In celebration of National Bird Day 2015, Barry Kent MacKay, Senior Program Associate for Born Free USA and lifelong bird enthusiast, is writing a special eight-part blog series in December and January where he will describe some interesting avian species. Below is the second installment.
I’ve had people be disappointed by my answer to the question, “What would you recommend as a pet bird?” I always answer that I don’t like keeping any birds captive, but if one absolutely must, perhaps the most humane option is a rescued budgie (the popular name given to the Budgerigar). This is the correct name for a species that has many alternative names, including shell parakeet, Zebra parrot, and, simply, parakeet (a term that could actually mean any of dozens of very distinct species). [teaserbreak] No one really knows for sure what “budgerigar” means, but it is usually assumed to be a distortion of an aboriginal Australian term for “good,” meaning “good bird.” If that theory is true, there is a question of whether it was meant that the bird was good to eat—which, given its small size, seems unlikely—or good because, in the parched lands of the Australian Outback, large flocks indicated the presence of water: a “good” thing to know about. The scientific name, Melopsittacus undulatus, roughly means the melodic (or even just noisy) parrot that flies in undulating flocks.
While it was first known to a European as early as 1805, the budgerigar was given its scientific name in 1840, and a few years later, people started to breed it in captivity. The natural color, green, consists of blue and yellow. The odd wild bird, lacking yellow pigment, is blue instead of green on the breast, with a white head instead of yellow. But, by careful selection of individual birds, breeders have produced a wide variety of colors and patterns—not just blue or yellow, but mauve, grey, white, and various patchworks. They have also changed the shape and size of the budgie from the appearance of the wild budgerigar. So-called “English” strain budgies are about a third larger than the wild budgerigars. Some domestic strains of budgies have small crests.
In the wild, budgerigars form large, wandering flocks over most of Australia: the only country where they naturally occur. They are “nomadic,” avoiding areas where there is little food because of prolonged drought, but returning when conditions produce more food and water. They almost exclusively eat grass seeds, and seeds of other low-growing plants on or near the ground. They can raise the ire of farmers by consuming ripening grain.
They nest in cavities between June and September in the northern part of their range, and between August and January in the south, or any time after significant rainfall has triggered the growth of suitable plant food. At times, they breed twice in one year. They normally lay four to six eggs, up to as many as eight, in cavities in trees or limbs, in hollow or fallen branches, and in fence posts.
At times, they can reach such concentrated numbers that flocks can darken the sky, and the weight of them can break tree branches. There is no conservation concern. They are a protected species and they benefit from water provided to livestock.
Many of the features that allow budgerigars to live in the often harsh Australian environment contribute to the success people have had in domesticating budgies. But, their real charm is in their behavior. They are not too noisy, nor cause as much mess or damage by chewing wood as do larger parrots. They are good at imitating things, even the human voice. They can be very affectionate with each other, and can transfer that affection to humans. They are very attractive… although, to my eye, there was never any reason to produce birds different from the small, green and yellow wild progenitors, surely as beautiful as any of the variations now seen in pet shops.
There is some mild concern that feral flocks of budgies have become established in Florida, and perhaps elsewhere, and might eventually start competing with farmers for grain crops. America’s only native parrot, the Carolina parakeet, was exterminated, at least in part, because of intolerance to its taste for crops. And, of course, there is always the problem that, since budgies are affordable to purchase, practically anyone can have one—no matter how cruelly incompetent that person might be. Everyone in the humane movement has seen these charming little birds subjected to gross cruelty and neglect. This is especially true because of the low economic value they often have, with people unwilling to pay many times more for necessary veterinary care than they paid for the bird. Indeed, they are sometimes provided as prizes for carnival games, a practice opposed by Born Free and other humane organizations. And, as is true of the only two species more popular as “pets” than budgies—dogs and cats—inbreeding for selected traits has left them vulnerable to some congenital and other defects. They are prone to tumors.
But, on the other hand, there is plenty of information on how to properly care for budgies, available online and in low-cost booklets at pet stores or that can be borrowed from libraries. Their needs are relatively simple and easy to provide, and many communities have veterinarians who are competent to treat them (although, never assume such competency without checking ahead). Most budgies are well cared for because their human companions are just so fond of them.