Popular Parakeet Species

Even though budgie birds are just one of the many and varied species of parakeets they are often the parrot that comes to mind when one hears the term parakeet.

The blue budgie is just one of the many color mutations that vary from the light green that the wild budgerigars are in their native Australia.

Although the males tend to be better at mimicking speech both males and females can learn to talk. Both sexes are social and intelligent birds that are easy to tame and teach tricks to.

Ranking only second in popularity as a pet parrot to the budgerigars are the cockatiel birds.

With the crest of feathers on their heads that raise when they are excited it's easy to recognize that the cockatiels are members of the cockatoo family.

Cockatiels don't require constant companionship to be happy, which is not the case with some of the larger cockatoos. The more attention they get the happier they are, but you can get away with just a little bit of companionship each day and still end up with a friendly and cuddly pet parrot.

Cockatiels are great parrots that are reasonably priced even with the added expense of cages, toys and food and make a great choice for those that want a pet parrot without the huge costs associate with owning one.

What about talking parrots? Quaker parrots are excellent at mimicking human speech, and they can learn word association.

Quakers are about 12 inches long and somewhat stockier than the cockatiels are. They have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years.

Sometimes referred to as gray-breasted parakeets or monk parrots they are green with gray on their breasts, cheeks, foreheads and throats. There is a blue tinge on their tails and primary wing feathers.

If you are looking for a intelligent, small parrot with excellent talking ability you can't go wrong with a quaker parrot.

Like the amazon birds there are many different species of parakeets, all with their own characteristics.

Find out more about the different parrot species at Pet Parrots Web