When most people say "parakeet," it is the budgerigar, or budgie, that they are often referring to.
With the many colors available, endearing personality and talking ability in the top three or so birds, the budgie is rightfully one of the most popular pet birds around.
At 7 inches long from head to tail, budgies are small, slender parrots. A sexing indicator is the color of the bird's cere. Males have blue ceres while females have brownish ceres.
Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) do come in many colors. The original budgies from Australia were characterized by their green bodies and yellow heads. The other colors seen in many pet shops include blue with a white head, solid yellow (lutino) or solid white (albino).
Budgies have the capability of learning a huge vocabulary. Their voices are not as close to humans as other birds' are, but the and words and phrases can be heard distinctly amongst their chattering.
If there is any downside to owning budgies, it is their tendency to not eat new foods, including pellets. If a budgie is raised on a varied diet or pellets, this shouldn't be a problem. So, even this downside is avoidable. You may have heard about English budgies. These birds are not actually from England, but they are bred for larger size for showing. These, too, make fine pets.
A pet budgie is likely to enjoy an assortment of toys. Many enjoy talking to "that other budgie" in the mirror. They are also likely to enjoy regular bathing.
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