Budgerigar

The budgerigar is a small, slender parrot native to the dry interior of Australia, where wild birds are typically green and yellow with fine black scalloping on the back and wings, quite different from the many bright colors bred in captivity. It is highly nomadic in the wild, forming huge flocks that travel long distances across the arid outback in search of seeding grasses and water, breeding opportunistically whenever conditions turn favorable rather than on a fixed seasonal schedule. Budgerigars feed mainly on grass and other plant seeds, and their fast, undulating flight and constant chattering calls make large flocks conspicuous and noisy. Selectively bred in captivity since the nineteenth century, the species has become one of the most popular pet birds in the world, valued for its intelligence, ability to mimic sounds and wide range of color mutations. Wild populations remain abundant across their native range, fluctuating with rainfall and food availability from year to year.