DIMENSIONAL ELEMENTS OF PHYSICAL APPEARANCE IN STANDARD TYPE UNDULATED BUDGERIGAR (MELOPSITTACUS UNDULATUS)

Al. Usturoi, I. Vacaru-Opriş

Abstract
Paper purpose consisted in the knowledge of the body weight and body dimensions values in the standard type undulated budgerigars "Melopsittacus undulatus". The biological material comprised 90 parrots, issued from three different aviaries which provided similar husbandry conditions. The traits we studied (body weight, dimensional body features and indexes) were assessed in each aviary, separately by genders, in accordance with the inspection techniques accepted in aviculture. The weightings we run indicated an average body weight of 48.97 g, with no significant statistic differences between aviaries. The results related to the body dimensions indicated either good uniformity for certain studied traits (trunk length, with a mean per population of 4.53 cm; sternum keel=4.18 cm and beak length=1.14 cm), either the existence of highly significant statistical differences for whole body length, whereas population mean was of 19.96 cm, wingspan=28.94 cm, thorax circumference=9.75 cm, cannon perimeter=9.4 mm and tail length=11.13 cm. The existence of certain differences between aviaries, for some of the investigated traits, indicates that body development is not homogenous in the studied population. Consequently, it imposes to establish some elements to define the dimensional standard.

Key words: budgerigars, dimensions, body indexes, standard, breeding