Parakeet is the common term for the members of more than 100 species of small, slender parrots scattered over more than a dozen genera in the subfamily Psittacinae of the family Psittacidae. Parakeets (or parrakeets) typically are characterized by a long, tapering tail, are seed-eating, and form flocks. Many species, such as the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), are popular as pets and kept in cages. This bird must be picked up in store.