A Brief History of the Budgerigar

Introduction

When it comes to pet birds, budgerigars have been popular options for years. These small parrots can be found in just about any pet store, but they're generally only found in the wild in Australia. Although it's not unusual to run across budgerigars of many different colors and patterns, those variations have come about through strategic, carefully planned breeding through the years. Despite their diminutive size, these birds make fascinating pets. They have been charming people for years with their playful personalities, gorgeous coloring, intelligence and sociability. Budgerigars are affordable pets, and they are easy to care for as well.

With budgerigars, there's a lot more than meets the eye. Until you've actually taken the time to get to know a budgerigar, it's easy to assume that they are like any other bird. In the wild, budgerigars are prized for their bright, vibrant feathers. In captivity, they are popular for being easy, fun pets to have in the home. People have been breeding budgerigars for decades to develop exciting new color variations and markings. If you're thinking about adopting one, you can take your pick from more than 100 different variations. Before you do that, though, study up about this fascinating bird below.

A Brief History of the Budgerigar

Budgerigars have ancestors that stretch back for millennia. In fact, these birds first appeared on earth long before humans. They are native to Australia, and the first humans who came into contact with them were most likely the aborigines of that land. The first recorded description of the budgerigar was made in 1805 by an English zoologist and botanist named George Shaw. The first budgerigar was brought to Europe by an English ornithologist named John Gould in 1840, and the first captive breeding began just a decade later during the 1850s. Although the first recorded color variation wasn’t made until 1870, a wide variety of variations followed shortly thereafter. The budgerigar’s popularity as a household pet rose dramatically during the 20th century, and the bird continues to be a very popular pet to this day.
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