Are you looking for a bird that is small in size, easy on the eye and large in personality? You’d find it very hard to go past the perennially popular parakeet! Parakeets are not just budgies and they make the ideal pets for anyone looking for a smart and pretty bird. Read on for more.
The word “parakeet” means “long tail” so, as you might be able to guess, the parakeet is a small to medium sized parrot that has long tapered tail feathers. There are heaps of different species of parakeets but some of the ones that you might be familiar with include the budgerigar, the rosella, and the cockatiel. In fact budgerigars are often called parakeets but you should remember that parakeets are a type of bird while the budgerigar is the actual species. One of the reasons why parakeets are so loved is the fact that they are beautifully coloured with greens, yellows, blues, oranges, reds, and more.
The parakeet is famed for being a small bird that is large on personality and they certainly don’t disappoint in this regard! The parakeet is a natural flock bird (meaning they live in large groups in the wild) so they are very sociable little creatures. Not only are they sociable with each other, they’re also very good with people. Parakeets are attention seeking birds and their intelligence and curiosity means that they’ll get into everything if you’ll let them! They’re an interactive bird that definitely should not be kept in their cage all day every day. If you’re going to keep a parakeet, you should be prepared to let it have the run of the house for a few hours each day (safely of course!). Due to their intelligence, they’re easy to train and they’ll happily learn tricks or even learn how to talk.
Parakeets are not difficult birds to keep if you have the knowhow and the right equipment. Chief among these is a good cage. Parakeets are natural chewers so the cage needs to be made from safe, non toxic and chew proof materials. Remember to put plenty of chewable things in the cage for the bird such as natural branches, cuttlefish, and non-treated timber. Keep your parakeet entertained in the cage by putting in heaps of different toys for them to play with. Of course, make sure your bird has plenty of room to move.
Feeding your parakeet is easy! The main bulk of their diet can be a seed mix that has been especially formulated for small parrots or for parakeets. You can also find seed mixes tailored to your particular bird (budgie and cockatiel mixes are the perfect examples). Supplement the diet with fresh fruit and vegies, leafy greens (but not lettuce as it doesn’t agree with the birds well), millet, mealworms, and maybe even commercial pellets.
Don’t forget to give your parakeet plenty of water! They’ll need clean water changed every day to drink and bathe in. You may want to give a dropper for drinking from and a shallow tray to bathe in so they don’t contaminate their own drinking water too fast.
Finally, you’ll need to clean the cage. Food and water should be changed and cleaned every day while the cage itself should be cleaned once a week.
What is a Parakeet?
The word “parakeet” means “long tail” so, as you might be able to guess, the parakeet is a small to medium sized parrot that has long tapered tail feathers. There are heaps of different species of parakeets but some of the ones that you might be familiar with include the budgerigar, the rosella, and the cockatiel. In fact budgerigars are often called parakeets but you should remember that parakeets are a type of bird while the budgerigar is the actual species. One of the reasons why parakeets are so loved is the fact that they are beautifully coloured with greens, yellows, blues, oranges, reds, and more.
The Parakeet Personality
The parakeet is famed for being a small bird that is large on personality and they certainly don’t disappoint in this regard! The parakeet is a natural flock bird (meaning they live in large groups in the wild) so they are very sociable little creatures. Not only are they sociable with each other, they’re also very good with people. Parakeets are attention seeking birds and their intelligence and curiosity means that they’ll get into everything if you’ll let them! They’re an interactive bird that definitely should not be kept in their cage all day every day. If you’re going to keep a parakeet, you should be prepared to let it have the run of the house for a few hours each day (safely of course!). Due to their intelligence, they’re easy to train and they’ll happily learn tricks or even learn how to talk.
Keeping Parakeets
Parakeets are not difficult birds to keep if you have the knowhow and the right equipment. Chief among these is a good cage. Parakeets are natural chewers so the cage needs to be made from safe, non toxic and chew proof materials. Remember to put plenty of chewable things in the cage for the bird such as natural branches, cuttlefish, and non-treated timber. Keep your parakeet entertained in the cage by putting in heaps of different toys for them to play with. Of course, make sure your bird has plenty of room to move.
Feeding your parakeet is easy! The main bulk of their diet can be a seed mix that has been especially formulated for small parrots or for parakeets. You can also find seed mixes tailored to your particular bird (budgie and cockatiel mixes are the perfect examples). Supplement the diet with fresh fruit and vegies, leafy greens (but not lettuce as it doesn’t agree with the birds well), millet, mealworms, and maybe even commercial pellets.
Don’t forget to give your parakeet plenty of water! They’ll need clean water changed every day to drink and bathe in. You may want to give a dropper for drinking from and a shallow tray to bathe in so they don’t contaminate their own drinking water too fast.
Finally, you’ll need to clean the cage. Food and water should be changed and cleaned every day while the cage itself should be cleaned once a week.
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