Budgerigar as a pet
Melopsittacus undulatus
In short
This species may suit you if you can live with noise level ‘moderate’, have room for an enclosure in class ‘small’ and can care for the bird for up to about 20 years [S1, S21, S27, S35]. Biggest trade-off: small is not quiet [S1, S27]. The perfect parrot doesn’t exist: a species profile is no guarantee about your bird.
This information was compiled with AI from public sources and may contain errors. Always check legal rules with the competent authority. Not buying, veterinary or legal advice.
Talking
Some learn words. [S1]
Noise
Constant contact chatter; sometimes quite loud. [S1] In Nicol & Pope (1993), budgerigars kept alone actually vocalised more. [S27]
Lifespan
Can reach 15–20 years; colour varieties often live shorter. [S1]
Space
Swiss law (for comparison; does not apply in Belgium): 0.24 m² floor for a pair of small birds [S21]; Flemish guideline for a small parakeet species per pair 100 × 80 × 50 cm (l × w × h) [S35].
Suitable for beginners?
LICG, section ‘Benodigde ervaring’ (experience needed): “No special experience is needed to keep this pet responsibly.” (translated from Dutch) [S1] (checked 20/9/2026)
Costs
From €240 per year per bird. Flemish Huisdierwijzer pet guide (parakeets S35 / lovebirds S36): about €20 per bird per month × 12. Price level unknown; not a full budget or quote.
Paperwork and rules in Belgium
Not listed in the CITES/EU annexes. No CITES document required [S39]. Still keep proof of purchase; according to Flanders, a seamless closed leg ring is a good indication of legal origin [S35]. Status as of 24 September 2026; check the current rules for your bird with the Belgian FPS Public Health [S39].
Adoption and availability
Offered on adopteereendier.be (aviary birds) [S71].
What you have to accept
- Small is not quiet. Constant contact chatter; sometimes quite loud. [S1] In Nicol & Pope (1993), budgerigars kept alone actually vocalised more. [S27]
- Talking is a possibility, not a promise: a species profile never predicts an individual bird [S1].
Compare with
Cockatiel: a similar profile on the known criteria, but larger space class (‘large’) [S8, S21, S35].
Cockatiel · Compare with CockatielBourke's Parrot: quieter according to the sources (‘quiet’ versus ‘moderate’); but more paperwork (EU Annex B) [S1, S21, S27, S35, S39, S40, S56].
Bourke's Parrot · Compare with Bourke's ParrotRosy-faced Lovebird: a similar profile on the known criteria, but louder (‘loud’) [S1, S3, S27, S36].
Rosy-faced Lovebird · Compare with Rosy-faced Lovebird
Source basis
Species profile
Guideline sizes, costs and adoption listings come from Flemish sources; different rules may apply in Brussels and Wallonia. Foreign housing rules are not Belgian rules.
Sources
- S1 · LICG — Grasparkiet · read 2026-09-06
- S3 · LICG — Dwergpapegaai · read 2026-09-06
- S8 · Vlaanderen — Huisdierwijzer Kaketoes · read 2026-09-06; opnieuw 2026-09-19 (maten, kosten, aantal)
- S21 · BLV — Papageien im Tierschutzrecht · read 2026-09-11
- S27 · Nicol & Pope (1993) — solitary vs group-housed budgerigars · read 2026-09-11
- S35 · Vlaanderen — Huisdierwijzer Parkieten · read 2026-09-19
- S36 · Vlaanderen — Huisdierwijzer Dwergpapegaai (Agapornis) · read 2026-09-19
- S39 · FOD Volksgezondheid — CITES-regels: Papegaaien · read 2026-09-24
- S40 · FOD Volksgezondheid — Beschermde soorten bezitten · read 2026-09-19
- S56 · Wikipedia — Bourke's parrot · read 2026-09-19
- S71 · adopteereendier.be — Volièrevogels · read 2026-09-19
Sources checked as of: