Lehigh Valley Zoo - Smart Fun

Melopsittacus undulatus

Habitat/Range: They mainly live in the interior of Australia, occupying the semi-arid and sub-humid habitats. Sometimes they are seen in the dry grassland areas. They will migrate north during the winter.

Diet: They like to eat on the ground so they eat grass seeds and seeds from crops.
Reproduction: They are monogamous and will live in large groups. Breeding can happen throughout the year, but it tends to happen more often when there is more food available. A decent amount of rain will bring more grass seeds and will trigger more breeding. Their nests are made in cavities that already exist in trees, fence posts, etc. Many nests can be found in the same tree. They make their nests out of decayed wood dust, droppings, or any other soft material. The female will pick where the nest will be built and stays with the eggs. The male will find food and feed the chicks.

Physical Description: They are small parrots that are about 18 to 20 cm long. They have pointed wings and tails and different feather patterns. Many have yellow on their forehead, yellow and black striped patter on the head, purple and black on the cheeks, a pointed bill, and yellow on the throat. The coverts are mainly black, with some being outlined in yellow or green. The tail coverts are green and the color will extend down to the tail. Males have a blue cere (the area at the base of the bill) while breeding females have a light brown cere.

Behavior: These are very social birds and they live in large flocks. This provides protection and makes it easier to find food. Females tend to be more aggressive than males; however, there tend to be few fights between group members. They are active right before sun up. After the sun is up, they will forage and continue to eat through out the day. During the hottest part of the day they will find shade to sit under. During the end of the day they will regroup and call loudly before returning to their roosting site to sleep.

Conservation Status: Common

Fun Facts:

	Every day budgerigars drink approximately 5.5% of their body weight.
	These are the only known birds to use their feet to scratch the sides of their undertail coverts.
	The colors on their body, especially their cheeks, are accentuated in ultra-violet light. It is thought that this helps to tell the difference between males and females.