How Long Does a Budgie Live? | A Guide to the Lifespan of a Budgie

Budgies are a type of small parrots that can make great pets. They are known for their intelligence and ability to learn tricks. Budgies can also be very social birds and love spending time with their human companions.

In the United States, the budgie is usually known as a “parakeet,” rather than its formal name, “budgerigar.” If you travel around the US and Canada, you’ll definitely see these brilliant birds in pairs. They’re also known as lovebirds because of this.

But you may be wondering – how long do budgies live? In this article, we will explore the average lifespan of a budgie, as well as some things you can do to help your bird live a longer life. And oh, just in case you don’t have a name for your new pet bird, check this helpful list of the best budgie names.

How Long Do Budgies Live?

In captivity, budgies have been known to live longer, living an estimate of 5-10 years when properly cared for while the average lifespan of these birds in the wild is 4-6 years. The budgie, in comparison to several other parakeet species, doesn’t have a very long lifespan.

Let’s compare the budgie’s lifespan to that of other parakeet species by examining their averages:

Monk parakeets: Also known as Quaker parakeets, the lifespan of these birds is approximately 20-30 years.
Golden parakeets: The Golden parakeet may live up to 30 years in the wild and up to 20-25 years in captivity if properly cared for.
Rose-ringed parakeet: The lifespan of a rose-ringed parakeet is around 25-30 years.
Plain parakeet: In captivity, the ordinary parakeet lives for around 15 years. They have been known to live up to 18-20 years with excellent care.

As you can see, when compared to many other parakeet species, the budgie’s lifespan is quite shorter. Nonetheless, budgies are wonderful pets to have and there are several simple measures you may take as an owner to keep them living as long as possible.

What influences the life span of a budgie?

A healthy diet

One of the most important factors in helping your Budgie to live longer is to maintain a healthy diet for them. For a Budgie, a healthy diet would correspond to feeding them the foods that they would eat most often in their natural habitats – or at the very least, foods that come as close to this as possible.

Maintaining a nutritious diet for your Budgie is one of the most important factors you need to consider to help it live longer. Healthy feeding for a Budgie would be food that they would consume regularly in their natural habitats.

All budgies have different preferences but a proper diet should ideally include the following:

As a basic staple, give your budgie a high-quality fine pellet food.
Fresh vegetables (leafy greens are often appreciated)
Freshly sprouted seeds of all kinds
Fresh fruits
Mineral block and cuttlebone
Additional options (cooked pasta or rice, a bit of boiled egg, etc.)

Extensive care

Aside from genetics and diet, there are numerous additional general care aspects that influence your budgie’s long-term wellness and longevity.

These include but are not limited to:

The cage size and exercise options
Clean air (no smoking, perfumes, non-stick pans, candles, etc.)
Minimal stress (no rough handling, no loneliness, etc.)
Budgie-proofing the environment if the bird flies free

Cleanliness

Keeping your bird’s surroundings clean is another essential method to keep it healthy. Unsanitary conditions may develop into a breeding ground for viruses and germs, which can harm your pet if left unchecked. It will also be unpleasant for the bird to be left in a filthy and unorganized cage.

Cleaning the cage will help avoid your bird getting ill and potentially dying, which is something no owner would want for their beloved pet.

Providing them with toys

For an energetic and lively budgie, physical and mental activity is required. Budgies enjoy playing with toys.

If you allow some of these birds to have their favorite toy, they will be ecstatic. Add some ropes for them to climb on or puzzle toys for them to solve.

As mentioned above about how important exercise is for budgies, allowing them to stretch their wings at least once a day is essential for their well-being. Your budgie will be happy for the exercise and opportunity to do what they do best!

If you have a large aviary, your bird may fly about at leisure; but if you don’t, you should allow them to fly around and have some fun. Make sure your home is properly bird-proofed so that it may fly freely.

To summarize, if you provide appropriate care and attention to your Budgies, they can live for up to 15 years. Feeding them the nutrients they require, such as raw fruits and vegetables; mineral blocks and a cuttlebone; adequate and uninterrupted sleep, as well as plenty of exercise, will all benefit your Budgie to live a long and healthy life.