English Budgie Vs American Budgie: How Do You Tell Them Apart?
As far as most pet owners can tell, budgies are colorful birds they keep as pets. They come in a variety of colors, and sometimes that is the only difference they know. However, is your pet an American Budgie or a British one? How can you tell?
So, how do you tell apart an English budgie vs American budgie? The most common way to tell apart an English budgie from an American one is by size and personality. The English budgies are larger and calmer than the American ones. They also have more defined markings on their plumage.
Despite having many similarities, budgie pets also bear differences. Read more to know how to tell apart these colorful birds.
English Budgie Vs American Budgie
All budgies are natives of Australia, where they live in open habitats living in flocks. They are nomadic birds who move around searching for food and water. Wild budgies are notably smaller than domesticated ones, which might be due to their diet.
Budgies in the wild also have only two feather colors, yellow and green. Color variations were first done in 1870, and now there are over 30 variations of domesticated budgies. Wild male budgie cere is blue, and the females have purple and pink colors. They are also more social and active in the wild, where they get as much space as they need to fly.
The following are physical, character, and other differences between the English and American budgie. They are the differences that can help you tell apart these two birds.
| Aspect | English Budgie | American Budgie |
| Personality/ Character | English budgies are calm and quiet. They are less noisy and like to be petted by humans. | American budgies are louder and dislike being petted by strangers. |
| Size | English budgies are heavier, weighing about 55 to 65 grams. | American budgies are smaller and weigh between 40 – 50 grams. |
| Training | Their calm nature makes training them smoother and faster. | American parakeets are trainable, though better when they’re younger. |
| Health care | Like all pets, English budgies require a balanced diet and a good environment. | American budgies also require a balanced diet to grow healthy. |
| Life Span | The average lifespan of English budgies is around 5 – 8 years. | American budgies live much longer than English budgies. |
In-depth Overview
Below is an in-depth difference between the two budgie types:
1. How Do You Define Them?
These two budgie types have a whole array of differences. Even their appearance and purpose they serve is different.
- English Budgies?
English budgies are primarily show birds or exhibition birds, brought into existence by selective breeding. Like American budgies, they are not natural species like the wild budgies in Australia. The birds were most popular in the 19th century and have been since John Gould brought one to England a century before.
- What are American Budgies?
American budgies are the colorful and feathery bird friends in most pet shops. They are available in a wider variety of colors, though less vibrant than their English counterparts. They are also found in various countries but mostly in America.
2. Character Traits
English budgies are trained for shows, this means they are calm and quiet. They are less noisy while chirping or talking compared to their American cousins. English budgies are also more accepting of humans, with not much bonding required beforehand.
American budgies are louder and noisier than the English ones. They dislike being petted by strangers and are easily stressed. They’re also more active compared to English budgies.
3. Size
English budgies are heavier, weighing about 55 to 65 grams. They also have a length of between 10 -12 inches from head to tail.
American budgies are smaller, with a height between 7 – 9 inches tall. They also weigh between 40 – 50 grams.
4. Training
Since they are exhibition birds, these birds are easier to mimic. Their calm nature makes training them smoother and faster.
American parakeets are trainable, though this is more effective at younger ages.
5. Health care
Like all pets, English budgies require a balanced diet for healthier growth. They also need a decent cage in an environment with regulated temperatures. Since they are also social birds, add some toys to their cage.
American budgies also require a balanced diet to grow healthy. Like English budgies, they need a cage in a room where temperatures are regulated, and they also require toys for playing.
6. Life Span
The average lifespan of English budgies is around 5 – 8 years. Between the two birds, English budgies have a shorter lifespan than American ones. Due to their quiet and calm nature, they fly and exercise fewer times, one reason they don’t live long.
American budgies live much longer than English budgies. This is because they are more active and exercise more
Which Is More Likely to Talk?
Buying a bird pet when it is young can help you train them to talk earlier. American budgies are more talkative, though not as much to humans as to other flock mates. English budgies on the other hand, are more attentive and learn better and quicker.
English budgie holds the Guinness world record for most words learned, 1700 words. They can talk better than the American parakeet. However, with better training, both these birds can talk quite well.
Can English Budgies and American Budgies Live Together?
Given their past, that is, they originate from the same flock of birds, and they can live together. They both require the usual things like a balanced diet, a cage, and toys. You can also build separate nests to avoid territory fights.
The American parakeets who are more active can cause a fuss with the calmer English ones. At first, this is normal, but then you should separate them into different cages. Make sure the temperatures favor them both.
Measures To Observe When Keeping American and English Budgies Together
If you have to keep your American and English budgies together, you must ensure comfort for both. They have different traits, and their needs may not all match. Below are measures you should put in place for the peaceful co-existence of the two budgie species.
1. Develop a Sizable Cage
Parakeets are generally playful and bubbly birds. When you keep two types together, you must provide sufficient space where they can play freely. Ensure they have a place that each bird can hide in case they don’t want to engage. This, especially, will favor the English budgie, which is calmer and less aggressive.
2. Pay Attention to Gender Pairing
Pairing your budgies is probably the biggest challenge you’ll experience. If you keep two female budgies of each type, they are likely to fight over territory ownership. Also, keeping a pair of each type will encourage cross-breeding. The safest option is keeping two males because they are likely to co-exist more peacefully.
3. Mix Up Toys
Budgies are not only playful but also intelligent. They need toys to play with when bored. Since the two types have different temperaments and preferences, ensure you buy many toys. Mixing different types is the best way to ensure they play peacefully. Also, remember to buy highly durable toys to prevent regular breakage.
4. Consider Their Age
Budgies are happier when paired because they are sociable and exhibit a lot of energy. In the wild, they live in chatters, which makes their lives satisfactory. When petting them, ensure none stays alone. Also, American budgies are inbred and therefore do not live long compared to their English counterparts. In case one dies before the other, the bereaved may develop stress and depression.
FAQ
For an avian pet lover, it’s only fair to know more about the types of parakeets. This sometimes leads to more questions, which are okay since they are part of the research. Below are frequently asked questions and their answers regarding the topic.
Are English Budgies Friendlier?
English budgies are calmer and quieter than their American counterparts. This calmness makes them friendlier, and they don’t seem to mind new faces. American parakeets need to be familiarized and bonded with before it’s petted.
Do American Budgies Talk?
American budgies can talk and mimicry. If you buy your pet while it’s still young, you can train it to talk. Otherwise, far older, the birds will talk but to each other and not in mimicry.
Conclusion
Wild budgies share most characteristics and behaviors. However, in captivity, their characters differ as they grow in different environments. Anyway, there are always ways to tell apart, English budgies vs American budgies.
This includes their sizes, where the English one can double the size of the American counterpart. Among other differences is their character, whereas the English budgies are calmer than their American counterparts. These two pets can live together, but if they regularly fight, you should place them in separate cages.
