Melopsittacus undulatus
Budgerigar
Budgies are the most widely kept parrot in the world: intelligent, social and far more demanding than their low price suggests.
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At a glance
- Scientific name
- Melopsittacus undulatus
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Origin
- Inland Australia
- Lifespan
- 6–12 years, sometimes longer
- Adult size
- 18 cm including tail
- Weight
- 30–40 g
- Temperament
- Sociable, curious and chatty
- Activity level
- High — flocks fly long distances daily in the wild
- Social needs
- Very high; keep in pairs or groups unless advised otherwise by a vet
- Intelligence
- Excellent mimics and quick learners with target training
- Noise
- Constant cheerful chatter; rarely loud enough to disturb neighbours
Housing and environment
- Housing
- The largest cage you can fit, minimum 60 x 40 x 50 cm for a pair, wider than tall
- Space requirement
- A dedicated bird-safe room for daily flight
- Temperature
- 18–26°C, away from draughts and kitchen fumes
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Exercise
- Several hours of supervised out-of-cage flight daily
- Grooming
- Self-preening plus bathing opportunities; nail and beak checks
Life stages and changing needs
Expanded care guidance · Updated 7 October 2026 · Not professionally reviewed
Young animals and settling in
Young budgerigars should ideally be rehomed with an established companion, since this is a highly social flock species that can become distressed living completely alone. Give a new bird a few quiet days to settle with minimal handling before building trust gradually using treats offered through cage bars first. Confirm the source has weaned the bird fully and is feeding an appropriate seed-and-pellet mix before changing the diet suddenly.
Adult care and reproductive changes
Adults need daily flight opportunity in a safe room or a cage large enough for genuine wingbeats, not just hopping between perches. Hormonal females can lay eggs without a male present, and repeated unplanned laying risks egg-binding and calcium depletion; reduce nest-like hideaways and long daylight hours if this becomes frequent, and seek avian advice. Pairs can be strongly bonded, so sudden separation through rehoming or loss can cause visible distress.
Later life and changing needs
Older budgerigars are prone to tumours, including on the wing, abdomen or near the preen gland, as well as reduced activity and cataracts. Watch for lumps felt during gentle handling and any change in balance, breathing or droppings. A lower perch arrangement may help a bird with reduced grip strength, and veterinary assessment for new growths should not be delayed by an assumption that tumours are inevitably untreatable.
Diet and feeding
Formulated pellets as the base, plus fresh vegetables, sprouted seed and limited seed mixes
A budgerigar needs a varied diet including a fortified pellet or seed-and-pellet mix, fresh leafy greens and limited fruit, rather than seed alone, which is low in several vitamins and minerals and linked to obesity and liver problems. Introduce pellets gradually alongside existing seed if converting an adult bird, since some individuals initially resist new textures and can go hungry if the diet is switched abruptly.
Provide a cuttlebone or mineral block for calcium, particularly important for egg-laying females, but do not rely on it as the sole nutritional intervention for a bird laying persistently. Avoid avocado, chocolate and salty household food, which are toxic to budgerigars even in small quantities. Watch that husks discarded from seed are not mistaken for an untouched, full bowl when assessing how much the bird has actually eaten.
Daily care and ongoing checks
Every day
Check food, water and droppings daily, and provide supervised flight time outside the cage in a secured, bird-proofed room with windows covered and other pets excluded. Offer fresh chew and foraging items to support natural behaviour and beak condition. A budgerigar fluffed up and quiet for an extended period during the day is not simply resting; this species is prey-driven and tends to mask illness until it is advanced.
Regular maintenance and prevention
Clean perches, dishes and cage tray regularly, and rotate toys to prevent boredom, which can contribute to feather plucking or excessive screaming. Keep the cage away from kitchen fumes, aerosols and draughts, and out of direct strong sunlight without shade options. Monitor beak and nail length, since overgrowth can affect feeding and perching and may indicate an underlying liver or health problem rather than simply needing a trim.
Behaviour and compatibility
Chewing, foraging, flock chatter, bathing and social preening
- With children
- Suitable for calm older children with supervision
- With other animals
- Never leave unsupervised with cats or dogs
- Training difficulty
- Low with positive reinforcement
Health
- Fatty liver disease from all-seed diets
- Scaly face mites
- Tumours
- Chronic egg laying in hens
- Psittacosis
Needs an avian vet; birds hide illness until severely unwell
Special care requirements
Non-stick cookware fumes, aerosols and candles are rapidly fatal to birds
Flock housing and recognising hidden illness
Budgerigars are a flock species and do best with an established companion rather than living entirely alone, since isolation can cause real distress. Daily flight time in a safe, secured space matters more than cage size alone, and a bird confined to perch-hopping is not getting adequate exercise.
As a prey species, budgerigars mask illness until it is advanced; a bird fluffed and unusually quiet for an extended period, or breathing with tail-bobbing, needs prompt avian veterinary attention rather than being assumed to simply be resting.
Before you take one on
Sources and further guidance
These welfare and veterinary resources inform general husbandry advice; they do not certify this profile or replace a species-experienced professional. Confirm exact environmental settings and feeding plans for your animal.
Can your home meet budgerigar needs?
- Plan for a lifespan of 6–12 years, sometimes longer, including holiday cover and, where one is available, a vet familiar with this species. Lifespan ranges are not guarantees.
- Arrange the social setting before arrival. Social guidance for this species: Very high; keep in pairs or groups unless advised otherwise by a vet. Do not assume another animal of any species is a suitable companion.
- Habitat priority for this species: A dedicated bird-safe room for daily flight. Make sure your setup can provide this consistently. Check the room stays within the listed temperature range with a thermometer rather than judging by feel.
- Key care point: Non-stick cookware fumes, aerosols and candles are rapidly fatal to birds. Discuss diet and any specialist needs with the supplier, rescue and a vet who treats this species, and check local legal requirements before acquiring an animal.
Educational reference, not an individual diagnosis or a verified professional review. Read our editorial policy.
Guidance libraries and further reading
These organisations publish relevant guidance. Their links are further reading, not evidence that they have reviewed this page.