The Wild-Type Budgerigar A Desert Nomad

The small parrot perched here on a horizontal branch is an excellent representative of the wild, Common Budgerigar (Melopsittacus…

The small parrot perched here on a horizontal branch is an excellent representative of the wild, Common Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) color morph. Its body is dominated by a vibrant, grassy green that provides superb camouflage in the arid Australian scrublands. The head is a bright lemon-yellow, which extends into the face, contrasting with the four prominent black throat spots. A highly detailed black scalloping pattern covers the back of the head, nape, and wings against a yellow-green base. Visible on the face is the cere, which is a bluish hue, suggesting this is a male. The birds stocky, plump posture and short, hooked beak underscore its adaptation to a seed-based diet, thriving in large, nomadic flocks across the interior plains of its native continent.