How to Tell a Mature Parakeet from a Baby

When a parakeet captures your heart, it doesn't matter how old she is, but it's natural to want to know if you're dealing with a baby or an adult. Studying your bird's physical characteristics will give you some clues as to whether she's still a baby. Parakeets are considered babies until they're a year old, so even if she looks mature, the way she acts may tell a different story.

  1. Feather Markings

    • Examining the markings on your 'keet's feathers is the easiest way to tell if she is an adult or a baby. Baby budgies have dark stripes on their little heads and down their necks. After their first molt at about a year old, the stripes on their necks will remain but the head striping will be gone. Take a look at your parakeet's face mask, too. If she's a baby, the spots on her cheeks will be an oval shape; once she becomes an adult those spots will be round.

    In the Eyes

    • Baby budgies' eyes are dark, giving them a charming, big-eyed appearance. Once your parakeet is a year old, her irises will become lighter and more developed, and you'll be able to clearly make out her pupils.

    Beak Clues

    • Take a look at your parakeet's beak and the surrounding area. Adult parakeets have light, yellow-tan-colored beaks, while babies have dark beaks that appear almost black. Also, the strip of flesh just above a parakeet's beak̵2;called the cere̵2;can help in determining if she's an adult. All babies' ceres are blue, but adult females' ceres turn a pinkish tan. While this feature may not help if your budgie is a boy, it's an obvious indication that a female parakeet is no longer a baby.

    Behavior

    • Watching your bird's behavior will confirm your suspicions if all the physical characteristics indicate that your parakeet is either a baby or an adult. Babies do start to fly at around a month old, so flying in general isn't a clear indication that your parakeet is mature. However, babies are less sure of themselves, and until they gain confidence their flying attempts will be clumsy. Many times a baby parakeet will climb outside her cage and hold on to the bars while flapping her wings̵2;kind of like practicing. Baby parakeets also display what is called "begging posture." It's a behavior that they use mostly before being weaned, but it continues afterward to let their parents know they're hungry. If your parakeet squats down, fluffs her feathers and opens her wings slightly and her beak considerably, she's most likely on the baby side of a year old.