Bourke's parakeet or budgie: which quiet bird should you get to start out?
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
For a calm first bird, Bourke's parakeet (Neopsephotus bourkii) beats the budgie hands down on noise: its calls stay soft and don't carry far, while the budgie communicates through frequent contact calls, a legacy of life in large social flocks in the wild. Both remain excellent choices among our bird guides for a first purchase, but their temperaments point toward different lifestyles.
Contents · 5 sections
How do the two species differ in temperament?
Bourke's parakeet has a reputation for being gentle and rarely inclined to bite, with activity concentrated around dawn and dusk rather than spread through the day. The budgie is livelier and more curious, and generally tames faster if acquired young, but needs more interaction to avoid boredom.
Which one stays quieter day to day?
A study by Bushra Moussaoui and colleagues, published in 2023 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, tracked captive flocks of budgies and found the species maintains a rich repertoire of contact calls and a strong need for vocal interaction with flockmates throughout life, including in older individuals. That strong vocal sociability partly explains why a lone budgie calls out more to get attention, while Bourke's parakeet, less naturally gregarious, tolerates occasional solitude without raising its voice.
What budget should you plan for either one?
- Budgie: €15 to €30 to buy, cage and gear starting at €60 to €100.
- Bourke's parakeet: €60 to €120 to buy, rarer in general pet stores and usually found through a specialist breeder, a similarly sized cage to a budgie's.
- Monthly food costs are comparable for both species, roughly €8 to €12.
Which one suits an apartment or a first bird better?
For an apartment with close neighbours, Bourke's parakeet cuts the risk of noise complaints thanks to its discreet call. For a first bird meant to become tame and interact often with its owners, the budgie remains easier to tame and better documented, including in our guide on a budgie or cockatiel for beginners. Both fit in a suitable cage, covered in our habitat section.
Frequently asked questions
Can Bourke's parakeet live alone?
It tolerates solitude better than a budgie but remains a gregarious bird: a pair or extended daily interaction is still recommended for its wellbeing.
Can a Bourke's parakeet learn to talk?
Rarely: unlike the budgie, known for mimicking a few words, Bourke's parakeet memorises very few articulated sounds.
Where can you find a Bourke's parakeet?
It remains less common in general pet stores than the budgie; a breeder specialising in small Australian parakeets or a bird fair is the best bet.
In our shop, for this use: Acrylic no-mess feeder for budgies (13 × 11 × 13 cm) (€33.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Birds universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
