Budgerigar vs Parakeet: What are the Differences?

The budgerigar and the parakeet are two names for similar things: small, cute birds that are often kept as pets! Different terminology is used depending on where you are from, but the budgerigar and parakeet are two different words for nearly the same thing. Today, we will compare the Budgerigar vs Parakeet and learn what makes them unique. Let’s get started.

Comparing a Budgerigar vs Parakeet

The 4 main differences between a Budgerigar vs Parakeet

The budgerigar is a single species of parakeet and shares similarities with all 115 species of parakeet that it is commonly grouped with.

The difference between a budgerigar and a parakeet isn’t found in scientific fact but in the way of words and naming. In fact, there isn’t really a difference between a budgerigar and a parakeet because all budgerigars are parakeets.

To break it down, a parakeet is a commonly used descriptor for small to medium-sized parrots with long tail feathers. In total, there are around 115 species of parrot that fit the widely accepted descriptor of “parakeet,” and the budgerigar is one of them. The budgerigar is a species of parrot from Australia that has become extremely common as a pet internationally. As occasionally happens in language, the word “budgerigar” didn’t stick, and people referred to the birds as parakeets, particularly in North America and Europe.

Common names for the budgerigar include parakeet, common parakeet, shell parakeet, budgie, zebra parrot, canary parrot, scallop parrot, flight bird, and the Australian budgerigar.

Let’s explore these two words in some more detail below!

Budgerigar vs Parakeet: Etymology (meaning of the word)

The origin of budgerigar is a bit of a mystery. The first documented use appeared in 1805 when George Shaw wrote about the bird, although it was given a binomial name in 1840. Since these birds hail from Australia, many theories hold that the name is a mispronunciation of an aboriginal word, gidjirrigaa. Other theories hold that it’s a modification of an Australian slang word, boojery, meaning good, and gar, meaning cockatoo. Together, it means “good bird.”

The word parakeet comes from the french word, perroquet, although the French generally refer to them as perruches in modern times.

Budgerigar vs Parakeet: Species and subspecies

The budgerigar is a single parrot species belonging to the Melopsittacus genus. It is the only species of the Melopsittacus genus, the only genus in the Melopsittacini tribe.

As it stands, there are over 115 species that are loosely defined as parakeets. Parakeets are defined as small, seed-eating parrots that have long tapering tails.

Budgerigar vs Parakeet: Popularity as a pet

As a category, parakeets are the third most popular pets in the world, behind dogs and cats. Of the 115 species of parakeet, the budgerigar is probably the most commonly kept as a pet, especially in North America and Europe. Current estimates show that around 20.6 million birds are kept as pets in the United States alone.

Budgerigar vs Parakeet: Related Animals

The budgerigar and all species of parakeets are types of parrots. The closest related bird species to the budgerigar are lories and fig parrots. Lories and fig parrots are native to Australasia, just like the budgerigar.

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