Budgerigar

tags: , , , ,

Third in a series of psittacine images by this photographer.

Budgerigar (Budgie), Melopsittacus undulatus.

Image: John Del Rio [larger view].

This parrot's scientific name means "song parrot with wavy lines" and its aboriginal name was close to "budgerigar" meaning "good eating" -- they consumed these small parrots as snacks!

The bird in the above picture is a blue morph of this species. The wild-type coloring for Budgerigars is green. A blue bird results in those individuals that cannot manufacture yellow pigment to add to their plumage, leaving it to reflect blue light only (read more about the physics of blue plumage coloring here).

More like this

tags: Red-crested Turaco, Tauraco erythrolophus, birds, Image of the Day Third in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer. Red-crested Turaco, Tauraco erythrolophus. Image: John Del Rio [larger view]. The turacos are classified into the bird family Musophagidae, which translates…
tags: White-Cheeked Turaco, Tauraco leucotis, birds, Image of the Day Fourth in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer. White-Cheeked Turaco, Tauraco leucotis. Image: John Del Rio [larger view]. The turacos are classified into the bird family Musophagidae, which translates as "…
tags: Purple-Crested Turaco, Tauraco porphyreolophus, birds, Image of the Day First in a series of non-passerine images by this photographer. Purple-Crested Turaco, Tauraco porphyreolophus. Image: John Del Rio [larger view]. The turacos are classified into the bird family Musophagidae, which…
tags: researchblogging.org, blue feathers, Tyndall scattering, Rayleigh light scattering, schemochromes, white feathers A pair of hyacinthine macaws, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus. Image: The Guardian. Most avian plumage colors are the result of different types of pigments that are deposited into…

Swoon! I am in love! What a gorgeous budgie!

After listening to my budgie pair, I have decided that they sound like a video game. Maybe that's how they see the world. They sure bounce around a lot. Budgie Brownian Motion.

Beautiful - that one looks like my girl budgie, except for the nose and the feet - both of my budgies have pink feet. I'm impressed with the picture, because mine rarely sit still long enough to get a picture in focus.

By vetarabbit (not verified) on 23 May 2008 #permalink

I have 2 Budgies Ping Pong and George. George looks exactly like the one in the photo while Ping Pong is all white. My mom also has a Budgie named Ms. Blue. She's also like the one in the photo except she's female with a pinkish nose.

Such sweet birdies! We had a succession of them when I was a kid, all of which managed to escape in one way or another. I've always thought the blue ones were the prettiest.

By themadlolscientist (not verified) on 23 May 2008 #permalink