat to budgies while they forage on the ground.
Fact #45: Budgerigars Are Natural Omnivores
Budgies eat a range of plant matter, seeds, grains, and insects, which makes them omnivores.
If they didn’t eat insects, which wild budgies do, they’d be considered granivores, creatures that just feed on grains.
Fact #46: Yawns Are Contagious For Budgies Too!
According to NewScience, budgies can catch yawns from other budgies!
It’s common knowledge that we humans can catch yawns from other people, but it’s very interesting to know that budgie yawns are also contagious.
Not interesting enough?
Well, budgies are also the first non-mammals proven to catch yawns from each other.
If you have a flock of budgies, try watching out for this behaviour!
Fact #47: Hand-Raised Budgies Cost 50$ On Average
Most places let their hand-raised budgies go for around $50.
From all the pet stores I’ve been in, plus the breeder prices I’ve seen online, most hand-raised parakeets cost around 50$. Understandably, this is much more costly than the price of aviary budgies who haven’t been hand-raised.
Fact #48: Pet Store Budgies Cost $10 – $20
$10 – $20 is the usual price you’ll see on pet store budgies that haven’t been hand-raised.
The reason for this is because budgies that haven’t been hand-reared are less socialised with humans and difficult to handle. Since hand-raised parakeets make better pets, they’re more expensive than aviary birds.
How much did your budgie cost?
Fact #49: The Budgie Population Is Increasing!
For those concerned about the budgie conservation status, I have some great news!
Not only do budgies thrive in their natural habitat, but their wild population is actually increasing, which is sadly not the case for many other parrots. There are many endangered parrot species these days, but I’m glad budgies are not one of them.
Fact #50: More Is Known About The Budgie Than Any Other Parrot
AnimalDiversity states that more is known about the biology of budgies than any other parrot.
Their large and growing population has given researchers plenty of opportunity to study all of their aspects. This just makes me think, how long will it be until we know everything there is to know about budgies?
Conclusion | 50 Fun Facts About Budgies
Those were the 50 fun & interesting facts about budgies!
What did you learn here that you didn’t know before?
Hopefully, you learnt at least 1 new thing about these amazing little birds.
Feel free to let me know in the comments what you learnt!
Want to learn some more fun facts?
Read: 50 Fun & Interesting Facts About Cockatiels
Sources:
- https://www.lonetreevet.com/blog/most-popular-pets/
- https://www.petmd.com/bird/how-long-do-parakeets-live
- https://www.omlet.com.au/guide/budgies/introduction_to_budgies/history/
- https://glenlivet-wildlife.co.uk/birds/how-long-can-a-bird-go-without-food/
- https://www.hfsp.org/hfsp-news/budgie-flight-two-speed-system
- https://www.animalfunfacts.net/parrots/142-budgie.html
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/70897-oldest-caged-budgerigar
- https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Melopsittacus_undulatus/
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