How many years do budgies live? Life expectancy of budgerigars. Best friend for many years

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Budgerigars are the third most popular pet in the world after cats and dogs. A little bird with a big heart often becomes a full-fledged member of the family, a sensitive psychologist and companion. It's hard not to love a creature that falls asleep with you, wakes up and strives for communication just like a person. Therefore, when purchasing a pet, knowing about its amazing ability to find its place in a person’s heart, you want to understand exactly how long they live budgies at home.

What factors determine the lifespan of a budgerigar?

Genetics of the wavy

Almost two centuries have passed since budgerigars came to Europe. During this time, breeders bred more than 200 species of budgerigars, which differ in size, plumage color and the presence of a crest. This was achieved due to the structural features and pigmentation of bird wings, as well as genetic deviations, for example, the appearance of albinos. Show-type budgies are larger and more graceful, and generally do not have as long a lifespan as their less selectively budgerigars, so they are often only found in breeders' collections.

The natural color of the budgie is green and grassy; all other colors have been bred through selective breeding. Statistics show that birds with green coloration are more likely to live to an old age than others, perhaps due to the absence of congenital mutations. However, green parrots are also not immune from early death due to congenital diseases and weakness of the genetic fund in the prime of life. The fact is that most birds supplied to small, non-specialized pet stores are bred without observing the norms of genetic crossing. As a result, closely related ties lead to the birth of weakened offspring, and this directly affects how many and at what age will die.

It can be argued that in natural conditions“wavy birds” also live in huge flocks, and this does not prevent them from reproducing and living until retirement age. But in nature there is a law of natural selection, according to which individuals with a non-viable mutation die earlier and do not produce offspring. When choosing a bird, remember that it can become your companion for many years. Buy a pet only if the breeder has taken care of the health of the gene pool.

Unfortunately, the usual answer of 12-15 years is not true. The history of breeding budgerigars is known for cases when birds lived up to 26 years, and at the same time, when transported from Australia to Europe, they died in hundreds and died in the holds of ships. The answer to the question of how long budgerigars live at home depends on a number of factors, and the life expectancy of a parrot does not always depend on care and maintenance.

In nature, they feed mainly on plant foods and seeds. In captivity, owners purchase ready-made mixtures from pet stores and rely on the fact that the manufacturer knows exactly how and what to feed the bird. I would hate to disappoint you, but the manufacturer knows how to sell and combine, but may not even be aware of what your bird needs. Feeding a parrot with “standard” meals can reduce its life expectancy to a minimum.

Under natural conditions (at least this was the case until Australia began sowing vast areas of wheat), birds feed by selecting grains and grasses from the widest natural assortment. You yourself may have noticed that a budgie will first choose its favorite food from a feeder, and then, if it is not fed anything else, it will eat everything else. This should never be allowed if you want your pet to live for many more years. Observe your bird, create individual mixtures, 1-2 teaspoons a day of a new type of grain, and within a couple of weeks you can see what your pet likes best.

However, here you also need to observe moderation. If the “wavy” has decided that sunflower seeds are the best delicacy in the world, you should not feed him only this every day for many years in a row. Nothing but obesity and early death you won't achieve this. Variety is the main principle of the menu. It is imperative to give plant foods; parrots especially love vegetables, fruits and different types salads, such as spinach. It is necessary to do this so that when asked: “How long do budgies live?”, you proudly answer: “Mine has lived for 15 years and is sitting next to me, fiddling with the headset while I type this.”

Diseases common to budgies

Each age of a parrot has its own characteristics of keeping and, unfortunately,... In general, at home, parrots are overly susceptible to tumors, obesity, kidney disease, and arthritis. In order to prevent their development and share with the “wavy” the joys of the bird’s advanced age, it is necessary to comply with a number of maintenance requirements:

The cage must contain calcined sand, ground shells or sterilized crushed eggshell. These elements are necessary for normal digestion and serve as a source of calcium.
The poultry diet should include foods with a high percentage of vitamins. Don’t rely on ready-made mixtures, experiment, look for something that your parrot will eat with pleasure. With vitamin deficiencies, life expectancy is reduced to a minimum.
Budgerigars are very active birds. The more the pet is in a state of movement, the better. Swinging on a swing in a cage is not a movement, but an indicator of nervousness due to its absence. Release the bird, let's fly around the apartment. Keep away from cats only. As life experience shows, after meeting this predator, the life expectancy of a parrot is equal to moments.

