Saturday, July 21, 2007

A budgie (Melopsittacus undulatus)

I am an amateur naturalist trying to identify all the life in my garden.

No, it's not a spoof (!) a white budgerigar really has turned up on the bird-feeders in my garden. I have no idea where it came from. Since the rules of my project state that I'll blog all the life in my garden however, it's only fair that it gets a posting.

My feathered friend has been hanging around my and my neighbour's garden for about a week now. As you can see he is remarkably tame and I was able to approach within a few feet to take the photo, left (click to enlarge).

From Wikipedia's article I learn that budgerigar's are small parrots of the genus Melopsittacus indigenous to Australia. The word itself is thought to derive from the Aboriginal budgerigar meaning good eating (!)...don't worry, I didn't!

On the basis of my budgie having a blue cere (the 'faceplate' containing the nostrils), I understand he's a male (the ceres of females being white or pale brown).

I'd like to think he will, but frankly I don't give my budgie much chance of surviving the British winter in the wild. If you're from the Oxfordshire area therefore and are missing a white budgie, do please leave a comment!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have have two of those budgies. I would have to say it is a lost bird because they live in austrailia. I wouldn't say forsure it will sie because I had a cocketiel get out in the winter and it survived several days without food in sub zero temps, another austrialian resident. I'm from the U.S. so not exactly a British climate but it was cold and windy. If you you don't think it is a natural resident, probably not, try to catch it and get it a home.

bryant

Anonymous said...

just a side note although it is summer now so im assuming budgies goose was cooked. I have a friend who had a budgie fly through her balcony door. she caprtured him and put him in a cage. Now this is where it gets interesting for you I hate the idea of caging birds so I tried to bring him out into the apartment but hye bit me so many times I was going to give up but my friend had bought a mirror and he was standing in front of it guarding it. I assumed he thought it was his mate and he was protecting it. I took his mirror and he flew right out of the cage and chased me all over till I gave him his mirror back. maybe you could put a mirror on the feeder it has to be a small birdie mirror don't ask me why lol. after he gets acusstomed to the mirror you can move it into the house or into a cage and then he will be safe you can contact me if you need further clarification. w_macneil@yahoo.com