Birds are indeed the love of all. Ranging from the sound of their chirping to their eye-catching flight, people call it a symbol of hope and affection. There are several birds worldwide that gain a lot of attention and interest because of their unique features. However, they are also valued based on their lifespan. Indeed, beauty counts a lot, but for sure, no one likes to invest in something that could not live for at least a few consecutive years.
On average, most birds live for around 2 to 5 years, but even some exceptions cross this range. No matter what type of bird you want to keep as a pet, you must try to get something that has the following idealistic features:
If you are still confused about making the right choice, we would suggest something unique to get as your pet bird. Yes, we are talking about Parakeets which are one of the most familiar yet most appealing birds. They are not only easy to keep and manage, but they are friendly enough to adapt to your home environment. So, let’s initiate the details about Parakeets.
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Parakeets As Pets
Everyone who loves pets is always ready to cater to their needs. No matter if it’s about birds or something more unique, pet lovers know how to treat and give worth to their beloved pets.
Budgerigars or Parakeets are small-sized colourful birds with lively voices. They are based on limited numbers in parrot’s family who become great partners for their owners and try to adapt to the environment as per their capabilities. The best part is that these are among the ideal birds to tame and most probably the easiest ones to care for. Isn’t it cool? Yes, for sure.
If you have a parakeet or plan to get one as your pet, you must go for it. In this blog, you will get so many answers about parakeet ownership, their habits, and behaviour, which will help you gain as many details as you like to have.
You would surely love to know that these birds are natives of Australia and like to live in colonies in wild regions. This is the reason why it’s always preferable to get them as your pet in the form of pairs or even a limited-sized group which you can manage easily. Still, you must be sure that you always keep females or male in a group, especially if you don’t want them to make lobbies independently.
You might be wondering about how to differentiate between male and female Parakeets. The answer is you should observe the cere just above their beak. A male Parakeet will most probably have a bright royal blue shade care, and the cere in female will likely be pink, dull blue, or white. For sure, this is a relatively easy way to figure out their sex.
Parakeets Lifespan In General
This is something significant to consider before you buy a Parakeet for yourself. In general, the lifespan variate greatly. For instance, if they live in the wild, they have different durations to stay alive, whereas being pets, they have different ones.
It must be noted that Parakeet often becomes mature in the very first year of their life. In general, parakeets are known to live for around 5 to 8 years. Despite this average, they have considerable capacity to survive for a longer time if you provide them with the utmost ideal scenarios. Moreover, several common health-associated issues become an influential factor to affect the general lifespan of a Parakeet. Among all, obesity is one of the most common causes of decreased lifespan. Also, those Parakeets that have more extraordinary exhibition quality showcase a shorter lifespan.
How Long Do Parakeets Live In The Wild?
There is almost always a clear difference among animals and birds’ lives in their natural habitat compared to their captivity lives. Both of the spectrums have various degrees of dangers and limitations.
Originally, Parakeets are found in different areas of the world, but the most common one is Australia. It is observed that they love to live in the wild, especially in the form of colonies. Still, a question arises here: Is a wild land an ideal place for Parakeets to survive for a longer time? Of course, they are colourful enough to grab their predator’s attention often, but does this limit their lifespan? Indeed, the answer to this will open wide doors to the facts regarding Parakeets’ lifespan in the wild.
Parakeets live a significant length of life with socializing in their colonies, environmental variations such as weather of the wild lands and improper nutrition for survival directly influence their lifespan. Each of the Parakeet has a lifespan of approximately 7 to 14 years while residing in the wild. This is especially when there is no noticeable influence of the environment. Genuinely, Parakeets never exceed this age range.
How Long Do Parakeets Live In Captivity?
The lifespan in captivity is undoubtedly different in comparison to the lifespan in the wild. Despite various influencing factors, it also depends on the species. When we call Parakeets, it includes a wide range of bird species with small bodies and long tails. For sure, that’s quite an interesting description.
