The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is the third most popular pet in the world, after the domesticated dog and cat. The name budgerigar derives from an aborginal name meaning "nice to eat”. It is also known as the common pet parakeet or shell parakeet and informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot. Budgerigars are the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus, and are found wild throughout the drier parts of Australia where the species has survived harsh inland conditions for the last five million years.
