Meaning & use
budgerigar
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small, brightly colored bird often kept as a pet, originally from Australia.
Grammar: Countable: one budgerigar, two budgerigars. Often shortened to budgie in informal British English.
Patterns
- keep a budgerigar
- a pet budgerigar
She keeps a budgerigar in a cage by the window.
The budgerigar chirped happily as we walked into the room.
Budgerigars are popular pets because they are small and easy to care for.
Word forms
| plural | budgerigars |
|---|
Common combinations
- pet budgerigar
- He bought a pet budgerigar for his daughter's birthday.
- budgerigar cage
- The budgerigar cage needs cleaning every week.
- keep a budgerigar
- They keep a budgerigar and a canary in the same room.
- a flock of budgerigars
- In the wild, you might see a flock of budgerigars flying together.
Synonyms and how they differ
- budgie
- Informal British word for the same bird; use budgie in everyday conversation, but budgerigar in more formal writing.
- parakeet
- In American English, this is the usual word for the same kind of small parrot; in British English, parakeet often refers to a different, larger bird.
Commonly confused: budgerigar or parakeet?
budgerigar vs parakeet
In British English, a parakeet is usually a larger, long-tailed bird, while a budgerigar is a small, seed-eating pet. In American English, parakeet can mean the same as budgerigar.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'budgerigar' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A budgerigar is a small bird, so it can sing or chirp. It cannot swim, bark, or be planted, making the other options incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “budgerigar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.