About Show Budgies

Budgies are one of the most popular pet birds in the world. Proud budgie owners in the United States have been breeding and showing their birds since the 1940s. Show budgies, also known as English budgies, descend from Australia's wild budgerigars, small parrots that are green and yellow in color. Through selective breeding, these show budgies have become larger and more varied in color than their wild cousins.

  1. Appearance

    • For competition, show budgies should be between 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 inches from the top of the head to the tip of the tail. Depending on the country of competition, the lengths are more specific. American birds have a required length of around 9 inches. The birds should be symmetrical in appearance with straight, long tail feathers and large, rounded heads. Numerous color strains exist including combinations of greens, yellows, violets and blues. The show bird's markings should closely match the expected appearance of its color strain.

    Behavior

    • An attractive appearance is a large part of what is looked for in a show budgie, but behavior is also a factor. The birds are expected to sit alert and tall on their perches while being judged. It is important that the birds are not nervous or easily startled, as panic in the show cage can make them harm themselves. A budgie that is panicking is marked down on points, as is a budgie that has broken its feathers or hurt its wings.

    Pedigrees and Leg Bands

    • Just like with dog shows, the birds competing in the top budgie shows often need a proven pedigree. This means that a record is kept of a bird's ancestry to confirm its worthiness to compete in a particular group. Often a pedigree is required to register a bird with a competitive society for show purposes. Show birds often wear official metal leg bands, which are fitted at a few days old. These bands hold the information required to legitimize the bird for competition.

    Competition

    • At the competitive level, competitions are usually broken into divisions, pitting entrants against each other based on the age and relevant experience of the breeder. Within these divisions, the birds are then grouped into classes by age, sex and color type. The winners from each class will usually then compete against the winners from the other classes within their division. Ultimately, a division champion is crowned. This bird then competes against the winners from the other divisions for the "best in show" crown.