Parrot And Parakeet: How Do They Differ?

Parrot and parakeet may make the same sense to you, but they are different birds of the same species. In this article, you will acquire complete information about all the differences between parrots and parakeets.

However, they show many similarities, but if they are studied, they depict some key and non-negotiable differences. You are not alone if you could not classify them with many similarities between them. It is not so easy to put them in a special class. 

But after reading this article, you will have an original sense of the factors differentiating them. The fundamental difference you will observe is their size. Parrots and parakeets notably are different in their sizes. The other crucial contrast you can see is their beaks. 

However, they have similar feet and toes, but they differ in the facts of their life spans. Parrots have a longer lifespan than parakeets.

Difference Between A Parrot & A Parakeet!

The terms parrot and parakeet are used interchangeably, so they create a sense of confusion in their identification. With so many similarities, such as color, feet, toes, and diet, sometimes it is hard to classify them. Parakeets, however, fall under the umbrella term parrots despite that, they make a difference.

Parrots are more than 370 bird species that live in tropical regions such as North America, Mexico, and Central America, and we can find them anywhere in the world. 

Parakeets are abundantly found in Australia and regions closer to it. Parakeets, being smaller than parrots, get the first preference of every pet owner. We also call them by another name, Budgie. Let us differentiate them separately on behalf of their features and characters. 

Parrots 

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As we all know, parrots are colorful and mimic birds, and these features and traits differentiate them from the rest of the bird kingdom. From the prehistoric age, parrots have been close to humans as they entertain and attract us. Their voices, colors, and mimic behavior attracts us. 

Parrots are more than 370 birds spread all over the world. They vary in size, colors, and life spans. Parrots, on average, are 5 to 40 inches long. Many parrots differ in their tail length. Many parrots have a smaller and tapered tail, but some have longer. 

The life spans of parrots vary from 10 to 80 years. Parrots have long, curved, and sharp beaks. 

Parakeets

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Parakeets are the birds of the parrot species. Parakeets are excessive in Australia. 

They are colorful social birds that love living in flocks. Like parrots, parakeets are also loving, attractive, and engaging birds. Parakeets can precisely mimic humans and can remember over 100 words. They can communicate with humans as they can memorize a wide range of phrases.

Parakeets are smaller birds. They are about 5 to 12 inches long from head to tail. They have a short break and a small and tapered tail. The life spans of parakeets are much lesser than parrots and vary from 5 to 10 years. 

Are budgies from the parrot family? 

Now that we know, budgies and parrots depict some notable differences. Now the questions come, what are parakeets? Where do they come from? And what are the similarities between parrots and parakeets? We will respond to these queries in this section.

Yes, no doubt that parakeets are parrots. On behalf of the depiction of many similarities in them, we can confidently say parakeets are parrots. The similarities between parrots and parakeets are their body structure, color, curved beak, long or short tails, depending on body size, and zygodactyl feet.

Zygodactyl feet comprise four toes, 2 in front and 2 in backward. Parrots and parakeets can mimic sound and memorize words to some extent. They can eat a bigger portion of the same diet. 

Is a cockatiel a parakeet? 

There are not so many differences between cockatiel and parakeet. Cockatiels and parakeets can live together. Like parakeets, cockatiels are also the top preference of parrot owners. As two birds are easily accessible, smaller than other species, talkative, and engaging, they mesmerize humans. A medium-sized parrot with a variety of colors is called the cockatiel. 

The size of the cockatiels ranges between 12-14 inches, whereas the budgies vary between 5 – 12 inches. The lifespan of cockatiels is 10-14 years longer and, on the other hand, the life span of budgies is 5-10 years. Cockatiels and parakeets are different in color, but they can live together happily as both of them are like the company of flocks. 

Most common parakeet species

Despite the fact that there are hundreds of species of parakeets, they are less known to us. In this section, we will discover the various varieties of parakeets on behalf of their characters, traits, and physical differences. 

• Quaker parakeet

A lesser-known bird in Asia and middle Asia is a species of the parakeet family. Quaker is a beautiful and charming bird with green and faded yellow color. They are larger than most parakeets. Size of the quaker ranges between 10 – 12 inches. They are mimic and talkative birds.

Sometimes they are also called bad birds, as they can adapt to biting habits quickly. They bite sharply with their powerful beak. Making noise and enjoying it is one of their mesmerizing traits. Quakers can mimic the same, or most precisely, the voice repeated in front of them. 

• Ringneck Parakeet

The most common misconception about ringnecks is that they are parrots. Ringnecks are part of the parakeet family. They are generally found in India, Pakistan, and Middle Asia. They are given the name Ringneck because of the black or red rings on their neck.

Ringneck is a beautiful green-colored parakeet that speaks loudly. This is the reason ‌they are unsuitable for small homes. Ringneck parrots are one of the larger parakeets in the parakeet family, ranging up to 16 inches. Ringneck parrots are not only green-colored but they also have blue and yellow shades over their body. 

• Conure

Conures are also misunderstood as parrots, but experts shelf them in the parakeet group. Conures are found excessively in Central America. The word Conure is the combination of two words, cone, and ourus. Ourus means tail-bearing because they have a longer tail than many other parakeets. 

Final Thoughts

For a long time, we have mistaken parakeets for parrots. We hope this article has also enlightened you about the difference between parrot and parakeet.

Macaws, an African gray, and Amazon are parrots. But they somehow depict some traits of parakeets. Whereas, with hundreds of parakeet birds, Conure, Ringneck, and Quaker are the parakeets.

The key points where the two species differ are the size of the body, length of the tails, and behaviors, or there are lesser notable differences between them. Even after reading this article, it is hard to differentiate between parrots and parakeets, so to gain practical knowledge about the subject, you can watch videos on YouTube by searching the same keyword.

With practical exposure to content, you can easily set the two similar birds apart. We have curated this article after thorough research and critical analysis. We hope this article has answered all your doubts and queries for which you came here.