cockatiel vs. budgie?

[felisdomesticus]

forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between the two? I have seen pictures and they look the same to my uneducated eye.

[Lori L]

Do you REALLY mean cockatiel vs budgie or do you mean parakeet vs. budgie? A cockatiel looks completely different than a budgie. A budgie looks like a parakeet but it a bit bigger.

[The Outlaw]

Parakeets and budgies look alike. Is that what you actually meant?

[Alika]

Actually...

*ahem*

Parakeet is a blanket term used to refer to a group of slim, lighter bodied, long-tailed parrots. According to some, they are small parrots, according to others, they embody even the large macaws.

A budgie is a bird commonly referred to as a parakeet by petstores in the United States. English budgies are bred for shows, and have a fatter, more squashed looking face, among other things. American budgies are slimmer and are most likely found in American pet stores sold as parakeets. Many color varieties are now available through breeding projects.

A cockatiel is a type of parakeet that is closely related to a cockatoo. They are slightly bigger than budgies, and have a light, thin crest. Again, there are lots of color varieties available.

I think of it like this: by geometric definition, a square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a necesarily a square.

A budgie is a parakeet, but a parakeet is not necesarily a budgie.

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

Parakeets and budgies look alike. Is that what you actually meant?

no. Like I said, they all seem to look the same to me in pictures.

I mean no disrespect to those who own these birds. I am trying to learn more about all of this which is why I ask.

Maybe I should be asking what the difference is between a cockatiel and a parakeet?

Remember, this is coming from someone who giggles b/c she can identify canaries and doves correctly in the store.

[Alika]

The easiest way to tell them apart is that cockatiels are larger and have a crest, sometimes called a 'top knot' on the top of their heads... they look a bit like mini cockatoos.

[basketbagley]

I think I can help! I have 2 budgies, 1 Princess of wales "Parakeet" and a cockatiel here are some pics:

The mostly green one with a rose colored throat is the Princess Parakeet. the light blue and yellow w/blue/green patches is the bugdies and the grey/white/yellow with a crest is the tiel.

hope this help!

[felisdomesticus]

thank you! Those pictures definitely helped me out.

[carriesb]

cockatiel-top
parakeet(budgie)-bottom