# parakeet Parakeets are small, colorful birds that love to chirp and play. They are friendly and can even learn to talk! These cheerful birds make great pets and are full of energy. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![parakeet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Wellensittich02.jpg&width=800) Photo: Sebastian Ritter, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wellensittich02.jpg) ## Appearance The parakeet is a small to medium-sized bird, typically featuring vibrant green or blue plumage, often with yellow heads and distinctive barring on its back. It has a slender body, a relatively large head, and a long, tapering tail that helps it balance in flight. Their hooked beak is small but strong. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Psittaciformes - **Family:** Psittacidae - **Genus:** Melopsittacus ## Interesting facts - A parakeet's heart can beat over 300 times in just one minute! - Parakeets often preen each other to keep feathers tidy and show affection. - Some wild parakeets build huge communal nests, shared by many families. - They often choose hollow tree trunks or old termite mounds to lay their eggs. ## Special abilities - **Voice Mimicry:** Parakeets can imitate human words and various sounds because they possess a highly flexible vocal organ called a syrinx. - **Agile Aerialist:** The parakeet has streamlined bodies and pointed wings that help them fly incredibly fast and maneuver quickly through trees. - **Seed Cracker:** Parakeets possess a powerful, curved beak that helps them efficiently crack open tough seeds and nuts to access their food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 18-45 cm - **Wingspan:** 25-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.03-0.25 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-15 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-8 - **Incubation:** 17-20 days ## Diet & Feeding Parakeets mostly munch on seeds, fruits, fresh plant parts, and sometimes even tiny insects! - **Primary Foods:** Seeds, Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Leaf buds - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Collared Sparrowhawk (*Accipiter cirrocephalus*) — Agile raptors that hunt smaller birds, a common predator of parakeets. - **Eats:** Marri Tree (*Corymbia calophylla*) — Parakeets often feed on the seeds and nectar produced by these Australian trees. - **Eats:** Port Jackson Fig (*Ficus rubiginosa*) — These birds consume the sweet fruits found on various fig trees. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Domesticated](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/domesticated): Domesticated refers to species that have been selectively bred and tamed by humans for specific purposes. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always be gentle and quiet around birds to keep them calm. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify parakeet? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is parakeet? 18-45 cm ### What is parakeet's wingspan? 25-40 cm ### How much does parakeet weigh? 0.03-0.25 kg ### How long does parakeet live? 5-15 years ### How fast can parakeet move? 60 km/h ### What does parakeet eat? Parakeets mostly munch on seeds, fruits, fresh plant parts, and sometimes even tiny insects! ### Where is parakeet usually found? Grasslands ## Where to spot - [Southwick's Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/southwicks-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Montgomery Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/montgomery-zoo) — Alabama, US · Zoo - [Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturschutz-tierpark-g-rlitz) — Saxony, DE · Zoo - [Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arkansas-alligator-farm-and-petting-zoo) — Arkansas, US · Zoo - [Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alameda-wildlife-conservation-park) — Gibraltar, GI · Zoo [View all places to see parakeet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/parakeet) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Parakeet: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/parakeet)