Melopsittacus undulatus
Silhouette: Matías Muñoz · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The budgerigar ( BUJ-ər-ih-gar, -ə-ree-; Melopsittacus undulatus), also known as the common parakeet, shell parakeet or budgie ( BUJ-ee), is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot native to Australia. Naturally, the species is green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings. Budgies are bred in captivity with colouring of blues, whites, yellows, greys, and even with small crests. Juveniles and chicks are monomorphic (the sexes are visually indistinguishable), while adults are told apart by their cere colouring and their behaviour.
The species is monotypic, meaning it is the only member of the genus Melopsittacus, which is the only genus in the tribe Melopsittacini. The budgerigar is closely related to lories and the fig parrots. The origin of the budgerigar's name is unclear. First recorded in 1805, budgerigars are popular pets around the world due to their small size, low cost, and ability to mimic human speech. They are the third most popular pet in the world, after the domesticated dog and cat. Budgies are nomadic flock parakeets that have been bred in captivity since the 19th century. In both the wild and in captivity, budgerigars breed opportunistically and in pairs.
They are found wild throughout the drier parts of Australia, where they have survived harsh inland conditions for over five million years. Their success can be attributed to a nomadic lifestyle and their ability to breed while on the move. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Beijing | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Tehran | 🇮🇷 Iran | |
| 5 | Santo Domingo | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 6 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 8 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Jerusalem | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 10 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Budgerigar sighting in Flinders Ranges National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 83rd most-seen of the 94 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Budgerigar in Flinders Ranges National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–August and November, the lowest months. December has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Budgerigar sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Budgerigar sightings, Flinders Ranges National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia, about 40%), Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Ningaloo Marine Park (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Psittacidae
The closest relatives of the Budgerigar that you can see in Flinders Ranges National Park (family Psittacidae, New World and African Parrots) are Australian Ringneck (about 90%), Galah (about 50%) and Little Corella (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Budgerigar is recorded against all the birds logged in Flinders Ranges National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
