Parakeets are small-medium-sized parrots that are found in the grassland of Australia. But the question arises of how many types of parakeets are available and how to identify them and differentiate them. Based on their diversity, appearance, standard features, and some other traits, in this article we will find out about different parakeets and from where you can find them easily based on their habitats.
Before discussing types of parakeets, let us share some of the common traits of parakeets seen in almost every kind. These characteristics would be in terms of their physical appearance and traits and how well they mingle with other species—featuring some of the basic budgies features that will help you recognize who are budgies rather than get confused with other parrots.
1. Body Shape
Despite several breeds that parakeets have, all the parakeets have the same small cylindrical bodies along with a long feather tail, comparatively.
The feet are shaped like X, except they met some serious accident. The two toes of parakeets are in backward position, and the other two must are in forward. Another interesting fact is that every parakeet can rotate their head 180 degrees around, very easily.
2. Colors
Parakeets are the king of colors when it comes to the variety of colors this breed possess depending on bred from. This bird ranges some unique color combinations from green and bright yellow to violet and orange. The cere of every parakeet’s changes as they grow up and reaches their maturity sex vice.
The parakeets can vary in price depending on their color combinations as higher will be the price if parakeets have exotic colors. For instance, blue parakeets are very expensive compared to yellow and green as they are quite common.
3. Beak
Parakeets also have multiple side beaks, which are for different purposes like chewing food and peeling of fruits, also removing the shells from the seeds.
They use their upper bill for digging and holding purposes inside the cage.
4. Sounds
When it comes to the sound and voice of parakeets, they may vary from bird to bird. However, parakeets are very smart and intelligent to replicate the voices they hear from their environment.
You can also try teaching them some new words and phrases through repetition process, and they can whistle too after learning it.
5. Activity Level
Parakeets are very active birds throughout the day and to match their energy level is quite difficult, so it has been preferred to buy them in pair, not as a single.
To keep them busy, you can also give them some toys, and they can also take flights from one perch to another and keep them engaged in self-grooming.
You can also make their cages as entertaining as possible to give them vibes to stay cheerful and happy throughout.
6. Very Social
Unlike other birds, parakeets require company and some engagement, even they like to live with their budgie friends. It doesn’t have to be an opposite gender all the time; even with the same gender, they get along very well.
Another fascinating thing about parakeets is that they are very social with humans and can be very affectionate and loving when they start to share an unbreakable bond.
Some Common Traits Of Parakeets
Before discussing the types of parakeets, look at some of the very common parakeet traits found in almost every parakeet. The very common and most noticeable feature is that all parakeets are highly intelligent and highly social by nature and very human-friendly. They are highly friendly and amiable; nature makes them the most lovable pet bird and exceedingly in demand. They are very affectionate and irresistible to stay away from; once they are attached to you, they will prefer to spend most of the time with their human friends then.
Let’s start with how many parakeet species exist and what the difference is among them.
Types Of Parakeets
1. Alexandrine Parakeet
Alexandrine parakeets are full of exotic colors, extremely talkative plus highly talented, and smart. Also, these parakeets are considered as Asia’s largest parakeet all around the world. These parakeets were brought to Europe around the 4th century, and since then it has been considered as one of the oldest specie in parakeet family.
These beautiful birds can easily live up to 40 years, and their adult body size reaches 25 inches that’s quite huge compared to other parakeets.
2. Budgerigars
Budgies are also called budgerigars which are native Australian parakeets found in the grassland of Australia. These parakeets are highly in demand these days as a pet because of their particular trait i.e., curiosity, highly energetic and amiable nature and they can also learn how to talk. These pets are a good company to be with; also, they are very low maintenance. They can also learn human words and phrases, which makes them more interesting.
The adult budgies measure up to about 7 inches, and they weigh 1.5 ounces.
3. Monk Parakeet
These parakeets are found in the South of America with their flock, where they can easily survive the winters of New York and Chicago. These are small in size and have bright green to the yellow abdomen with a grey breast, making them unique.
These parakeets are also used as pet birds where they can easily survive up to 15 years due to their better living conditions, but when they are in the wild, they can hardly live for 6-7 years.
4. Psittacula Parakeets
Psittacula is a native bird of Southeast Asia and Africa, where they are famous for making the most varied species of parakeets as sub-specie. These sub varied species count as 14 today.
These parakeets are very social and extremely smart, but they still need some time to get socialized around humans. These adult parakeets can range up to 13-23 inches, and these can live up to 35 years easily.
5. Plain Parakeets
These parakeet species are very friendly and appealing and have become very popular in such little time because of their charming personality. These parakeets are found in the south of America, particularly Brazil. They have a unique color combination of green on their body and pink on their feet and beak.
These are 9 inches tall and usually have a life span of 10-15 years.
6. Derbyan Parakeet
Derbyan is the native parakeets of china, India, and Tibet found in their forest regions. These parakeets are an endangered species now as they lose their natural habitats within the forest, leading to increased deaths.
The adult derbyan parakeets can live up to 30 years and are approximately 20 inches tall. These parakeets have a very calm and lovable temperament; however, they constantly need engaging and socializing.
7. Indian Ringneck Parakeet
These parakeets are also called rose-ringed parakeets. These are found in several parts of Asia and are easily found in Pakistan, India, to the Middle East. These birds prefer to live in a flock instead of as an individual.
In the adult age, these birds heights up to 16 inches and weigh less than 4 ounces. These parakeets have a wide range of colors, from bright greens to yellows to cinnamons.
8. Plum-Headed Parakeet
These parakeets have Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Srilanka as their native land. These parakeets have different temperaments based on region as Asians are less aggressive than other region parakeets. However, these also require human assistance and their interaction for well-behaved manners.
