When it comes to starting out in your journey as a new pet bird owner, you need to know the type of bird you want to take care of. If that is the case, the Parakeet is a good example of a bird you might want to try out for your first time as a bird owner. This bird is not exactly the easiest pet to take care of; they are not the hardest as well. And if you take care of them properly, you will be rewarded handsomely.
Parakeets are generally friendly, intelligent, active, and fun to be with. They also make good companions and friends back at home. However, that is only true if you take care of them with the best of your abilities and if you actually know how to pick out the right kind of Parakeet for you. As such, there is a need to know more about the Parakeet and how to choose the best one in a pet store.
What is a Parakeet?
Overview
A Parakeet is the group name given to over a hundred unique species of parrots found in many places around the world. However, among the hundreds of different species of Parakeets, Budgie is the most popular and is often the one chosen by most people as their choice of species. The Budgie is native to the Australian continent but is now very popular in America as breeders all over the United States are breeding Budgies for domestic purposes.
Budgies, or Parakeets for that matter, make some of the best pets all over America for whenever different owners look for pet birds. They are not only ideal pets but are quite affordable compared to other birds as well. Moreover, they are great to look at because of how colorful these birds are and are pets that do not really require a lot of space. Most Parakeets can live for about 7 to 10 years, but there are some that have been reported to have lived for about 14 years.
Physical Description
Parakeets vary in size and appearance depending on the species. However, most Parakeets are generally small to medium birds in terms of size. The Budgie, meanwhile, tend to be quite small but can also be medium-sized as well. However, Parakeets, in general, are the smallest members of the parrot family and are usually somewhere between 7 to 18 inches.
Because Parakeets vary in appearance, there really is no telling what kind of color you can expect. Budgies, however, are generally yellow or greenish but have black patterns or marks on their back. There are also Parakeets that have different colors, even if they are considered Budgies. Some male Budgies have blue ceres, while females may have pink ones. The English Budgie tends to have a bigger head and a rounder chest compared to the American Budgie, which has a tail that is shorter.
Diet
Parakeets, similar to a lot of different parrots and birds, follow a diet that is more or less carnivorous. However, Parakeets are more inclined towards an herbivore type of diet. Specifically, these birds are granivores that focus more on seeds, grains, and other similar types of food. They may also eat fruits and vegetables as long as such is safe for them to eat.
In captivity, it is better to feed the Parakeet with a diet that is focused more on pellets and seeds. You may want to blend their food by mixing the pellets with seeds. You may feed them with nuts to provide them with the protein that pellets and seeds are deficient in. In some cases, insects and invertebrates can also be good for providing the Parakeet the protein they need.
To supplement the Parakeet’s pellet and seed diet, you may want to give them fruits and vegetables from time to time because these are rich in vitamins and minerals that you cannot find in pellets and seeds. When choosing vegetables to feed your Parakeet, give them dark leafy greens that are rich in vitamins. Feed them the greens once every other day. Meanwhile, fruits that can be safe for your Parakeet are apples, bananas, and berries. Fruits, because they are high in sugars, should only be given once a week and should comprise no more than five percent of the bird’s diet.
Habitat
A Parakeet is a small bird that does not need a lot of space. As such, its cage should not be something too big. You may want to keep your Parakeet in a cage that is about 16x14x18 inches in overall dimensions. Keep the Parakeet’s cage away from windows and doors. And because birds, in general, are sensitive to any kind of scent or fume, you need to keep the cage far away from the kitchen.
Temperament
Parakeets are actually very social birds that love to interact with their owner. Such birds love to entertain people and are usually found playing with toys if they are left by themselves inside their cages. On top of that, Parakeets are birds that need a lot of care and attention from you if you want them to grow up healthy, happy, friendly, and caring. The best kind of Parakeet should be happy and playful. And if the bird is happy and healthy, it will be easy to train as long as you put in the necessary effort into actually doing so.
How to Choose the Best Parakeet for You
First things first
When choosing a Parakeet that you believe is right for you, the first thing you should do before you actually observe the birds individually is to look at them as a group. Go to the pet store and observe the Parakeets living in captivity as a group. Check to see if they are happy or healthy based on what you know about these birds. Determine if they seem happy and lively because it is important for a healthy Parakeet to be so. Once you have determined all of those, you may now look at them individually to see if there is a Parakeet that actually stands out based on personal preferences and parameters and standards you use.
Male or female
It is important for you to know if you want a male or a female. Males are generally noisier and more vocal than females, but they are much more capable of mimicking human speech. Meanwhile, females are more active when it comes to chewing and making nests. Males also have bluish ceres, while females can have pinkish ceres.
Things to look at when choosing a Parakeet
- A good Parakeet should have a straight posture and must be attentive to you and its surroundings. It should be alert when it comes to exploring the things around it. Good Parakeets should also be active and not sleepy or lethargic.
- Look at the Parakeet’s beak to see if it is smooth. Both the upper and the lower beaks should meet perfectly as this shows that it doesn’t have signs of scissor beak.
- The Parakeet should have feathers that are smooth, bright, and colorful. The colors should not be dull, as this shows how healthy it is.
- Listen and observe its breathing to determine if it is doing so normally. If you hear any sort of wheezing or difficulties in breathing, then it might have respiratory issues.
Try to interact with your chosen Parakeet to see if it actually is friendly enough to try to behave well around you even though it does not know you. This shows how friendly this bird really is.
