A group of Budgerigars, called "budgies" or just "parakeets" in the pet trade, gathers at a watering hole in Australia.The red clay in the background shows the reason why the arid middle of the continent is called the "Red Center". We saw a flock of hundreds of these small parrots drinking at this watering hole. The would dive down to drink and only spend a few seconds drinking before taking off again. This species has been bred in captivity for close to 200 years and is essentially domesticated. They are the third most popular pet in the world, behind only dogs and cats. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to see them in the wild.
A group of Budgerigars, called "budgies" or just "parakeets" in the pet trade, gathers at a watering hole in Australia.The red clay in the background shows the reason why the arid middle of the continent is called the "Red Center". We saw a flock of hundreds of these small parrots drinking at this watering hole. The would dive down to drink and only spend a few seconds drinking before taking off again. This species has been bred in captivity for close to 200 years and is essentially domesticated. They are the third most popular pet in the world, behind only dogs and cats. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to see them in the wild.