Total Body Lipids of the Budgerigar, Melopsittacus Undulatus (Psittaciformes: Platycercidae) in Inland Mid-Eastern Australia.

Abstract

In budgerigars in inland mid-eastern Australia, water content was 66% of live weight, and lipids in post-juveniles averaged 4% of live weight, i.e. in the range of that occurring in small sedentary birds. Chicks in nests deposited lipids which were used as reserves in the first few weeks after leaving the nest. Both sexes had similar amounts of lipids. Lipids in starved chicks at death averaged 0.07% of live weight. Caged birds had large lipid deposits, on average 25% live weight. Lipid deposits remained almost uniform throughout the year and there was no detectable deposition before movements, or decline in deposits during oogenesis. With lipid deposits of about 4% live weight, budgerigars had a non-stop flight range of about 100 km. Lipid metabolism in the budgerigar is compared to that in Quelea quelea.