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Two green-and-yellow budgerigars close together against a dark background.
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Budgerigar

Melopsittacus undulatus

A small green-and-yellow parrot of Australia's dry interior, and the most widely known pet bird in the world.

🦜 Parrots
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About the Budgerigar

Wild budgerigars live across most of Australia, except along the far eastern and southwestern coasts, in dry grasslands and savannas. They are only 18 to 20 cm long and weigh about 30 grams. Budgies feed on the ground, mostly on grass seeds. They live in large flocks and are nomadic, moving from place to place to find food and water.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Melopsittacus undulatus[1]
Size
18 to 20 cm (about 7 to 8 inches) long.[1]
Weight
About 30 grams (about 1 ounce).[1]
Lifespan
Up to 21 years in captivity.[1]
Diet
Seeds of grasses and crop plants, picked up from the ground.[1]
Habitat
Dry grasslands and savannas.[1]
Where it lives
Most of Australia, except the far eastern and southwestern coasts.[1]
Group life
Large, nomadic flocks.[1]
Babies
About 5 eggs, laid in tree hollows, hatch after about 18 days.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).[2]

Fun facts

  • The budgerigar is the most widely known pet bird in the world.[1]
  • Budgie feathers have colors that stand out in ultraviolet light.[1]
  • Wild budgies breed whenever good rain falls.[1]
  • Budgies are ready to breed at about 180 days old.[1]

Vocabulary

parrot
A colorful bird with a curved beak and feet with two toes forward and two back.
flock
A group of birds that live, travel or feed together.
nomadic
Moving from place to place instead of staying in one home.
cere
The patch of bare skin above a bird's beak.
ultraviolet
A kind of light people can't see but many birds can.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Melopsittacus undulatus (budgerigar).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Melopsittacus_undulatus/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Melopsittacus undulatus (Budgerigar).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685223/132056957 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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