What is a budgerigar?
The budgerigar, or budgie, is a small green-and-yellow parrot native to inland Australia. Wild budgies live in huge flocks in the outback and are one of the world's most popular pet birds.
Wild budgerigars are about 18 centimetres long, with green bodies, yellow heads and black wavy markings on the back and wings. Pet budgies have been bred in many colours, including blue, white and violet.
In the wild, budgies are nomadic, moving across arid and semi-arid Australia in search of seeding grasses and water. After good rains, flocks of thousands can fill the sky, swirling like smoke.
From outback to living rooms
English naturalist John Gould brought budgerigars to Britain in 1840, and they soon became popular cage birds. Today, millions are kept as pets worldwide.
Budgies are known for their ability to mimic human speech. A budgie named Puck holds a Guinness World Record for the largest vocabulary of any bird, with over 1,700 words.
They breed in tree hollows, often after rainfall.
Did You Know?
The name budgerigar is thought to come from an Aboriginal word for good bird or good food.