Three age periods your parrot:

Young age. The period of life from the moment the chick hatches from the egg until 5-7 years of age can be called the young age in the life of a bird. The mortality rate at its border is especially high from various types tumors. If, at the same time, you followed all the recommendations for content, do not reproach yourself, most likely it is due to bad genetics. It's hard to do anything about it.
Average age. If your pet has successfully survived the previous stage at home, you can be proud of yourself; you have raised a healthy, viable bird. Continue to care for him, protect him from accidents and beware of developing obesity. In this case, a wavy pet will keep you company at home for up to 12-15 years.
Advanced age. Although appearance It is difficult to judge a parrot's impending old age, but you may notice that the bird has become harder to fly and is not as agile as before. Like people, in old age parrots are very susceptible to stress and emotional distress. The pet may become sad due to the loss of a mate or a sudden change in the psychological climate in the house. Try not to forget that in homes where there is harmony, love and care for each other, parrots live longer.

The bright colors and cheerful disposition of budgies have long won the hearts of ordinary people. Caring for them does not require much time or money, and communication with these charming birds brings a lot of joy to both adults and children. Together with low price this makes them the most common feathered pet.

There are a lot of them easy not only to maintain, but also to breed: in comfortable conditions, these birds reproduce well, bringing joy to the home where they live.

A distinctive feature of budgerigars is high intelligence and excellent onomatopoeic abilities. According to some studies, the level of mental development of these parrots is approximately equal to that of a dog. This means they are able to remember owners, objects, compare events and build basic cause-and-effect relationships, which makes training them a simple and exciting activity.

Parrots are very sociable, easy to find mutual language and with people, and with other pets, this happens much faster if the birds communicate with their neighbors in the home with young. Teaching a budgerigar to speak is quite simple, especially if he lives alone, without a mate. After all, parrots are flocking birds; when alone, they perceive humans as their companion.

These birds are very quickly pick up repetitive sounds: doorbell, phone ringtone, baby crying, as well as words of human speech. In the vast majority of cases, parrots repeat thoughtlessly, choosing the word that sounds best to them. There are very rarely cases when their conversation shows some logic and connection to the situation.

When buying a new pet, people are always interested in questions:

how to care for it;
what does he eat;
his life expectancy at home.

The answers to them help you choose the most suitable animal or bird for your friends. And very often a parrot becomes a life partner for adults and children.

How many years do budgies live at home?

The domestication of budgerigars occurred in the 19th century. Being from Australia, they prefer warm climate, absence of drafts and dry air. All these conditions are easy to create at home.

IN natural environment budgies have a relatively short lifespan: about five years. Such short term is caused by many factors: attacks by predators, human intervention transforming their habitat, diseases, lack of food, and so on. In captivity, the life expectancy of budgerigars is much longer. So, how many years do budgerigars live at home? On average, this figure is 13–15 years, which is a considerable period for small birds. Long-livers are known among budgerigars, whose age was 21–22 years. The owners’ task is to create the most comfortable living conditions for the bird, and then it will be around for many years.

The increase in life expectancy of budgerigars is greatly influenced by a number of conditions

Best friend for many years

Choosing a pet friend for yourself or your child, a person wants him to stay close for years, to be healthy, cheerful, and to delight with his presence. When wondering how long budgerigars live at home, you need to remember that this period largely depends on their owners. Compliance with the rules of care, first of all, will be the key to a long and happy life parrot next to a person.

Surrounded by love and care, this a wonderful representative of birds may well live to be 20 years old or even more. People often forget that it is not enough to properly care for a bird or any other pet, you need to love it. Therefore, buying a new friend should not be a spontaneous act. It's better if it's an informed decision. The cheerful chirping and chatter of parrots can bring joy to any home, and caring for them will become pleasant variety in everyday routine. The simple process of taming will not be difficult even for a child, giving happiness and extraordinary memories for a lifetime.

From the very first days a budgie appears in your home, you become attached and get used to this funny feathered pet. Surely, in just a couple of weeks, you will get used to it and love it so much that you will no longer imagine your life without a budgie. At the same time, you are unlikely to ever think about how many years a budgerigar lives?

Having become a full-fledged member of the family, the birds will continue to delight you for many years with their funny disposition and perky character. They will eat from your hands, imitate your voice, chirp some songs, filling the house with cheerful trills. All this and much more will tie you so strongly to this little bird that you simply cannot even imagine that someday it might not be there.

Lifespan of budgerigars in the wild

Perhaps when purchasing a parrot, some people are interested in... However, as practice shows, everyone prefers not to think about it.

In general, if we take the conditions of the wild, the life expectancy of budgerigars can reach five years, or even more. This directly depends on the living conditions of the small bird. There are a great many factors that directly influence the life expectancy of parrots.

Among the factors mentioned, the following should be particularly highlighted:

the presence of food that the parrot can find;
the presence of nearby bodies of water with clean, unpolluted water;
the presence of predators that, due to their natural instincts, can attack a small feathered bird;
weather conditions (it is very important that the birds do not freeze).

