How to Buy a Parakeet (Budgie) in the United States

Is a parakeet the same as a budgie?

In the United States, usually yes. PetMD calls the budgerigar, or budgie, the most common parakeet kept in captivity, and most ads for parakeets for sale mean this small Australian parrot. Wild budgies live in large flocks in the dry interior of Australia, according to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, and pet budgies still need company every day.

The Indian ringneck, the monk or Quaker parakeet and the lineolated parakeet are also sold as parakeets, but they are separate species with different needs, and monk parakeets are restricted in some states, for example California and Pennsylvania.

American or English budgie: what is the difference?

Both are the same species. English budgies, also called show or exhibition budgies, have been bred for generations for bird shows and are bigger and heavier. The Vet Desk puts adult English budgies at about 42 to 60 grams or more and American, or pet-type, budgies at about 25 to 39 grams, and calls the English type quieter, the American more vocal. Choose an English budgie if you want a calmer bird or plan to show.

How do you tell a young budgie's age and sex?

A veterinarian writing for The Vet Desk describes these signs, which together tell you whether you are looking at a baby or an adult:

• Head bars: black bars run down the forehead to the cere (the skin above the beak) in birds under about four months, and recede after the first molt.
• Eyes: solid black until about four months; a light iris ring shows from about 6 to 8 months and is a solid white ring by 8 to 9 months.
• Cere: from about six months, a male's cere turns a stronger blue, while a female's is pinky-brown and darkens when she is ready to breed.
• Leg band: the only sure way to know the hatch year. If the breeder uses the American Budgerigar Society's band format, the band color matches the year.

A baby's sex is a guess until about six months, and some color varieties make the cere harder to read, so if sex matters, ask whether a DNA test confirmed it.

Should you buy one parakeet or two?

PetMD describes budgies as flock birds: a single budgie needs more personal attention from you, while a group needs less. One budgie can do well if you spend time with it daily; two keep each other company when you are out.

• Cage size: PetMD advises at least 18 x 18 x 18 inches for one budgie, 30 x 18 x 18 inches for two and 32 x 18 x 20 inches for more, with bars no more than half an inch apart.
• Sexes: a male and female will probably breed. Animal Diversity Web notes that budgies can breed year-round when food is plentiful, lay about five eggs a season and raise several broods in a row.
• Tameness: PetMD notes that hand-raised budgies are used to handling, while parent-raised birds should be approached more slowly.

Where should you buy a parakeet for sale, and what should you ask?

Small breeders, bird stores, pet stores and private owners all sell budgies, and bird rescues place them for small fees. Ask every seller the same questions, and buy where you get clear answers:

• Is it a budgie, and is it an American or English type?
• When did it hatch, and does it wear a closed band? What does the band say?
• Is it male or female, and how do you know: cere color or a DNA test?
• Was it hand-raised or parent-raised, and is it handled daily?
• What does it eat now: seed only, or pellets, vegetables and seed?
• Has an avian vet examined it, and has any bird in your flock been ill recently?
• Can I see the bird, and if possible its parents, in person?

Get a written receipt with the hatch date, sex and any health guarantee.

How do you check a budgie's health before you buy?

PetMD lists the signs of a healthy budgie: good body condition, smooth bright feathers, clear eyes, no nasal discharge and a clean vent. Then check for these budgie problems:

1. Look at the face. White, porous crusts at the corners of the beak or on the cere are typical of scaly face mites, which the Merck Veterinary Manual describes in budgies.
2. Check the wings and tail. Missing or malformed flight and tail feathers in a young bird can be French molt, which Merck links to avian polyomavirus in budgies.
3. Ask about weight loss and vomiting, and look for undigested food in the droppings: signs of avian gastric yeast, also called megabacteria, which the University of Georgia's vet college calls common in budgies.
4. Listen to its breathing. Wheezing or clicking has several causes, including goiter, which Merck says occurs in budgies fed all-seed diets low in iodine.
5. Pass on a bird that sits fluffed up and sleepy, and book an avian vet exam within one to two weeks for the one you buy; the Association of Avian Veterinarians has a Find-a-Vet search.

How much does a parakeet cost in the US?

The Vet Desk's January 2026 bird cost guide puts typical prices for parakeets at about $15 to $40. Hand-raised, DNA-sexed or English show-line birds may cost more, so ask the seller what is behind the price.

You can browse parakeets for sale on PetzLover and compare several birds before you decide. The Better Business Bureau warns about bird sellers who take payment and never deliver, so refuse deposits for unseen birds, avoid wire transfers and gift cards, and use the Report Scam button on a suspicious listing.

Sellers can read how to sell parakeets to see what an honest seller offers. If you would rather give a home to a bird in need, read how to take in a rehomed parakeet or how to get a free parakeet safely.