Although most of the parakeets owned by Americans today were born in pet stores or parakeet nurseries here, long ago, these colorful, noisy birds lived in the jungle.
The parakeet belongs to the same large group of birds as the parrot. These birds live in most tropical regions of the world, especially in Africa, India, and South America. But parakeets once lived in America too, roaming as far north as the Great Lakes.
Parakeets have been kept as pets since the days of ancient Rome, and even before. The Romans taught their pet birds to talk, and occasionally ate the birds as well!
The parakeet and its relatives in the parrot family are the only birds that can hold food in their claws!