Usually, under more or less acceptable living conditions, a bird can reach the age of 7 years. Such a short period of time is explained by the habitat. Surely the bird will be in danger of being eaten, from time to time not having enough to eat, and so on. All these factors significantly affect the health of the budgie, shortening the already short life of the little bird.

Life expectancy of parrots at home

Unlike their own species, domesticated parrots exist in a fairly favorable environment for them. They are constantly taken care of, fed and watered. Thanks to such conditions of detention, budgies live much longer, stretching from seven to eight to ten to fifteen years. As an exception, a period of twenty years can be specified. However, only a few budgerigars survive, being a kind of old-timers.

But even such an impressive period cannot be compared with a life expectancy of more than . For example, they can live peacefully for a couple of dozen and large quantity years. Large birds live up to a hundred years. However, this is not a reason to choose them, since keeping budgies is much easier and more enjoyable.

The influence of living conditions on the life expectancy of a budgerigar in captivity

As mentioned above, the life expectancy of budgerigars in captivity exceeds average their lives in wildlife. However, this does not mean that you should not devote special attention all the bird's needs.

Many parrot lovers, when bringing a bird into their home, believe that it will only need food and... However, this is not the case. Budgie, this is first of all Living being who has his own feelings and needs, including communication with someone and entertainment. The absence of the latter will lead to your bird becoming bored, mopey and may even get sick.

In general, in order to extend the life of your pet, adhere to the rules and recommendations described below.

First, your pet should lead an active lifestyle. You shouldn't keep him locked in a cage all the time. Let him fly more often. It is very important for birds to stretch their legs and fly from time to time.

Secondly, the cage in which the parrot you purchased will be kept must be spacious enough so as not to restrict him from moving around it. It is advisable that there be some kind of food with which the pet could spend its time. In this case, it is worth paying attention to such an important fact as the location of the cell.

The cage should not be in a draft, thereby increasing the likelihood that your pet will get sick. It is also not recommended to place it near any electrical appliances or in direct sunlight.

The atmosphere in the room itself should also be healthy. Birds are extremely difficult to tolerate smoke from smoking and can even get sick.

Before going to bed, cover the cage with some kind of cloth. It is very important that parrots get a good night's sleep.

Otherwise, you should pay more attention to the proper behavior of your bird, its daily routine and communication. Only if you follow all the above recommendations, will your feathered fidget feel as good as possible, which will subsequently affect its life expectancy.

At the end of this article I would like to give one more useful advice. Pay more attention to cleaning in. With a lot of clutter, a large abundance of old grains, droppings and dried and moldy food debris, all conditions are created for the spread of pathogenic microbes and microorganisms. As a result, your pet's health can be significantly compromised.

We sincerely hope that the tips given in the article about how many years budgerigars live will be useful to you and will prolong the life of your feathered pet.

Budgerigars live on average 3-4 years, rare individuals are crossing the 5-year mark. Such a short life expectancy is due to the many dangers that await a small bird in the wild, as well as a lack of food. Budgerigars can live up to 15 years. Of course, this is only possible with proper care - timely treatment of diseases, provision of a balanced diet, protection from drafts and sudden temperature changes, and absence of stress.

The effect of stress on the lifespan of parrots

With the treatment of diseases and proper nutrition Most caring owners cope quite successfully with parrots. However, many people have problems protecting themselves from stress in a city apartment. Firstly, it is difficult for birds to adapt to human biorhythms. In nature, parrots fall asleep at sunset and wake up at dawn. In conditions of electric light and television until twelve at night, birds become nervous. Secondly, budgies are often stressed by other pets, especially dogs and rats. A frightened bird becomes nervous and loses its feathers. Some individuals may even die as a result of stress, especially if the parrot was suddenly frightened.

Dangers of budgerigars at home

A considerable number of birds die not from old age, but because of the carelessness of their owners. Among the reasons leading to the premature death of a pet, the most common is an open window. If a parrot flies outside, it is rarely possible to catch it. The bird, accustomed to living in an apartment, simply dies.

Some budgerigars die due to chewed electrical wires. Sometimes birds crash to death on glass or. Therefore, before letting the parrot fly around the room, you should close the curtains and hang the mirrors.

Some birds also pose a danger to birds. houseplants. Poisonous are azalea, hyacinth, dieffenbachia, laurel, ivy, philodendron, amaryllis, poinsettia, crocus, hydrangea, anthurium, spathiphyllum, spurge, pepper and yew tree.

Long-lived parrots

Some budgerigars can live 20 years or more. However, these don't happen very often. Old parrots have deteriorating hearing and vision, but they remain active. Instead of thin poles, it is better for older birds to use small boards, since old parrots often have joints in their paws.