Types of Parakeets

There are a few different types of parakeets. Most of the differences are in color and size.

English Parakeet

English parakeets are usually considered “show birds” since parakeet competition is more widespread in England. They are slightly larger and have larger heads. English parakeets are more mellow than the American parakeet.

American Parakeet

The American parakeet is generally considered a “pet bird”. They are usually bred in large quantities as pets. American parakeets are generally more sociable and active than their English counterparts.

Monk Parakeet or Quaker Parakeet

The Monk parakeet or Quaker parakeet originally comes from the mountain regions of South America instead of Australia. Since they are used to more varied weather, they are more suitable to survival in the wild of the US. Consequently, as they escaped from captivity over the years in the United States, they survived and bred. They can be found in large wild colonies in certain parts of the US.

Monk parakeets survive in the wild easily and can pose a hazard to crops. So, it’s actually illegal to own Monk parakeets in California, Wyoming, New Jersey, Hawaii and Georgia.