Parakeets

=**Parakeets**=

//Melopsittacus undulatus// Family: //Psittacidae// Kingdom: //Animalia// Phylum: //Chordate// Class: //Aves// Order: //Psittaciformes//



=Ecology=

Parakeets are originated from central Australia where the environment is harsh, desert like and little rain. In the wild parakeets are often are in small flocks but at times in a big flock. These birds are nomadic birds, meaning they migrate around the land in search of food and water due to the harsh condition of the habitats, wherever there's the availability of food and water, the parakeet flocks will go there. Parakeets are herbivores meaning they eat fruits, plants, and seeds. The population of parakeets are decreasing because of space competition with house sparrows and european starlings. =Physiology= = = Parakeets are often in the range of 7"in. to 9 3/8"in. in length and the back of their tail are often from 3 1/8" to 4 1/2" long, parakeets are weighed between 1 to 1.4 ounces. The average life expectancy of a parakeet is from 12 to 14 years. To know if a parakeet is a male or female just look at the cere, located above of the beak. A royal blue cere means it's a male ready for breeding, pale brown is a female ready for breeding, if the cere is pink that means that the parakeet are females but are still immature and are young for breeding, it takes up to 6 months for the parakeet to be in the breeding stage. Naturally the parakeet's feathers are green with balck and yellow in the wild but now humans along with the help of mutations have bread parakeets into a variety of different colors, from blue, white, black, red, etc. there are over 100 color combinations for the parakeets. When eating the parakeets uses their beaks to break seeds or into fruits. Females typically are more aggressive and bite harder than males.

=**Human Uses**=

Parakeets make good pets, they have personalities, playful, and easy and fun to interact with. When healthy parakeets that live in captivity can live more than 10 years. Parakeets come in all colors, they are naturally green with yellow and black, but mutation have allowed parakeets to come in all colors. It's best when buying a parakeet, you should buy another mate to keep each other busy. When caring for parakeets, it's best to have fresh water daily along with the food, and to also have treats for the birds to eat so they'll have varieties of food to eat. Parakeets can be messy at times with their droppings, broken seeds, and feathers, and at times can be very loud. Overall having a parakeet as a pet can be a great experience and very fun if you are very committed.



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