[geminiluna]

Ok - can someone help me with what might turn out to be a stupid question? Are budgies and parakeets the same thing? I'm interested in getting a pair of birds, and am deciding between parakeets/budgies and lovebirds. But now I'm confused as to whether or not the parakeet and budgie is even the same thing or not!

Thanks!

[roni]

Hello,
I believe tat the only difference is that budgies are a little bit larger. When I was looking at the difference between the two that is what I came up with. I don't know if they come in the color variaties that keets do, but the ones that I found have been green with yello faces.
If I have incorect info please correct me.
Hope that helps.
Roni

[roni]

pardon the spelling mistakes it has been along day.
Roni

[StinaBeena]

Quote:
A budgie is a parakeet. To be more specific, all budgies are parakeets, but not all parakeets are budgies. "Parakeet" is a general term used to describe any hookbilled, zygodactylous(two toes pointing forward, two pointing backward) bird with a slender body and a long slender tail. There are many types of parakeets, including cockatiels, alexandrines, and some say macaws.
There are two varieties of budgies, however; the kind most commonly found in pet stores are "American" or "Australian" budgies. These are the type, if a normal green, that you would find in the wild in Australia. English budgies are generally harder to find, more expensive, and have a 'grandfather' like stern look. English budgies are what you would commonly see at a bird show or exhibition. They are sometimes referred to as exhibition budgerigars or "show quality" budgerigars. Before you ask, budgie is short for budgerigar.

[mom of three again]

StinaBeena is correct.

The disctintion between calling the bird a budgie short for budgerigar or a keet short for parakeet is made depending on what conteinant you live in. I have noticed that Europeans usually refer to the little darlings as Budgies and Westerners like the US and Cda usually use Parakeet, but it just depends.

They are one and the same!

Leslie-Ann,
Moderator,
Cats,
Feral Cats &
Herbal Remedies.

[Bob]

A true budgie is a larger keet. I believe the standard is 8" in length. In Europe the bird shows have very specific standards. Size, color and patterens.

The Budgerigar Standard 1984 Edition
Compiled by the Colour and Standard Committee of The Budgerigar Society of Australasia.
Comparison of Pictorial Standards

Topography of the Budgerigar

Exhibition Points of the Budgerigar



The Budgerigar Standard 1987 Edition
Description of Perfection
CONDITION:
The bird should be clean and sleek showing vitality and good health with no sign of injury or disease.

TYPE:

The bird is gracefully tapering, and well proportioned according to the pictorial of the time. Standing well off the perch, at an angle of 30 degrees from vertical, with beak tucked into mask, backline sweeping gently, in a slight concave from the back skull to the tip of the tail. Body line to curve out from the beak through the mask to the chest, and then taper back to the lower tail coverts of the tail.

LENGTH:

The ideal length is 225 mm from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail.

WINGS:

Firmly braced close to the body, neat and not showing too much back. The tips of the primary flights to meet at or just above the cushion of tail. Seven or eight visual primary flights on each wing are acceptable.

TAIL:

Straight and tight with two main long feathers.

HEAD:

The head is to be large, rounded and wide when viewed from any angle; curvature of the head commencing at the cere to lift upwards and outwards, continuing over the top in one graceful sweep and merging into the backline and shoulders.

EYES:

Bright, set deep into the head well down from the crown, and slightly nearer to the beak than to the back of the head.

CERE:

Neat and shapely, of a solid and even colour.

BEAK:

To be smooth and clean.

MASK AND SPOTS:

Mask to be clear, wide and deep, extending beyond large cheek patches. Where required by variety standards the mask contains six large, round and evenly spaced spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patched.

LEGS AND FEET

Clean, with two front and two rear toes and claws gripping the perch.

MARKINGS:

Where required by the variety standards, to be well defined.

COLOUR:

Colour is in all cases to be pure and uniform in tone except where otherwise allowed in the variety standards.


Use of this Standard
Combinations of varieties accepted as standard are listed as groups under the primary variety in the combination. Such birds are described as (primary variety) (secondary varieties) (colour). EG. Opaline Greywing Sky Blue.
The largest number listed is always the primary variety.

Variety Section # Combination #s
Normal Green Series 1
Normal Blue Series 2
Black Eyed Self 3
Red Eyed Self 4
Clearwing 5
Greywing 6
Cinnamon 7

Opaline 8 3 5 6 7
Lacewing 9 8
Fallow 10 5 6 8
Yellow Faced 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dominant Pied 12 6 7 8 10 11
Recessive Pied 13 6 7 8 10 11
Spangle 14 6 7 8 10 11 12 13
Crested 15 All of above combinations


Variety Standards
Note: Ideal cere colour is dark blue for cocks unless stated and brown for hens.
NORMAL

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced black spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck and wings - black, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate ground colour.

EYES: Black with a white iris ring.

BODY COLOUR: Full intensity.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Black Mid Blue
Laurel Violet Black Dark Blue
Olive Violet Black Blue-Black
GreyGreen Grey Black Black
Sky Blue Violet Black Mid Blue
Cobalt Violet Black Dark Blue
Mauve Violet Black Blue-Black
Grey Grey Black Black
Violet Violet Black Royal Blue


BLACK EYED SELF COLOUR

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: Clear ground colour is the optimum. Faint markings are found on cheeks, back of head, neck and wings.

