About Parakeets

Bungie parakeets are commonly sold in pet stores. They are not considered an exotic bird, and the cost of the cage and accessories can exceed the price of the bird. Bungies appeal to those who desire an affordable feathered pet that will interact with humans, show affection, learn tricks and even talk.

  1. Identification

    • Parakeets are small birds which are members of the parrot family. Their feathers are colorful, and might be green, red, blue, yellow, orange or purple. The tails of some types of parakeets are short and square, while other types have long pointed tails. Its beak is flush to its face, curved in the same contour as its face and head.

    Function

    • Parakeets are popular pets. The budgerigar or budgie parakeet is the most popular of pet parakeets. They are recognized as affectionate and intelligent birds. The bungie can be taught tricks and will perform acrobatics using small ladders and seesaws. They can be taught to talk, and are easily tamed in captivity. The male bungie's patch of skin above its beak is blue, while the female bungie's is brownish. This skin area is called the cere.

    Features

    • The female parakeet lays an average of five eggs. Eggs take about 18 to 20 days to hatch. The parakeet can live 10 years or more, and some in captivity have lived longer than 30 years. Their primary food consists of seeds and fruit. In the wild some parakeet types make their nests in bushes, and some make them in trees.

    Types

    • One type of parakeet is the lovebird, which is a small African parakeet. The largest parakeet is the slaty-headed parakeet from India, Thailand and Laos. The hanging parrot is a small bird found in Southeastern Asia who sleeps hanging from a tree, upside down. The only parrot species native to the eastern United States was the Carolina parakeet, which is now extinct.

    Considerations

    • The Carolina parakeet was considered an agricultural menace, and was actively pursued by farmers. It was a green bird, with a yellow and orange head. The Carolina parakeet vigorously fed on apples, corn and grain. What especially annoyed the farmers was that the Carolina parakeet would often destroy and waste the fruit, to get to the interior seeds. The millinery trade also pursued the bird, using its colorful feathers to make women's hats. The introduction of the honeybee may have also contributed to the loss of nesting areas for the bird. By 1860 the Carolina parakeet was rarely seen outside of Florida and by the 1920s was considered extinct.