While parrots and cockatoos are famous for their long, storied lives, the budgie has always been the subject of some talk regarding this subject. Genetically speaking, budgerigars have undergone the least genetic manipulation of breeding due to aesthetic reasons so they have the longest expected life out of all species of parakeets.
Other types of parakeets, bred to have bigger and longer feathers for instance, also live less because of this. A budgie’s life expectancy also varies based on whether it’s tamed or lives out in the wild, as well as the care it receives and possible illnesses through which it may have to go through.
Naturally, a wild budgie can be expected to live around four to six years, while those in captivity have even been able to reach 15 years of age when properly cared for and when some luck was also involved in the equation.