Budgerigars

Overview

The inquisitive, endearing Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a small parrot native to the drier regions of Australia. In the wild, budgerigars are green and yellow, with black markings on the nape, back and wings.

Budgies are also one of the world’s most popular pets and have been selectively bred in a range of colour combinations, including yellow, blue, violet, grey and white. Approximately two million Australians own a pet Budgerigar. Affectionate, clever and easy to tame, the Budgie can even be taught to mimic human speech.

Budgies are also widely exhibited by budgerigar fanciers in competitive shows. The Australian National Budgerigar Council (ANBC) was formed in 1982, and in 1991 a national exhibition standard was approved. The ANBC has around 2,000 members and its Annual Championship Show is hosted in turn by one of seven different zones throughout Australia.

The stamp photographs, by renowned bird portrait photographer Leila Jeffreys, are tributes to much-loved pet budgerigars, showing the wide colour variation achieved through selective breeding. The photographs are from Jeffrey’s exhibition High Society, which was shown at Sydney’s Olsen Gallery and Olsen Gruin in New York, USA, in 2019. This exhibition focused exclusively on the Budgerigar, and included a video work of a Budgerigar flock, entitled Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.