Budgie Research Paper

1) budgie or parakeet - what is the difference?
The term 'parakeet' is almost a catch-all name given to many smaller parrot species, usually slim birds with long pointed tails.
The name 'budgie' or 'budgerigar' comes from Australia where budgies live in the wild.
The budgie does have alternative names given to it such as shell parakeet and warbling grass parakeet, hence people calling them budgies and parakeets. A lot depends on which part of the world you live in. In the USA a budgie is often referred to as a parakeet.

2) budgie illness / budgie health - is my budgie sick ?
In the wild if budgies let their guard down and show they are unwell they will become the victims of predators. Therefore it is natural for budgies to conceal
If your budgie looks ill it normally means it is really sick and can deteriorate extremely quickly.
When you detect any of the following signs of illness you should take your budgie to an avian vet as soon as possible - try to visit a vet experienced with birds so a correct diagnosis can be given.
Signs of illness to watch out for:

abnormal breathing abnormal droppings (note the quantity, color, consistency) abnormal feathers, feather growth, or molt abnormal sleep pattern:
- continuous
- both feet on the perch when normally one foot is tucked up
- head tucked under the wing
- head turned towards the wing with eyes only partly closed any change in normal activities:
- talking or chirping
- playing with toys
- preening
- interaction with other birds
- interaction with
Also make available cuttlebone, and calcium, iodine and mineral blocks. Vitamin supplements in the drinking water once a week or fortnight are a good idea, although do not leave these in the water for long as bacteria grows very quickly. Some people prefer to sprinkle powdered vitamins onto the seed or moist food, eg apple pieces or spinach. Either way, be sure to follow the product's directions with regard to dosage amount and frequency.

6) budgie health - are fruit and vegetables necessary ?

A budgie diet must be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. An all seed diet often results in an unhealthy or overweight budgie.
Try the following:
FRUIT: apple, grape, guava, kiwi fruit, mango, melon, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, plum, strawberry, tangerine, watermelon
VEGETABLES: bok choy, broccoli, carrot (chopped or grated), celery, chard, lettuce (but small amounts of lettuce and not too often as not a lot of goodness), peas, silverbeet, spinach, sweetcorn, watercress, zucchini
PLANTS:
chickweed, clover, dandelion.
Favorites with budgies tend to be apple, carrot, silverbeet, spinach, sweetcorn.
Note that the fruit and vegetables should be provided:

thoroughly washed in small