Types of Budgie Birds

Budgies are a popular type of parakeet, which, in turn, is a type of small parrot. Native to Australia, there is one species of budgerigar, of which there are about 120 different breeds, according to Grace Pootspete Pootspete, writing for the bird enthusiast website "Tail Feathers." The primary color is green, but there are many color variations. Budgies have been selectively bred to create two different types of captive budgie birds, American and English budgies. These birds are curious and love to chatter and play.

  1. Australian Budgies

    • Australian budgies are wild and common in mainland Australia. They have green bodies and yellow foreheads and faces with black bands on their backs. This camouflages them with their scrub-land/grassland habitat in the drier parts of Australia, where they feed on seeds. Wild budgerigars tend to be much smaller than those in captivity, averaging about 7 inches long.

    American Budgies

    • There are two types of budgies available in pet stores. The smaller type is called the American budgie in the United States and reaches up to 9 inches in length. There are many different colors available that are the result of natural color mutations. Common colors include cobalt blue, gray, white, yellow and mauve. These birds can live up to 15 years and are sold cheaply in pet stores for around $20.

    English Budgies

    • English budgies are much larger and have a more dramatic look than budgies in the wild. Also known as exhibition budgies, they are the same species as wild and American budgies. Exhibition budgies come in a large range of colors and patterns. Each color variety has a points scale and description of the ideal bird kept by the "Budgerigar Society" in England, used to judge show birds. These birds live for around five to seven years and cost between $35 to $60.

    Breeding

    • In the wild, budgerigars breed between June and September in the north of Australia and August and January in the south; however, they will breed when food is abundant. In captivity, breeding takes place in a nest box, which replicates natural breeding in hollow trees. Wild Australian budgies were bred selectively by mating birds with desirable characteristics, such as plumage color or size. This breeding produced offspring with desirable and more exaggerated features. Over time this selective breeding gave rise to the two distinct captive budgie types, along with the many subtypes of English budgies.