EYES: Dark with a white iris ring.

PRIMARY FLIGHTS: Approaching body colour.

NOTE: Visible Opaline characteristics not permissible

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Yellow White suffused Neutral Neutral
grey to violet
White White suffused Neutral Neutral
grey to violet


RED EYES SELF COLOUR

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS:To be absent from all area, wings to correspond to body colour.

EYES: Red with a white iris ring.

PRIMARY FLIGHTS: Approaching body colour.

FEET: Pink.

CERE: Cocks flesh colour.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
LUTINO White White Approaching body colour
ALBINO White White White


CLEARWING

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: Clear ground colour is the optimum. Faint markings are found on cheeks, back of head and neck. Wings to be pure ground colour.

EYES: Black with a white iris ring.

BODY COLOUR: Approaching Full intensity.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Neutral Neutral
Laurel Violet
Olive Violet
GreyGreen Grey
Sky Blue Violet
Cobalt Violet
Mauve Violet
Grey Grey
Violet Violet


GREYWING

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced grey spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck and wings - mid grey, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate ground colour.

EYES: Black with a white iris ring.

BODY COLOUR: Approaching Full intensity.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Grey Smokey grey
Laurel Violet dark Blue
Olive Violet Blue-Black
GreyGreen Grey Grey
Sky Blue Violet Greyish blue
Cobalt Violet Dark Blue
Mauve Violet Dull Mauve
Grey Grey Grey
Violet Violet Royal Blue
Yellow Pale grey Grey with blue suffusion
White Pale grey Grey with blue suffusion


CINNAMON

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced cinnamon spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck and wings - cinnamon, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate ground colour.

EYES: Dark with a white iris ring.

BODY COLOUR: Approaching Full intensity.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Brown Cinnamon Blue
Laurel Violet Cinn Mid Blue
Olive Violet Cinn Dark Blue
GreyGreen Grey Cinnamon
Sky Blue Violet Cinnamon Blue
Cobalt Violet Cinn Mid Blue
Mauve Violet Cinn Dark Blue
Grey Grey Cinnamon
Violet Violet Cinn Violet


OPALINE

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced black spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches.

GROUND COLOUR: Should extend over the back of the head and merge into the general body colour at a point level with the butt of the wings.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck - minimal. Wings - black, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate body colour. A clear 'V' effect is desirable in the mantle area.

EYES: Black with a white iris ring.

BODY COLOUR: Full intensity.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Black As for Normal
Laurel Violet
Olive Violet
GreyGreen Grey
Sky Blue Violet
Cobalt Violet
Mauve Violet
Grey Grey
Violet Violet


LACEWING

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced cinnamon spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck and wings - cinnamon, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate ground colour.

EYES: Red with a white iris ring.

FEET: Pink

CERE: Cocks Flesh Colour

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Yellow Pale Violet Neutral Pale Cinnamon
White Pale Violet Neutral Pale Cinnamon


FALLOW

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced brown spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Approaching half intensity.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck and wings - dark brown, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate ground colour.

EYES: Red with a white iris ring.

FEET: Pink

CERE: Cocks Flesh Colour

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Dark Brown Bluish Brown
Laurel Violet
Olive Violet
GreyGreen Grey
Sky Blue Violet
Cobalt Violet
Mauve Violet
Grey Grey
Violet Violet


DOMINANT PIED

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced black spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. Any number of spots may be absent though six is desirable.

MARKINGS: Symmetry of pied markings is desirable.

EYES: Black with a white iris ring.

FEET: Pied or non pied.

COLOUR: must conform with the corresponding variety.


RECESSIVE PIED

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced black spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. Any number of spots may be absent.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Patches of ground colour and body colour. Where present body colour to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: Should be present over small areas only.

CHEEK PATCHES: Violet and/or silver white.

EYES: Dark with absence of white iris ring.

FEET: Pink

CERE: Cocks flesh colour.


SPANGLE

MASK AND SPOTS: Mask to be clear, wide and deep (not cleft) extending beyond large cheek patches containing six large, round evenly spaced black spots. Each outer spot is partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. Cheek patches suffused with silver are tolerated.

GENERAL BODY COLOUR: Back, rump, breasts, flanks and underparts to be a solid and even shade throughout.

MARKINGS: On cheeks, back of head, neck and wings - black, clearly defined and symmetrical on the appropriate ground colour.

WING MARKINGS: Each covert and flight feather of appropriate ground colour with a fine black marking near the edge.

EYES: Black with a white iris ring.

BODY COLOUR: Full intensity.

Colour Cheek Patch Tail Quill Tail Feather
Light Green Violet Neutral Yellow or yellow
Laurel Violet Edged with black
Olive Violet
GreyGreen Grey
Sky Blue Violet White or white
Cobalt Violet Edged with black
Mauve Violet
Grey Grey
Violet Violet

Bob
Administrator
Petswarehouse.com

[StinaBeena]

i see my link to site the proper author (aka the web page i got the info from) was removed. *shrug* anyway..just thought i'd clarify that i didnt come up with that information on my own.