For instance, there are different parrots which are known as parakeets with a moustache. Also, there is a category called grass parakeets. Similarly, there are so many other forms of parakeets that live all over the world. Below, we are highlighting the various bird species with their native lands and the average lifespan they have in captivity. This will help you to make your desired choice while keeping their duration of life in mind.
| SPECIE | NATIVE LAND | AGE IN CAPTIVITY |
| Budgerigar | Australia | 5 and 10 years |
| Monk Parakeet | Argentina and South America | 20 to 30 years |
| Plain Parakeet | Brazil | 15 years |
| Grass Parakeets | Australia | 10 years |
| Barred Parakeet | Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Andes, forests of Southern Mexico | 10 years |
| Mustache Parakeet | The Andaman Islands and countries in Southeast Asia. | 20 and 30 years |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | – | 20 and 30 years |
| Green-cheeked Parakeet | South America | 30 years |
| Golden Parakeet | Amazon Basin | 30 years |
Although the table mentioned above highlights the differences in the age of parakeets in captivity, you may find your Parakeet to live for about 20 years if you take little extra care. For sure, this is something significant.
Factors That Affects Parakeets Lifespan
Different factors influence the lives of Parakeets. Although these birds are delighted to go lucky still, some factors directly affect the lifespan of Parakeets. Check it out:
How To Increase Your Parakeets Lifespan In Captivity?
After getting this much details about Parakeets, you must have started loving them. We know that after planning to buy them, you must wonder about the factors that influence their lifespan. Although this variates a lot still, some influential factors can be controlled to offer them a better and longer life. Check it out.
1. Dietary Habits
Like humans, Parakeets have certain dietary habits. If you offer them idealistic and healthy food, you can help them avoid diseases and have a better life. As soon as you have bought your pet home, try to be focused on what you are offering to them as meal. For a longer life, Parakeets need a particular diet. Some of the best things to offer as food include vegetables, fruits, and seeds.
Seeds offer these birds all the essential and necessary nutrients to stay alive. Moreover, the addition of vegetables and fruits in the raw form can help birds scavenge disease and live for years. This is because vegetables and fruits are the perfect sources of antioxidants. Find the best choices of fruits and vegetables as under:
If you are still confused, you may visit your nearest pet store. They can help you to get whatever you want for your pet. Before this, try to be very sure that you are well aware of your choices.
2. Enough Space And Sufficient Movement Ensure A Healthy Life
Like most animals, a perfect way to let your bird enjoy as much as they want is to make sure that you have offered them enough space for free movement. Flight birds are sensitive about their wings. Even if you trim them a little, they would still love to move. This is very important for the lives of Parakeets. They love to fly around, and confining them in narrow cage is a not good idea. Hence, make sure that you always keep this in mind while designing their living space because this will directly influence their lifespan.
Also, you may set them free out of the cage to offer good exercise. It is highly recommended to do proper research on the design of cages before locating them.
3. Parakeets Love To Play With Toys
One of the Parakeets’ most lovable ideas is to give them some toys in the cage to enjoy. This lowers down the aggression and may decrease the chances of bites as well. Toys allow the bird to get engaged with other birds and play together. They like to climb and swing, and even you can find them enjoying in physical activities. This is because the lifespan of parakeets depends on the number of cardio exercises they are availing. Also, it clarifies to much extent about any muscle disfunction. Some of the most common toys for Parakeets includes:
How To Tell The Age Of Your Parakeet?
Although age is just a number, yet in your bird pet’s case, it could turn out to be significant if you know the age. There are three common and basic steps of figuring out the age of your Parakeet.
Step Number 1
Check the forehead of your bird. This is the ideal way as it tells very clearly about the age of your Parakeet. When it is 3-4 months old, for the first time, it starts moulting. Therefore, if your bird is younger than that age, its head would have stripes going all the way down on the backside. Interestingly, after the very first moult, it starts to lose the stripes from the area of its forehead.
Step Number 2
Focus keenly on the eyes of your Parakeet. Ranging from birth to 8 months of age, the iris of the Parakeet that is the coloured region turns lighter. If it has all-black eyes, it may be of less than four months old. Also, if it has a tiny part that contrasts the pupil area, it must be eight months old.
Step Number 3
Another ideal way to know the age of your bird is to read its bling. If you bought it through a registered ID band around the leg area, you could tell exactly how much it is old now. Quite interesting, yes, for sure. Try to read the abbreviation written on it and also track through the colours. For instance, green bands refer to 1998, and red bands mean 2012. This is all extracted from the American Budgerigar Society.
