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Budgerigar
| Budgerigar Temporal range:
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|---|---|
| |
| Blue cere indicates male | |
| |
| Flaking brown cere indicates female in breeding condition | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Subfamily: | Loriinae |
| Tribe: | Melopsittacini |
| Genus: | Melopsittacus Gould, 1840 |
| Species: | M. undulatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Melopsittacus undulatus (Shaw, 1805)
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| The range of the Budgerigar Native range: green Introduced range: light green | |
The budgerigar (/ˈbʌdʒərɪɡɑːr, -əriː-/ BUJ-ər-ih-gar, -ə-ree-;[3] Melopsittacus undulatus), also known as the common parakeet, shell parakeet or budgie (/ˈbʌdʒi/ BUJ-ee),[3][4] is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot native to Australia. Naturally the species is green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings.[5] Budgies are bred in captivity with colouring of blues, whites, yellows, greys, and even with small crests.[5][6] Juveniles and chicks are monomorphic (the sexes are visually indistinguishable), while adults are told apart by their cere colouring and their behaviour.
The species is monotypic, meaning it is the only member of the genus Melopsittacus, which is the only genus in the Melopsittacini tribe. The budgerigar is closely related to lories and the fig parrots.[7][8][9][10]
The origin of the budgerigar's name is unclear. First recorded in 1805, budgerigars are popular pets around the world due to their small size, low cost, and ability to mimic human speech. They are likely the third most popular pet in the world, after the domesticated dog and cat.[11] Budgies are nomadic flock parakeets that have been bred in captivity since the 19th century. In both captivity and the wild, budgerigars breed opportunistically and in pairs.
They are found wild throughout the drier parts of Australia, where they have survived harsh inland conditions for over five million years. Their success can be attributed to a nomadic lifestyle and their ability to breed while on the move.[12]
- ^ Boles, Walter E. (1998). "A budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus from the Pliocene of Riversleigh, North-western Queensland". Emu. 98 (1): 32–35. Bibcode:1998EmuAO..98...32B. doi:10.1071/MU98004.
- ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Melopsittacus undulatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22685223A132056957. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22685223A132056957.en.
- ^ a b "budgerigar". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 10 September 2021. "Budgerigar Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com". Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ "budgie". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Budgerigar". Birdlife Australia. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "Budgerigar". The Australian Museum. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ Wright, TF; Schirtzinger EE; Matsumoto T; Eberhard JR; Graves GR; Sanchez JJ; Capelli S; Mueller H; Scharpegge J; Chambers GK; Fleischer RC (2008). "A Multilocus Molecular Phylogeny of the Parrots (Psittaciformes): Support for a Gondwanan Origin during the Cretaceous". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 25 (10): 2141–2156. doi:10.1093/molbev/msn160. PMC 2727385. PMID 18653733.
- ^ Tokita, M; Kiyoshi T; Armstrong KN (2007). "Evolution of craniofacial novelty in parrots through developmental modularity and heterochrony". Evolution & Development. 9 (6): 590–601. doi:10.1111/j.1525-142X.2007.00199.x. PMID 17976055. S2CID 46659963. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.
- ^ de Kloet, RS; de Kloet SR (2005). "The evolution of the spindlin gene in birds: Sequence analysis of an intron of the spindlin W and Z gene reveals four major divisions of the Psittaciformes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 36 (3): 706–721. Bibcode:2005MolPE..36..706D. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.03.013. PMID 16099384.
- ^ Schweizer, M.; Seehausen O; Güntert M; Hertwig ST (2009). "The evolutionary diversification of parrots supports a taxon pulse model with multiple trans-oceanic dispersal events and local radiations". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 54 (3): 984–94. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.08.021. PMID 19699808. S2CID 1831016.
- ^ Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2003). "Parrots, Lories, and Cockatoos". The New Encyclopedia of Birds. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198525066. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Dr. Marshall's Philosophy on Breeding Exhibition Budgerigars". Bird Health. 2004. Archived from the original on 11 August 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
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