Parakeets are fascinating birds that have long tails and fall in the family of true parrots. They make excellent pets and are available in beautiful colour combinations as well. Also, it is relatively easy to keep a pet parakeet as they are generally small in size and can be maintained comfortably at a very low cost.
Apart from this, parakeets are smart creatures. A few species can learn to talk and count, while a few other species can learn to mimic or perform simple tricks. In any case, the best thing about keeping a pet parakeet is that they are human-friendly and dwell nicely in any habitat or cage that is warm and has enough water.
Common Facts about Parakeets
Before finally deciding whether you want to buy a parakeet as a pet or not, it is better to know and understand a few common facts about them. Given below are a few parakeet facts that are generally common in almost all the parakeet species.
The Latin name for parakeets is “Melopsittacus undulatus", but it is more commonly known as parakeet in the USA, Budgie in UK and Budgerigar in Australia
AdvertisementParakeets originated and were first found in Australia
They generally grow 7 inches long, which is around 18 cm and weigh about 30 to 40 grams on average
They are social and generally prefer living in big flocks. If the environment is ideal, they could even form a flock of 1000 parakeets
The males can be distinguished from the females by their blue coloured “cere”, which is the flesh above its nose, while the female species can be identified by their brownish “cere”
In young parakeets, the colour of the cere is different than usual. Males have pinkish cere, while females have a little white coloured cere
AdvertisementFemale parakeets generally lay about 4 to 9 eggs, which hatch in about 3 weeks of time
Baby parakeets learn to fly out of their nests after 4 to 5 weeks of age and they can start mating after they are around 6 months old
The most interesting fact about every parakeet species is that they change their feathers every year
The lifespan of parakeets is 14 years on an average. Some live for about 8 to 10 years; whereas, there have been instances where a parakeet has lived for 22 years
Parakeet Body Language
Parakeets are a smart bird species. They are intelligent and can even remember words. But the most interesting thing about parakeets is that they try to communicate with you through their body language. So, here are a few facts about parakeet body language, knowing which you might understand what your pet parakeet is trying to tell you.
When parakeets open their wings, it can mean several things, but most commonly, it means that the weather is too hot and it is just trying to cool itself
If you see your parakeet hopping, then it is a good and healthy sign meaning your pet parakeet is very happy
Parakeets often go into a relaxed state, so if you see your parakeet standing on one foot, then it is simply relaxing
If you have a female parakeet and she has her tail to one side with feathers high, then she is probably ready to mate
If your parakeet has its feathers flattened towards their body, then it means that it is afraid or threatened by something
If your parakeets spend a sufficient amount of time cleaning their feathers, which they love to do all the time, it means that they feel comfortable and safe
The worst parakeet body sign is when they do not move at all or stay still without making any sound. They are optimistic birds that like to sing, hop, eat and move. If you find your pet to be doing none of this, then it is probably sick and needs proper care
Some other Interesting Facts
If you think that knowing all these facts was enough, then you are completely wrong. There are many other interesting facts about parakeets that every pet parakeet owner should know about. Some of these interesting facts are listed below.
The first pair of parakeets was exported from Australia in the year 1840, for which a huge amount was paid
They are a friendly and smart bird species that can learn to talk. A female parakeet can learn about a hundred words, while a male parakeet can learn about several hundred words. However, there was an instance in which a male parakeet from London learnt around 2000 words
One of the most important facts is that parakeets should not be fed human food; the salt intake can prove to be fatal for them
The basic colour of a parakeet is known to be green, but as they are being bred in captivity now, they are available in a wide variety of colours
Whenever a parakeet is frightened or threatened, it naturally moves towards the light, which means it can either fly out of the window or can get hurt. In any case, it is better to close the window curtains so that the light cannot enter
In Australian habitat, parakeets are known to have natural enemies such as big predatory birds and snakes
Parakeets have a total of 4 toes in an X shape, where two toes face in front while the other two toes face the back
Another interesting fact that you might not be interested in knowing is that parakeets pee and poop at the same time
Another gross but interesting fact that you might be happy to know is that when a pet parakeet throws up on you, it actually means that he likes you and considers you as a family member. The vomit is a gesture to feed you
However, the most interesting fact about parakeets is that they are monogamous and stay in a stable lifelong relationship. They only choose another mate if their previous mate is dead, but in most cases, they tend to grieve a lot for their partner's death and may even die themselves
Conclusion
All these interesting parakeet facts might have given you a basic idea of how you want your pet parakeet to be. These birds are very interesting and create an optimistic environment wherever they go. They are excellent pets for children and even adults. For a person looking for a good long-time pet friend, a pet parakeet is probably one of the best options.
References and further readings
- Nikki Moustaki, 2007, Parakeets For Dummies (Buy Book)
- Annette Wolter, 2000, The Parakeet Handbook(Buy Book)
- Beauty of Birds, Plain Parakeets
- ScienceDirect, Parakeet