Top 10 Smartest Talking Birds In The World
By • Last Updated2. Budgerigar
The budgerigar, commonly known as the budgie or pet parakeet, is an intelligent talking bird native to Australia. This sociable and clever species can develop an impressive vocabulary. In fact, a budgerigar set a Guinness World Record in 1995 for having a vocabulary of 1,728 words! While not every budgie reaches this remarkable level, many can learn between 300 and 500 words and phrases.
Budgerigars are known for their tendency to imitate words that their owners frequently use. However, when kept in pairs or groups, they often pay less attention to their owners, preferring to socialize with each other. Both male and female budgerigars have the ability to mimic human speech, but males generally excel at reproducing a wider range of words and tones.
The budgerigar, also referred to as the common pet parakeet or shell parakeet, and affectionately known as the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot. It is the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus and can be found in the drier regions of Australia, where it has thrived in harsh inland conditions for the past five million years. Naturally, budgerigars are green and yellow with black scalloped markings on their napes, backs, and wings, but selective breeding has resulted in a variety of colors, including blues, whites, yellows, and greys, and even some with small crests.
They are popular pets worldwide due to their small size, affordability, and ability to mimic human speech. The origin of the name “budgerigar” remains uncertain, but the species was first recorded in 1805 and is now the third most popular pet globally, following dogs and cats.
Budgerigars are closely related to lories and fig parrots and are categorized as one of the parakeet species—a non-taxonomic term for small parrots with long, flat, tapered tails. In both the wild and captivity, budgerigars breed opportunistically and in pairs.