The adults can grow up to 12 inches, weigh around 3 ounces or less, and have a life span of approximately 15-20 years.
9. Quaker Parakeet
These are very small birdie parakeets having a bright green color. These parakeets love to fly a lot, so if you want to keep them as pets, try to have a huge and spacious cage. Quaker parakeets like to talk with each other and with humans as well, as they respond with their voices.
These parakeets are also called monk parakeets. They have a body size up to 11-12 inches and weigh around 5 ounces.
10. Regent Parakeet
These parakeets are found in the Southwest of Australia, where they live in wood and shrublands. However, these parakeets are considered the rarest of their type and still adored as pets due to their affectionate personality.
These are 16 inches long and have a quite extended life span of 25 years. When it comes to their colors, they are found in green and in yellow as well.
11. Lineolated Or Barred Parakeets
These parakeets are native to central and south of America. Barred parakeets preferred to live in higher regions and are usually found in the Peruvian Andes. These are also found with their flocks, mostly comprising of 20 birds.
Barred parakeets are known for their quiet and calm nature who prefers walking and flight lovers. These parakeets have a life span of 10-20 years. These are 6-7 inches in length.
12. Moustache Parakeet
These parakeets are unique in terms of their color as they have red-breast and are in the small-medium size. These parakeets are easily found in Southeast Asia. However, it is also an endangered species due to the demise of its natural habitat.
These parakeets are also famous for their sweet and calm temperament and outgoing personality and can easily live up to 25 years if taken proper care of.
13. Bourke’s Parakeet
Bourke’s parakeets are also called Bourkie. These are small parrots and are native to Australia. These parakeets are known to have a gentle temperament, plus these are very calm and quiet compared to other parakeets of their size.
These have a height of 7-8 inches in length and can easily live up to 25 years with good given conditions.
14. Brotogeris Parakeets
These parakeets are native to the south and central of America. Also related to monk parakeets sometimes. These parakeets are known to be exceptional when it comes to their flying skills; these parakeets are also smaller than a cockatiel.
Brotogeris parakeets usually range from 7-9 inches, and they are typically found in green color.
15. Slaty-Headed Parakeet
These parakeets have some unique color combinations on their body, i.e., they have seafoam green color on their body and feathers and greyish blue heads and Yellow color fading on their tails with burning orange color beaks.
For gender differentiation, males have small red splotch on their upper wings, which is quite distinguishable for the determination of gender.
However, these birds are also well-behaved and adopted as pets as well. These birds are friendly enough to get along with other birds as well, not only humans.
Parrots Not Parakeets
As we have discussed before that every parakeet is parrots but not every parrot is a parakeet. As parakeets are considerably varied from small-medium size, that doesn’t mean every small group of parrots belongs to the parakeet species. For sure, the parakeet breed is very wide and has many different characteristics parrots. On the contrary, sharing the list of birds that are not part of this group but mistaken as parakeets.
- Lories
- Pionus
- Lovebirds
- Eclectus
- Caiques
- Poicephalus
- Lorikeets
Parakeets are confused with many parrot species that are found all over the world. However, parakeets are very different and some particular characteristics and traits which shouldn’t be confused with any other parrots.
For instance, parakeets are usually African grey parrots that don’t even share the same family or genus. The African greys are less colorful and quite huge than parakeets, which are quite smaller in size and have very bright colors. There are physical differences present between parakeets and parrots and some prominent behavioral and nutritional differences.
Parakeets are also confused with Cockatiels while belong to a different family named Cacatuidae. Where, when it comes to parakeets, they belong to the Psittacidae family. To end up these confusions for once and all, it has been recommended to do enough research before buying any parakeet, or you can also ask the breeders or pet shop managers.
Parakeet Difference On Their Colors
Parakeets are also differentiated on the basis of colors worldwide as different budgies carry different colors with them.
In the wild, it has been seen that the majority numbers of parakeets exist with green and yellow color and have markings and stripes of black paint on them along with blue, dark green, or sometimes black stain on their feathers. This is the exact description of budgies that are found native to Australia.
Wondering about then how parakeets have a wide range of colors and different breeds? This is the result of captive breeding, which has been done for years and now results in various budgies. However, captive pet parakeets also come in two major series of colors that are divided based on the base color.
- The yellow base includes colors like olive, light green, yellow, dark, and gray-green.
- The white base includes colors like white, violet, mauve, gray, blue, and cobalt).
Common Colors Of Budgies
Even though a wide range of colored parakeets is found all over the world, there are still some common colored parakeets that you can see more often that are:
1. Green
Originally, parakeets are green in color, which has helped them hide in the wild and forests from their predators. However, nowadays, green parakeets are also found in light or dark green, even olive too.
2. Blue
Blue color in budgies are the result of recessive mutations. These parakeets are quite difficult to breed compared to other breeds, making them very expensive, unlike other parakeets.
3. Purple
- This color existed in the back days of 1930 and was still rare till the 20th century. But nowadays, even rainbow, cinnamon, and red parakeets are also rare.
Conclusion
Parakeets are somewhat amazing birds that possess many attributes of beauty that will hardly be seen in any bird singularly. Parakeets are full of an exciting range of colors, making them more in demand than any other pet bird.
Not only in terms of beauty but parakeets as pets are full of energy, love, affection, and a true companion who will not let you down in your hard times. If you are planning to own parakeets, then it will be a festive treat for you. These birds are very low maintenance and can be easily tamed without any struggles, and in no time, you will be the favorite person of your budgie.
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!
