Great Birding Moments # 20 Budgerigars
One of Australia’s most beautiful birds would have to be the tiny parrot called the Budgerigar. This species is popular the world over as a cage or aviary bird because they are endearing and easily kept pets as well as beautiful. In captivity there are many colour variations, but I love the natural colours. Why mess with perfection?
Over the years I have observed Budgerigars in the wild on only a handful of occasions, and only once in our garden. The most memorable occasion was during a holiday in Victoria. We were visiting a Nature Reserve south west of Mildura in the far north west of Victoria. We were slowly driving along the dirt track through the park looking for a shady tree for our lunch break. I had to stop the car because there were several hundred Budgerigars feeding on the grass on either side of the track. To see this wonderful bird in its natural environment is a special treat. I did not get a photo at the time, but more recently I took the photo below in the walk through aviary at Cleland Wildlife Park near Adelaide, South Australia.
Budgerigars, Cleland Wildlife Park
Related articles:
- Great Birding Moments – read more of my interesting birding experiences, with photos, in this series of articles.
Update: this photo above – and many other photos featured on this site – can now be purchased on a range of merchandise such as T-shirts, aprons, wall plaques, clocks and mugs. Go to my Trevor’s Photos site here.
You saw wild budgies? You lucky thing! What splendid birds they are.
You are so right – and absolutely brilliant in their natural environment in their natural colours. We sat there in the car totally mesmerised by the wonderful display just metres away.
I saw a pair of wild budgies in a park near the yarra yesterday. One had an orange spot on its back at the base of the tail feathers – I have a photo that I will publish when I get home, but anyone have an idea what variety it might be?
Hi there Joe – welcome to my birding blog. Wild budgies do not normally occur in the Melbourne region – in Victoria they are confined to the northern parts of the state.
What you saw could have been escaped budgies from someone’s aviary which would account for the colour on the tail. Another possibility is that it was a male Red Rumped Parrot or an immature Crimson Rosella.
Orange is not a colour that budgies have. There is no budgie mutation with orange feathers. Some domesticated budgies that are being treated for feather cysts with MERCURACHROME medicine will end up with orange feathers from that. Otherwise it may well have been another kind of bird that wasnt a budgie.
Thanks for these extra comments Karen.
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