Budgerigar

Melopsittacus undulatus

The budgerigar originates from the arid regions of Australia, where it lives open landscapes. To find food and water, these sociable birds often travel in large flocks. They feed mainly on grass seeds, which they forage for on the ground. The natural wild type is green and yellow with the characteristic black wavy markings that provide camouflage in grasslands. The many colour varieties seen today arose through selective breeding. The cere above the beak reveals the sex: it is usually blue in males and brownish in females. As cavity nesters, budgerigars use tree hollows to raise their young.