Parakeet

Small to medium sized species of parrot

For the battlefield communication system, see Parakeet (communication system).

"Paraquet" redirects here. For the British military operation, see Operation Paraquet.

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File:Male and female parakeet 1.jpg

Male and female Rose-ringed parakeet at Vedanthangal, Tamil Nadu, India.

File:Blue australian parakeet.jpg

Blue Australian budgerigar

A parakeet is any one of many small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers.

## Contents

* 1 Etymology and naming
* 2 Summary
* 3 Breeding
* 4 United Kingdom population
* 5 Spain parakeet control measures
* 6 See also
* 7 References

## Etymology and naming[edit | edit source]

The name parakeet is derived from the French word perroquet, which is reflected in some older spellings that are still sometimes encountered, including paroquet or paraquet. However, in modern French, perruche is used to refer to parakeets and similar-sized parrots.

In American English, the word parakeet usually refers to the budgerigar, which is one species of parakeet.

The word lorikeet is formally composed of lory and -keet,[1] the former from Malay lūri, and the latter through either clipping of parakeet, or reanalysis of -keet as a suffix. Compare the usage of grasskeet for grass parakeets.

## Summary[edit | edit source]

File:Melopsittacus undulatus -Atlanta Zoo, Georgia, USA-8a-2c.jpg

The Australian budgerigar, or shell parakeet, is a popular pet and the most common parakeet

Parakeets comprise about 115 species of birds that are seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long, tapering tails.[2] The Australian budgerigar, also known as "budgie", Melopsittacus undulatus, is probably the most common parakeet. It was first described by zoologists in 1891. It is the most popular species of parakeet kept as a pet in North America and Europe.

File:Rose-ringed Parakeet RWD.jpg

A rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri).

The term "grass parakeet" (or grasskeet) refers to many small Australian parakeets native to grasslands such as the genus Neophema and the princess parrot. The Australian rosellas are also parakeets. Many of the smaller, long-tailed species of lories may be referred to as "lorikeets". The vernacular name ring-necked parakeet (not to be confused with the Australian ringneck) refers to a species of the genus Psittacula native to Africa and Asia that is popular as a pet and has become feral in many cities outside its natural range.

In aviculture, the term "conure" is used for small to medium-sized parakeets of the genera Aratinga, Pyrrhura, and a few other genera of the tribe Arini, which are mainly endemic to South America. As they are not all from one genus, taxonomists tend to avoid the term. Other South American species commonly called parakeets include the genus Brotogeris parakeets, the monk parakeet, and lineolated parakeets, although lineolateds have short tails.

A larger species may be referred to as "parrot" or "parakeet" interchangeably. For example, "Alexandrine parrot" and "Alexandrine parakeet" are two common names for the same species, Psittacula eupatria, which is one of the largest species normally referred to as a parakeet.

Many different species of parakeets are bred and sold commercially as pets, the budgerigar being the third most popular pet in the world,[3] after cats and dogs. Budgerigars are great companions for any age and can be easily trained.[4]

## Breeding[edit | edit source]

Parakeets often breed more readily in groups; however, there can be conflicts between breeding pairs and individuals especially if space is limited. The presence of other parakeets encourages a pair to breed, which is why breeding in a group is better, however many breeders choose to breed in pairs to avoid conflicts and because that way they know for sure which parents produced any given birds. Parakeets lay an average of 4-8 eggs, while budgerigars (a species of parakeet) lay an average of 4-6 eggs.[5][6][better source needed]

## United Kingdom population[edit | edit source]

Main article: Feral parakeets in Great Britain

In December 2019 Steven Le Comber, of Queen Mary University in London, United Kingdom, published an analysis in the Journal of Zoology based on geographic profiling methods. It concluded that the thriving rose-ringed parakeet population in the United Kingdom had grown from numerous small-scale accidental and intentional pet releases. Previous theories had included a pair released by Jimi Hendrix on Carnaby Street and an arrival in 1951 when Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn visited London with various animals to film The African Queen, set in the equatorial swamps of east Africa.[7][8]

## Spain parakeet control measures[edit | edit source]

According to a 2018 report, Spanish authorities have drawn up plans to curb the ever-growing population of parakeets which has reached 30,000 in locations such as Malaga.[9]

## See also[edit | edit source]

* Cockatiel
* Budgerigar
* Conure
* Mini-macaw

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 231\. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
2. ^ "All About Budgerigars". www.petmd.com. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
3. ^ Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2003). "Parrots, Lories, and Cockatoos". The New Encyclopedia of Birds (1 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198525066.
4. ^ "Taming Parakeets In 7 Days | Birdtricks.com". www.birdtricks.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
5. ^ "Why Do Budgies Break Their Eggs?". www.budgiecentral.com. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
6. ^ "Parakeet Breeding Season — A Curated Discussion". gotopetsshop.com. 4 August 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
7. ^ "Hendrix? Hepburn? Study busts myths about origins of UK's parakeets". TheGuardian.com. 12 December 2019.
8. ^ "Jimi Hendrix cleared of blame for UK parakeet release". BBC News. 12 December 2019.
9. ^ Strange, Hannah (2018-11-23). "Plan to use snipers to control parakeet population draws anger in Spain". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2020-02-02.