BREEDING AUSTRALIAN PARROTS
AUTHOR BARRY BLANCH Grad Cert App Sc. Ornithology IMAGES JULIE BLANCHTypical nest site in the wildblack, merging with the upper back and
wings. Both sexes have dark grey/black
wing feathers edged with pastel yellow
scalloping. Their tails are dark turquoise-
blue. They measure 18–20cm in length and
weigh 30–40g.HABITAT AND RANGE
Bush Budgies are nomadic and inhabit
large arid areas west of the Great Dividing
Range. They are not found in Cape York,
in northern or southern parts of Western
Australia or Tasmania. Rainfall has a big
infl uence on their migration, encouraging
them to fl y hundreds of kilometres to reap
the benefi ts of seeding grasses and native
herbs that stimulate them into a breeding
frenzy. Within days of several hundred
birds arriving, eggs are laid.
Budgerigars are very opportunistic
nesters as it takes only 18 days for seed
to appear on grasses after good rain,
coinciding with the 18 days it takes for eggs
to hatch. In 6–8 weeks the fl ock can swell
to thousands. If weather and feed stays
favourable, birds will nest again, making
fl ocks swarm like clouds. Their preferred
habitat consists of open grasslands, grassy
forests and open woodlands.
Waterholes play a big part in the
Budgies’ survival, as it can be very hotIN THE WILD
The word Budgerigar is derived from the
Aboriginal ‘Betcherrygah’, meaning ‘good
food’. The scientifi c name melopsittacus
is Greek for ‘melodious parrot’, with
undulates Latin for ‘undulating’. The
Budgerigar is the smallest of all Australian
native parrots and probably the best
known, having been bred in captivity for
over 150 years. They are often referred
to as ‘love birds’ due to their constant
preening of each other and continuous
chatting or chirping.
The popular pet Budgie is much larger
than the native bird and is referred to as
the English or ‘Show’ Budgie. Despite
the size difference, this is not a different
species. When Bush Budgies were shipped
to cooler countries like England, they
were kept indoors in small cages on poor
diets and became obese, therefore the
larger birds were developed and bred
in many colours and fi ltered back into
Australia. Bush Budgerigars adapt well to
aviary life and breed very well so long as
there are plenty of nesting opportunities
and equal pairs, otherwise males will
attack each other for supremacy to
secure a female. Nesting in the wild only
takes place when rains come and seeding
grasses are plentiful.
DESCRIPTION
Male and female native Budgerigars are
similar in colour, with the exception of
a blue cere (nose) on the male and very
pale blue-white or light fl esh-coloured
cere on the female. Their main body
colour, including the front, rump, fl ank,
undertail coverts and underwing, is
bright green. Both sexes have a series of
coloured blotches, ranging from a vibrant
blue stripe to lavender on the cheek. The
forehead, lores, throat and around the bill
are completely yellow. Random black spot
markings are seen on mature birds around
the yellow collar edge. The male’s markings
are more noticeable, while some females
have only two spot markings on the lower
cheek below the vibrant blue stripe.
From the crown and over the remainder
of the head, including the nape, ear
coverts and cheeks, down onto the mantle,
the yellow feathers are scalloped withBUSH Budgerigars
Normal, wild or ‘Bush’ Budgerigars (as they
are variably known) are a nomadic, sociable
fl ock species that fl y many kilometres in
search of seeding grasses in the wildP ODEKERKENP ODEKERKENP ODP ODODODPP ODPODPODDOOEKERKEREKEREKERKERKEKEEEKENKENKENKENKENN
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