5 Fun Facts About Parakeets

Parakeets, also known as budgies, are one of the most popular pet bird species in the world. They’re known for their bright, cheerful colors as well as their small, handleable size. These lively little creatures are more than what they appear, though. Parakeets are also friendly, smart, personable, and make amazing companion animals. In fact, we’re excited to share five fun facts about parakeets that we think make them like no other pet!

They’re chatty.

Did you know that parakeets can talk? Being a part of the parrot family, parakeets actually have the ability to mimic many different words and phrases. In fact, the parakeet has the largest documented vocabulary of any parrot species! Regardless of if your parakeet actually learns to speak English, however, they can still communicate in many ways. You’ll soon learn that parakeets love to sing, whistle, chirp, squawk and squeak, and can let you know how they’re feeling with ease!

They’re colorful.

Although parakeets only have three basic color combinations— green and yellow, blue and white, or a mixture of these two— the variety of patterns within these combinations are beautiful. Parakeets can be one solid color, or a mixture of them all. White can dominate and make a bird look like fresh snow, or sometimes the colors mix and fade out like tie-dye. A parakeet’s color can even look pastel! Whatever color combination your bird is, though, they’re bound to be beautiful!

They’re intelligent.

Beyond the ability to learn human words and phrases, parakeets have shown their intelligence in many different ways. Unlike other pet birds, such as canaries and finches, parakeets can learn to come when they’re called, navigate tunnels and mazes, maneuver balls and toys to solve puzzles, and even skateboard! They key to teaching these tricks, however, is to bond with your bird. Parakeets are indeed smart, but they learn much faster when they share a connection of love and trust with their human companions!

They’re low maintenance.

While every animal requires care and attention, parakeets are known for being easy to look after. Being a small bird, they have modest appetites and don’t eat too much or waste food. They’re diet consists of mostly seeds, with only the occasional fruit or vegetable as a treat. Parakeets require a good-sized enclosure with lots of toys, mirrors, and perches, but you can supply them with simple things to play with like ping-pong balls, bells, and cat toys. What your parakeet will really need to thrive is lots of love and time spent with you!

They’re loving and friendly.

Parakeets are perhaps the most popular pet bird in the world, and for good reason! They’re known for their gentle nature, loving personalities, and willingness to bond with humans. As stated before, they’re very intelligent and are therefore easy to communicate with and understand. Parakeets often like to sing alongside their humans, greet them when they come home, and can even recognize faces and voices. They also like to snuggle, give kisses, and will surely bring much music and warmth to any home!

We have many colorful, friendly, and fun parakeets who are currently looking for their happy homes. Whether you already have a budgie at home, want to add to your flock, or adopt an entirely new pair (or group!), we’ve got the bird for you! Stop by our Adoption Center today or give us a call at (207) 985-3244 to learn more about our wonderful parakeets!