History of Parakeets Budgies Keets in Australia

Birds have been kept as pets since the days of the Egyptians. They have always been treasured for their beautiful colors, their lovely voices and their friendliness.

Australia's dry grasslands have been home to the Melopsittacus undulatus for thousands of years. The Native Aborigines would watch huge flocks of these green songbirds rise over the plains, observing as the birds stayed near groves of eucalyptus trees and built their nests in the holes of the trees. The Aborigines would often use their boomerangs, throwing the weapons into the center of the flock of keets to take out a few for a snack. Yes, the English word "budgerigar", by which this bird is known, comes from the Australian phrase "good to eat".

Since they look very much like tiny parrots, the nickname for these birds is "parakeet", or "keet" for short. The latin name translates to "song parrot with wavy lines". The black, wavy lines on the back of a parakeet, over the green feathers, helped keep it hidden in the green grasslands of its native Australia.

In 1838, John Gould, a naturalist, brought 2 back home with him to England. The birds were quite friendly and amazingly easy to breed. In only a few short years there were thousands of parakeets all over Europe and their popularity was skyrocketing. By 1894 the Australians were worried about the vast numbers of budgies being trapped and banned all export of the cute little bird. That ban is still in effect today. Any budgie that you buy has been raised by breeders, probably within a short radius of your home.

There are currently around 8 million parakeets in the United States, with many millions more in the rest of the world. Budgies are enjoyed in just about every country of the world, and are perfect pets for young and old alike. They are easy to care for, very friendly, and relatively inexpensive.