There are many reasons why people keep parrots for pets. They make for good companions due to their ability to mimic human speech. They are also very low maintenance. Taming a parrot is very easy. If your kids are asking for their first pet, a parrot can be a good choice as they are easy to handle.
There are different species of parrots. Some of them are very aggressive and can be hard to tame. But the smaller ones, such as parakeets, are friendlier and don’t harm humans.
What Are Parakeets?
Parakeets are a species of parrots native to Australia. The parakeets who live in the wild are smaller in size than the ones who have undergone decades of captive breeding. The most popular parakeet is the budgie. There are two main types of budgies, the American budgie and the English budgie. Both look different but belong to the same species.
Do Parakeets Make Good Pets?
Parakeets make for great pets for a number of reasons. Among parakeets, the most popular pet species is the budgies. They are very easy to keep because of their docile nature. If acquired at a young age, parakeets can be tamed very easily. The budgies, when trained from an early age, can be handled by kids too.
You don’t need a big cage to keep parakeets. They are also not as noisy as other house birds. The best thing about parakeets is that they require the love and attention of their owners, which makes them the best companion for you and your kids. They are also very affordable as they eat less than other species of birds.
How Long Do Parakeets Live on Average?
When you get a pet, you add another member to your family. They become an important part of your household. But unfortunately, humans often have to outlive their pets. So, when someone decides to get a pet, they would want to know its average life. No one wants to get attached to a pet that has a very short lifespan.
Since there are different types of parakeets, their average lifespan also varies. Other factors that affect the lifespan of a parakeet is whether it was brought up in captivity or it grew up in the wild. In the wild, animals tend to live shorter. In the wild, every animal becomes the prey of a predator at some point.
So, the answer to the question how long do parakeets live is not a simple one. Many factors have to be kept in mind before you can figure out the lifespan of a parakeet. A budgie, the most popular parakeet, can live up to 15 years in captivity if it is well taken care of. The average lifespan of a budgie ranges from seven to fifteen years.
Longer Lifespan in Parakeets
Certain species of parakeet can live as long as 25 years. So, if you get a parakeet when your child is a toddler, it could still stay with you when they go off to college. It’s quite a long time. This rarely happens, but there are a few birds which live for years in the same home and family.
However, one should keep in mind that those kinds of parakeets that can live as long as 25 years may not turn out to be the ideal pet for you. It all depends on why you are getting a pet parrot.
Do Parakeets Die Early?
Animals and birds die all the time in the wild. Small animals and birds are always at a great risk because they are the prey to bigger animals and birds. If a bird does not develop a fighting instinct through evolution, they will continue to be easy prey for other birds.
Parakeets are small in size and therefore can be caught quickly by larger birds looking for food. So, if a parakeet lives for less than seven years in the wild, that’s not unusual. However, parakeets can die early in captivity too.
There are a number of reasons behind that. Although parakeets are low-maintenance birds, they still require a certain degree of care. When people don’t take care of their parakeets, they die early even in captivity.
How to Make Sure That Your Parakeet Lives Longer?
Regardless of the animal or bird that you want to get as a pet, you should learn everything about them first. If you don’t know the needs of an animal or bird, you cannot fulfill them. So, if you are going to get a parakeet, it is best to learn how to take care of them. In captivity, a parakeet can live longer than its average lifespan when it is well taken care of.
There are some factors that can impact the health of the bird and make sure that it lives longer.
- Healthy Diet: You may want to spoil your parakeet with expensive bird seeds but keep in mind that they also need nutrients. Don’t limit their diet to bird seeds or just one kind of food. Give them vegetables and fruits so they can gain the necessary nutrients and live a healthy life.
- Toys and Tricks: Parakeets are smart birds but if they don’t have anything to keep them engaged, they will get bored. Their mental health can affect their lifespan. So, give your parakeet toys and teach them tricks to keep them entertained.
- Lighting: Parakeets need natural lighting to stay healthy, but this does not mean that you should put them in direct sunlight. They need 12 hours of daylight every day, so don’t keep your parakeet in the dark when it is light outside. If parakeets don’t get enough natural lighting, they can suffer from cancer and other health conditions.
- Cage: Clean the cage of your parakeet regularly. Also, make sure that the cage is not too small. Parakeets need space to fly; otherwise, they will get sad and you won’t get to hear their happy songs.
- Handling: Gain the trust of your parakeet slowly instead of grabbing them and making them feel threatened. If you try to grab them instead of waiting for them to land on your hand, they will get scared and it will affect their health.
Takeaways
A parakeet can be a great pet bird for adults and children. If you want it to live longer, you should take time out from your daily schedule and spend it with your pet. A parakeet starts showing certain signs when they get old.
By keeping an eye on their body, you can tell when your parakeet has gotten older. With the right care and maintenance, you wouldn’t have to think about how long do parakeets live before getting one.
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