The age-old question of whether a parakeet and a budgie are the same animal still ruffles feathers in 2026. The short answer is yes—they are the same bird, no bones about it. In Joseph M. Forshaw’s book Parrots of the World, the parakeet is listed as a budgerigar with the scientific name Melopsittacus undulatus. That Latin name is identical to the one used for the common parakeet. In other words, bird lovers are simply using two different labels for the same feathered friend. Anyone who had that hunch can take it as a real feather in the cap.

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The confusion starts because the term parakeet is a broad label, not a single species. It covers several dozen small, long-tailed parrots, including the mustache parakeet, grass parakeet, Monk parakeet (also known as the Quaker parrot), and Indian ring-necked parakeet. The budgerigar is the most famous member of that group. In the United States, most people say parakeet, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, and plenty of other places, they say budgie or budgerigar. The golden rule is easy: every budgie is a parakeet, but not every parakeet is a budgie.

Where did the word budgerigar come from? The trail is a bit murky, but one theory suggests it comes from the Australian slang word budgery. Over time, bird keepers shortened it to budgie, which is now the go-to term in many corners of the globe. The American preference for parakeet is just a regional quirk, not a biological difference.

The budgerigar was first recorded in 1805 by George Shaw, a British botanist and zoologist. While working in the natural history section of the British Museum, Shaw published scientific names for the budgerigar and several other Australian animals, such as the platypus, echidna, wombat, and black snake. That means the species has been known to science for more than two centuries.

Budgies are native to Australia’s dry grasslands, a tough environment that demands resilience. In the wild, they tend to move in large flocks, search for water during droughts, and feed on grains, grasses, seeds, and insects. That resourceful streak has served them well. The birds first arrived in England in 1840, and captive breeding began around 1850 as more people became interested in keeping them as companions. The first color variation produced through selective breeding was recorded in 1870, paving the way for the wide range of color mutations seen today. The English Budgie is one standout example, with a distinctive look all its own.

For all the chatter about names, the bird’s popularity is no joke. Parakeets or budgies are the third most popular companion animals in the world, behind dogs and cats. They have been beloved for centuries, partly because they combine a small size with a lively personality. Experts say they do best on a diet of nutrient-rich, healthy foods, rather than a boring seed-only routine. That means a balanced mix and plenty of clean water, especially for birds kept indoors.

Fast facts:

  • 🦜 Scientific name: Melopsittacus undulatus

  • 🌾 Native to Australia’s dry grasslands

  • 🔬 First recorded in 1805 by George Shaw

  • 🐾 Third most popular companion animal behind dogs and cats

The confusion around common names is not unique to this species. The African Grey parrot, for example, has its own identity crisis. Its scientific name is Psittacus erithacus, but depending on where a person lives, it might be called the Grey parrot or the Red-Tailed parrot. Taxonomists are still examining the differences between the Congo and Timneh types, with the Timneh considered a sub-species of the Congo. Yet in Forshaw’s book, readers will not find the name African Grey parrot. The species is listed as a Grey parrot, even though it refers to the same bird.

A quick look at the facts makes the parakeet-budgie relationship easier to digest:

Common name in the U.S. Common name elsewhere Scientific name Category
Parakeet Budgie / Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus Small parrot with long tail feathers

William Shakespeare once wrote that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Bird keepers might say the same about the budgie. Whether someone calls it a parakeet in Chicago or a budgie in London, the bird in the cage is still Melopsittacus undulatus—a small, long-tailed parrot with a tough past, a colorful present, and a bright future in homes around the world.