Budgie or Parakeet???

[jimpierce7]

ok because I am me and ok with this its "lets be a doofus" time again. I have never really looked into this before but because of a thread in the forums I wanted to ask. I had always believed that Budgies and Parakeets where pretty much the same bird only Budgies where bigger. I gather this is a misconception?

[Dustin]

The way i have known (I could be wrong also) is a parakeet is any smaller bird with a long tail( quakers are grouped as parakeets sometimes)

But the "normal" parakeet is a budgie.

[Monica]

Jim, it sounds like what you have learned is that "Budgies" are english budgies, where-as "parakeets" are american/normal budgies... Sometimes, this is what they are called in stores to distinguish between the two.... which one is only larger, can raise it's crest, and has a shorter lifespan...

Here are photos to compare English (larger) to the American/Normal budgies...
http://birdieworldetc.tripod.com/Ame...ie_266x258.jpg
http://www.mts.net/~mavimet/budgiesize.jpg
http://www.mts.net/~mavimet/budgiesize1.jpg

And photos to emphasise the English's crest...
http://phil.yarfest.com/DSC00020.JPG
http://www.gwbs.org/images/bt_sp_k_c.jpg


In short though, a parakeet is any small parrot with a long tapering tail, which includes birds from the ground parakeet, parrotlets (not sure why lovebirds too?), to budgies, cockatiels, conures, ringnecks, grass keets, quakers, and other similar sized birds with long tapering tails!

If it helps, read these two to maybe clear things up...

Every budgie is a parakeet, but not every parakeet is a budgie.

OR....

Every macaw is a parrot, but not every parrot is a macaw.

[svolk]

Thank you for bringing this up, Jim.

I'm becoming like Monica in that it IRRITATES me when people call Budgies PARAKEETS! True, they are parakeets, but like Monica has pointed out, the word parakeet is very generalized. Budgie is short for Budgerigar, which is what the species is. Most bird people do not go around calling their macaw or cockatoo by the word parrot, they say that they have a macaw or a cockatoo. I hate how in nearly every pet store the budgie cage will be labeled "Parakeets" and NEVER "Budgies." As you can see from the links that Monica provided, my little Jerry is an American Budgie as he is smaller than the English Budgies.

To me this is just one more example of the smaller birds being regarded less than the larger birds.

I think English budgies are adorable, I may look into having one in the future (not near future, later on).

[homebird]

As budgies are from Australia it always has me grinning & scratching my head when they are called American or English - I guess they're just immigrants.
+ a lot of great mutations have come from Australia, Germany etc, doesn't seem to make a difference.
& the fact that the fancy ones are English has me thinking about all the history between the Americans & English - kind of a snob thing happening!?

& I agree about the parakeet thing - it should just be a side issue, like Parrot.

[wazookeeper]

"budgie" is to "parakeet" as "daisy" is to "flower".

i.e., budgie is one type of parakeet, there are many other types.

[tielfan]

"Parakeet" is the name the general public uses for budgerigars in the U.S. and most of them don't know that there are other parakeet species. People with a fair amount of bird knowledge usually call them budgies to make it clear which species they're talking about.

[svolk]

Originally Posted by tielfan

People with a fair amount of bird knowledge usually call them budgies to make it clear which species they're talking about.

You would think that people with bird knowledge call them budgies, but my certified avian vet, the famous Dr. O that is Lara's vet as well, kept calling Jerry a parakeet when he was in for his well check! I didn't say anything cause who am I to correct her, but I was irked (and all the while the vet tech and I were talking about our BUDGIES so she had to have known that *I* know the more specific name for a Budgie). His vet papers do say Budgerigar for the species, but I didn't expect the AV to refer to him as simply a Parakeet

[CrazyBirdLady]

In short though, a parakeet is any small parrot with a long tapering tail, which includes birds from the ground parakeet, parrotlets (not sure why lovebirds too?), to budgies, cockatiels, conures, ringnecks, grass keets, quakers, and other similar sized birds with long tapering tails!

Just a clarification, parrotlets and lovebirds are considered true parrots not parakeets. Both have short tails and big personalites.

[Monica]

In the Encyclopedia of Parakeets, parrotlets are in there, although lovebirds are not..... that's what I was refering to... doesn't make sense, I know.

I was once talking to someone (via e-mail), and they had given me some pants from her daughter... She too had a bird (and had a cage up for grabs). When I asked what type of bird she had, she said she had a parrot. I inquired what type and she stopped e-mailing me there after... Guess she figured I was a snobby little brat who was very immature??? I don't know, but oh well...


I hate it too when budgies are called "parakeets", and sometimes it shows that the person didn't really research into the bird, and that they are going by whatever the store told them... i.e. it was a bird, it eats seeds, grit, stuff like that...