When choosing a companion animal we must be clear about the commitment we make, it is for the life of the animal, which we will also try to make long and of quality. In general, small animals have a short life expectancy, due to their accelerated metabolism, while larger animals tend to live longer.
On the other hand, parrots and cockatoos are reputed to have a long existence if they are well cared for. And what about their little relatives, the budgerigars? What is your life expectancy?
Keep reading this article on our site to find out how long a budgerigar lives.
The budgerigar, a long-lived animal
In the case of parakeets, the longest-lived variety is the Australian parakeet, since it is the one that has suffered the least genetic manipulation for purely aesthetic purposes. Other parakeets such as the English parakeet, which are larger and have longer feathers, live for less time.
The life expectancy of a budgerigar varies depending on whether it is in the wild or in captivity, and how well it is cared for received the bird since its birth.
It will also be decisive to be aware of the most common conditions that budgerigars can suffer and, at the slightest symptom, consult a veterinarian, since they are still fragile animals when they live in climates that are not those of its natural habitat.
- In the wild, a budgie that dies of natural causes will reach four to six years of age
- In captivity can be up to 15 years old. There are many factors that influence the life expectancy of a domestic Australian parakeet and most of them we do not know when one of them becomes part of our family
Factors that can improve your longevity
The aspects that we can control and that will affect the life expectancy of the parakeet are two:
- Prevent parakeets from breeding frequently, because each brood causes wear and tear that ends up taking its toll on the parents
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Act quickly if we detect what is called continuous molting. The normal thing is that the Australian parakeet sheds its feathers twice a year, at most three. On certain occasions, generally due to stress-related causes, a parakeet can continually renew its plumage, and this also puts considerable wear and tear on the animal. Even when the molt is carried out normally, it is convenient to reinforce the parakeet's diet during the weeks that the molt lasts with a vitamin supplement or mixture of enriched seeds already prepared for these seasons
- Be careful that our parakeet does not have problems with mites or lice, which can cause anemia
In general, the green parakeet with a yellow head and a standard size is the Australian that has suffered the fewest inadvisable crosses, the one that in theory can have a longer life expectancy.
In my case it was not like that, and a common Australian parakeet died when I was about four years old, while another, an albino, lived with me for eleven and a half years, almost twelve. Both were adopted when they were young and both had the same care.
