Budgies
Have you ever kept a pet budgerigar? My beloved godmother always had one. They were always called Joey, and flew around loose in her house except at night when he slept in his cage, so we kids (and adults) always had to be very careful when we went in and out of the house.
Joey used to perch on her glasses, which always had a convenient wing, even when they went out of fashion. He’d perch there and gently nibble on her ear, muttering “Who’s a pretty boy then?” and “Joey Rawson,” and her phone no. I presume she taught him that last one in case he did get outside and someone found him, but as far as I know, it never happened.
Of course there were several Joey Rawsons over the years, but to me, they all looked the same — a standard blue budgerigar. I knew they were native Australian birds, but it wasn’t until I was an adult and exploring parts of the outback that I realized how wild and numerous they really were. The first time I saw a flock of wild budgies circling overhead, I was astounded: there were so many — thousands of small green birds, swooping and circling and chittering and screeching. There’s a video here of a flock of wild budgies in the Australian outback.
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say: “First recorded in 1805, budgerigars are popular pets around the world due to their small size, low cost, and ability to mimic human speech. They are likely the third most popular pet in the world, after the domesticated dog and cat.” In fact so common are they in other countries, that a historical novel writer once mentioned budgies in her novel set in Spain in the 1700s — long before Europeans had been to Australia. And she was Australian, too, so must not have realized they were indigenous to this country.
More from Wikipedia: “They are found wild throughout the drier parts of Australia, where they have survived harsh inland conditions for over five million years. Their success can be attributed to a nomadic lifestyle and their ability to breed while on the move.” In the wild, budgerigars are green, but in captivity they have been bred with a range of colors — blues, whites, yellows, greys, and some even have small crests.
Have you ever kept a budgie? Or a pet bird of any kind?
My Grandparents kept one when I was very young, I think my mother gave it to my Grandfather for Christmas one year, and since it was a Christmas present his name was Nicky. And he was blue. My Grandma taught him ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ and his name. I loved that little guy. I most love the memories of my Grandpa with that bird, he was such a quiet solitary person. What a sweet memory for starting the new year. It wasn’t until I was an adult quite up in my years before I knew they came from Australia, and… Read more »
Thanks for sharing those lovely memories of your grandpa, Michelle. Budgies are dear little birds, I agree. No wonder they’ve spread all over the world as pets.