How To Tell If Your Parakeets Are Healthy?
If you have bought a Parakeet for the first time, you might face problems in finding adequate details about the health of your bird. Therefore, try to be a little more observant towards your pet. This is because even the experienced owners get confused because of improper symptoms. Let’s get started.
1. Aggressive Birds Might Be In Pain.
If you feel like your bird is turning aggressive, like giving bites, it might be in pain. Try to observe the feathers deeply, and if still, you cannot figure them out, visit the specialists.
2. The Dehydrated Bird May Show Distinguishing Features
If you notice that your bird is panting frequently or observe flare nares and hot feet, your bird may be at the risk of dehydration or simply feeling unnecessarily warmer.
3. Unhealthy Parakeets Are Drowsy Even In The Day Time
Parakeets are great night sleepers, whereas they are active throughout the day. Hence, if you find your bird sleeping during the day, it may be alarming because of sickness. This sometimes occurs because of mites in their feathers.
4. Is Your Bird Dropping?
The dropping of birds is the close sign that your Parakeet is getting sick. You may observe an unusual poop which may be somewhat similar to burnt popcorn. Loose droppings highlight diarrhoea, or if the poop is found to be greenish, this means your bird is not having enough meal. Also, greyish colour poop is the sign of some complication of the pancreas, and if you see blood in their poop, this could be because of intestinal problems.
What To Do If Your Parakeet Gets Sick?
All the above signs, which we have already mentioned, are mark the bird’s deteriorating health. Therefore, try to be a little more focused on your pet. Make sure you do not panic and manage conditions well without creating a further mess.
1. Diarrhoea
If your bird is excreting out the wet poops, it must be undergoing diarrhoea. For this reason, it must be feeling quite sluggish. You may observe this in their feathers sticking with the dirt. You can wait for some days for recovery and offer them seeds and clean water. If symptoms don’t get better, visit a veterinarian as soon as possible.
2. Ornithosis
This is sometimes referred to as parrot fever. Here, the bird has tears flowing out. If you find any such thing, it may be a sign of chills and fever. In this scenario, don’t wait for some days. Try to visit the vet doctor immediately.
3. Prolapse Of Rectum
This is the condition in which intestines get displaced. You can figure it out if you see a red marble-type body sticking in the rear side of a bird. Visit the vet immediately if you observe something like this. This may need a surgical procedure for complete recovery.
General Care For Your Parakeets
After getting all the details about the measures to go for your Parakeets, let’s check out some of the common ways of taking care of your Parakeets.
1. Nails
Like humans, nails are the significant yet the most fragile part of your Parakeet’s body. It uses its nail to groom itself. Despite their usefulness, nails are the hub of several microbes and mites. They can quickly shift to the fur of your bird and irritate them in the long run. Therefore, try to check the length of nails of your bird. Be very sure that you don’t let it grow randomly. Try to cut it but be precise enough and do not hit the blood supplying areas. Otherwise, your bird will start bleeding and would need first aid to manage it.
2. Wings
Wings are the assets of birds. Still, if you have kept a pet bird, you don’t want it to escape. Therefore, try to trim the feathers on a regular basis. Make sure your cutter doesn’t hit the area of blood vessels. Otherwise, you will have difficulty in managing the bleeding feather. Apart from trimming them, also make sure the feathers are clean enough. If not, it will turn out to be the hub for mites.
3. Cage
What you call a cage is a home to your bird. Therefore, let it be simple, wide and clean enough. This is very important to take care of the cage as you care for your bird. This ensures a clean environment for your bird and also sustains its health.
Verdict
There are so many birds worldwide that are not only attractive but have some classical features. Therefore, they are ideal for keeping as pets. Parakeets are one of a kind which is perfect to be kept as pets and also easily manageable.
Hey, I am a licenced veterinary practitioner. Since my childhood, I have always dreamed to be a vet and play with these adorable creatures all day long. My love to write and spread awareness pushed me towards blogging. So, I decided to merge both of my passions and create highly knowledgeable blogs for the people struggling with their new pets. There are multiple cases you may face with your pets in everyday life and also multiple odd behaviours may pop hundreds of questions into your mind. Every behaviour has a reason, and I am here to provide the very logical reasons and easy solutions. Let us take care of our pets in the best possible way!