Budgie in a cage

The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), also known as common pet parakeet or shell parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus. Wild budgerigars are found throughout the drier parts of Australia, where the species has survived harsh inland conditions for the last five million years. Naturally green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings, breeders have created a rainbow of blues, whites, and yellows, greys, and even forms with small crests.

The budgerigar is closely related to the lories and the fig parrots. Although budgerigars are often, especially in American English, called “parakeets”, this term refers to any of a number of small parrots with long, flat tails.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.