Budgie or parakeet: same bird?

This guide explains how “budgie,” “budgerigar” and “parakeet” are used, and why “parakeet” can refer to more than one kind of bird.

Budgerigar and budgie

Budgerigar is the species name for the small Australian parrot commonly kept as a pet. “Budgie” is the short pet name for this bird. In this guide, those two words refer to the same species, rather than to different kinds of pet bird.

If you see “budgerigar” in a description, it names the species; “budgie” is the shorter name used for the pet bird. The wording changes, but both terms refer to the small Australian parrot described here.

Why it may be called a parakeet

In the United States, the pet budgerigar is very often called a “parakeet.” So a US reference to a pet parakeet may mean the bird this guide calls a budgie or budgerigar. The terms are used differently, but they can point to the same common pet bird.

“Parakeet” is also a word for many other small long-tailed parrots. It is therefore broader than “budgie”: the word alone does not always identify a budgerigar. The surrounding wording may help clarify which bird is meant.

How this guide uses the terms

For clarity, this site uses “budgie” and “parakeet” for the common pet budgerigar. When these words appear on this site, they refer to that bird. “Budgerigar” is also used as its species name.

When reading other sources, keep in mind that “parakeet” can refer to the budgerigar or to other small long-tailed parrots. If a source does not make clear which bird it means, the intended meaning is not stated; check with that source or its organiser.