Parakeets are called budgies because “budgie” is short for “budgerigar,” which is the specific species name for the small, colorful parrot native to Australia. The word comes from an Indigenous Australian language and has been in use since the 1800s. The key thing to understand is that “parakeet” and “budgie” aren’t interchangeable terms: parakeet is a broad category covering dozens of species, while budgie refers to one species in particular.
Budgie vs. Parakeet: Why Two Names Exist
“Parakeet” describes a group of small to medium-sized parrots with long tails and slender bodies. It includes many species: Indian Ringnecks, Monk Parakeets, and budgerigars among them. The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is one specific type of parakeet, native to the arid interior of Australia. So while all budgies are parakeets, not all parakeets are budgies.
The confusion comes from pet stores, particularly in the United States, where budgerigars are routinely labeled simply as “parakeets.” Since budgies are by far the most commonly kept parakeet species, Americans tend to treat the two words as synonyms. In Australia, the UK, and most other English-speaking countries, people say “budgie” because it’s more precise.
Where the Word “Budgerigar” Comes From
The name traces back to the Gamilaraay people of what is now New South Wales. The original word is thought to be “gidjirrigaa” in Gamilaraay or “gijirragaa” in the closely related Yuwaalaraay language. English settlers heard this word and adapted it into something their tongues could manage more easily. Early written versions include “Betcherrygah,” which gradually morphed into the “budgerigar” we use today.
The meaning of the original word is thought to translate roughly to “good food.” According to Bush Heritage Australia, it’s unclear whether this means the bird itself was good eating or whether the budgerigar’s seed-seeking migrations reliably led Gamilaraay people to areas of recent rainfall and abundant food sources. Either way, the name reflected the bird’s practical importance to Indigenous Australians long before it became a household pet.
How “Budgerigar” Became “Budgie”
The naturalist John Gould is credited with introducing the budgerigar to Britain in the mid-1800s, bringing live specimens back from Australia. Before Gould popularized the name “budgerigar,” English speakers used a grab bag of descriptive names for the bird. There were roughly 50 Indigenous names across different language groups, plus early English labels like “shell parrot,” “scalloped parrot,” “undulated parakeet,” and “warbling grass-parakeet.”
Once “budgerigar” caught on as the standard English name, it was only a matter of time before people shortened it. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first known use of “budgie” in print to 1936, in the writing of W. Watmough. By that point, the birds were already hugely popular as pets in Britain, and the casual nickname stuck. Four syllables became two, and “budgie” has been the everyday term ever since.
The Scientific Name Tells Its Own Story
The budgie’s formal scientific name, Melopsittacus undulatus, carries a completely separate description of the bird. “Melopsittacus” combines Greek roots meaning “melodious parrot,” a nod to the bird’s chattery, musical vocalizations. “Undulatus” is Latin for “undulated” or “wavy,” referring to the scalloped, wave-like pattern on the bird’s wing and head feathers. So while the Indigenous name highlights the bird’s role as a food resource, the scientific name focuses on how it looks and sounds.
The budgerigar is the only species in the genus Melopsittacus, which makes it taxonomically unique among parakeets. This is part of why it earned its own common name rather than just being lumped in with the broader parakeet label. It’s a distinct bird with a distinct identity, and “budgie” captures that in a way “parakeet” never could.
Which Name Should You Use?
If you’re talking about the specific small, Australian bird commonly kept as a pet, “budgie” is the more accurate term. “Parakeet” isn’t wrong, but it’s vague, like calling a golden retriever a “dog.” In casual conversation, especially in the U.S., either word will get your point across. In bird-keeping communities, breeders, and veterinary settings, “budgie” or “budgerigar” is standard because it avoids confusion with the many other parakeet species people keep as pets.