Wild parakeet

[ann]

I put lots of food out for wild birds - a mix for local species, an oriole feeder, hummingbird feeder, niger for finches, bug and berry seed cylinder, peanut butter suet, and bird baths. So I see a huge variety of birds, but I was amazed to see a parakeet out there this week! He's been hanging around now for 3 days. I do feel kind of sorry for him because all the other birds come in pairs or flocks, but he's all by himself. I sure hope he can survive.

[paul-inAZ]

He can do fine in your Orange county climate. It is similar to his Aussie climate of origin.
He may hook up with other feral budgies to start a flock.
Greater Phoenix has a number of very large flocks of wild hook bills of mostly parakeets and love birds up to small parrots. They survive, breed and prosper.

[Fraza]

Poor bird by his self I’d end up buying a female and letting her free with him lol





(Joke I wouldn’t literally )

[haroun]

Fraza

there're lotof green ring neck free their in the uk , i have seen that on BBC earth i thin
@ann totaly agreed with paul-inAZ as i experienced same

[Sheather]

Some hookbills like rosy-faced lovebirds, amazons and quakers do go wild but budgies don't last long as they have lost their instinctive fear of predators and don't react quickly enough. There is only a single feral population, in Florida, even though tons of budgies escape into the wild - which shows just how few do survive. Try to catch the bird if you are able to or it will eventually be caught by a hawk.

[paul-inAZ]

They may not survive in Indiana but in Arizona I have seen several very large flocks of feral hook bills. I mean hundreds in a flock. Lovebirds are plentiful but I know an area of suburban Phoenix with almost all budgies.
They live in palm trees and don't seem to bother native species.

A mention of other locales:
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/960/_/Budgerigar.aspx

[Flight Feathers]

I’m guessing this parrakeet is a budgie?

[Fraza]

haroun is they never seen any near me lol bet they more down south

[ann]

Sheather

I think you're right. We have flocks of wild parrots here, I see them all the time, but I've never seen a flock of parakeets. He won't let me close enough to catch him. I put out a cage with food and water in it, but he doesn't seem interested.

[Fraza]

ann I’d say ur lucky anyway to see a wild bird that’s not ament to be wild in your garden I’d love to see something like a little zebra finch living in my garden

[paul-inAZ]

Ann:
You will have a hard time catching it. Wild type [American] budgies are quite agile. Far different than my English budgies who are so large that they are clumsy fliers. I wouldn't bet on the English doing very well if turned loose.
You could try a plate of millet sprays on top of the cage you put out. That may seduce it.

As to diet, as I recall, Orange County has lots of eucalyptus. Budgies love the leaves and will strip bark from young growth. These plus other vegetation they will not go hungry.