Budgerigar

Overview

Budgerigar: Small parakeet, mostly green in its wild form and may have varying amounts blue, white, or yellow in feral U.S. populations. Has a characteristic pug face, and most have finely barred upperparts. Feeds primarily on grass seeds. Birds in a flock fly in a charecteristic undulating manner.

Range and Habitat

Budgerigar: Widespread in the dry interior of Australia, but populations of escaped cage birds now established at many sites around the world including parts of Florida. Preferred habitats include grasslands, open dry woodlands, farmlands, and roadsides.

INTERESTING FACTS

A compound of budgery, "good" and gar "Cockatoo". Budgerigar means "good eating" or "good food" in some Australian Aboriginal languages.
A group of budgerigars is collectively known as a "chatter" and a "flock" of budgerigars.
Their plumage is known to fluoresce under ultraviolet light, a phenomenon possibly related to courtship and mate selection.
They are well adapted to their desert habitat and can survive for a month without drinking. When drought is particularly severe and they are unable to locate areas of recent rain they refrain from breeding, as the chicks would not survive.

The Budgerigar is native to Australia. This bird has also been introduced to the United States and Puerto Rico. It is believed to be extinct in Kuwait. The range of the Budgerigar is several million square kilometers. The population of the Budgerigar has not been quantified at this time, but there is currently no reason to think that the population of this bird will face decline within the next few years. As a result, the Budgerigar is currently rated as Least Concern.