FINCHforum

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.

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.

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





(Joke I wouldn’t literally )

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

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.

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

I’m guessing this parrakeet is a budgie?

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

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.

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

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.