Budgerigar

Is a budgerigar right for you?

The budgerigar is the most widely kept cage bird in the world and is usually bought because it is assumed to be an "easy pet". The truth is this: it is cheap to keep but not simple. A social, intelligent, and long-lived bird; cared for properly it lives 8 to 10 years, cared for badly only 2 or 3.

The most important question when deciding: will the bird live imprisoned in a cage, or will it fly free for a few hours a day and spend time with you? If the second is not possible, get at least two birds; the budgerigar was not made for solitude.

Before you adopt

Important: the number of vets who treat birds is limited in many places. Before getting a bird, check whether there is a clinic near you that sees "exotic" or avian patients.

A healthy young bird has bright, clear eyes, clean nostrils, smooth feathers, and a clean vent. Do not take a bird from a cage where any bird is sitting fluffed up at the bottom, or where droppings are watery.

Also look at rehoming groups; budgerigars needing a new home are more common than people expect, and they are often given in pairs.

Character and social needs

In the wild the budgerigar lives in flocks of hundreds. This is the key to understanding its character: it is a flock animal, and solitude is not natural for it.

A bird kept on its own regards you as its flock mate. In that case it needs at least two to three hours of active attention a day: talking, handling, playing. If you cannot provide that, keep two birds.

The disadvantage of keeping two is that, because they focus on each other, they tame to people less. The decision is yours; for the bird's welfare two birds, for tameness one bird plus intensive attention.

Talking: budgerigars can learn words, and males are far more capable than females. Some individuals learn hundreds of words. However, not every bird talks; do not trust sellers who guarantee it.

It is intelligent; it solves toys, learns tricks, and comes when called by name.

Cage and living space

In this species the choice of cage is the single most decisive factor for health.

• Size: at least 60x40x40 cm for one bird, markedly larger for two. Horizontal width matters more than vertical height; the budgerigar flies horizontally rather than climbing like a larger parrot.
• Bar spacing: 1 to 1.5 cm. In wider spacing the bird can trap its head.
• Perches: different diameters and natural wood. Plastic perches lead to sores on the soles of the feet (bumblefoot). Do not use sandpaper perches.
• Toys: at least three or four kinds, rotated weekly. Bells, ladders, swings, foraging puzzles.
• Position: a corner against a wall (a cage open on every side makes a bird uneasy), at eye level, out of direct sun and away from draughts. The kitchen is absolutely unsuitable.
• Free flight: at least one to two hours a day with windows closed, mirrors covered, ceiling fans off, and other animals out of the room.

Clean the cage floor daily, perches and bowls weekly, and the whole cage thoroughly once a month.

Feeding

The most common and most lethal mistake is feeding only a seed mix. Seed is high in fat and short of vitamins; budgerigars fed on seed alone develop fatty liver disease and die early.

The correct arrangement:

• Pellets (50-60%): a pellet formulated for birds should be the staple. Converting from seed to pellets takes patience and can take weeks.
• Fresh vegetables (25-30%): rocket, purslane, lettuce (green leaves rather than the heart), grated carrot, broccoli, sweet pepper, courgette. Offer fresh daily and remove after a few hours.
• Seed mix (10-15%): as a treat, not as the staple.
• Fruit (small amounts): apple (without pips), pear, watermelon. Limited because of the sugar.
• Calcium: a cuttlebone or calcium block should always be in the cage.
• Clean water: changed every day.

Toxic items: avocado (lethal), chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, salt, onion, garlic, apple pips, fruit stones.

Lethal household hazards: overheated non-stick coatings (PTFE fumes), aerosol sprays, scented candles and incense, cigarette smoke, cleaning chemicals. These are many times more dangerous to a bird's respiratory system than to a person's.

Health and lifespan

Average lifespan is 5 to 10 years; with good care it can reach 12 to 15.

Birds hide illness. By the time signs appear the condition is usually advanced, so small changes must be taken seriously.

Signs that mean a vet visit:

• Sitting on the floor of the cage, dozing with fluffed feathers
• Loss of appetite, or going through the motions of eating without swallowing
• Change in the colour, consistency, or amount of droppings
• Tail-bobbing while breathing, wheezing, open-beak breathing
• Discharge from the beak or nostrils
• Feather plucking, bare patches
• Loss of balance, drooping wings

Common diseases:

• Obesity and liver disease: the result of a seed-based diet; among the most frequent causes of death.
• Scaly face (mites): crusted, spongy appearance around the beak and on the feet. Treatable.
• Goitre (thyroid enlargement): iodine deficiency; presents with breathing difficulty and vomiting.
• Egg binding (in females): sitting fluffed up, straining, swelling of the abdomen. It is an emergency.
• Tumours: relatively common in this species; see a vet if a swelling is noticed.
• Respiratory infections: related to air quality and draughts.

Taming and training

A young bird (8 to 12 weeks) is most open to taming.

1. Settling in (1-2 weeks). Put the cage in place, approach, talk, but do not put your hand in. Let the bird get used to you.
2. Introducing the hand. Put your hand in the cage and hold it still. After a few days bring your finger toward the underside of the perch.
3. Stepping up. Press your finger gently against the lower chest; the bird will step up to keep its balance. Use a millet spray as a reward.
4. Outside the cage. Release it in a safe room; it must learn to return of its own accord.
5. Talking. Repeat the same word several times a day, in the same tone, in a calm setting. It takes patience and can take months.

On wing clipping: the practice is controversial and many avian vets oppose it. Flight is part of a bird's physical and psychological health. Achieve safety by making the environment safe rather than by clipping wings.

History and life in the wild

The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is a parrot species native to the interior of Australia. In the wild it is green and yellow; the blue, white, yellow, and grey colours of pet birds are the product of selective breeding.

It lives in flocks of thousands in the wild and migrates by following water sources. That flock life explains the social need of pet birds.

The person who introduced the species to the West was the naturalist John Gould, who brought live specimens to England in 1840. It quickly became popular in Europe and by the end of the 19th century was a widespread cage bird. Today it is accepted as the most kept pet species in the world after the dog and the cat.

The origin of its name is traced to the word "betcherrygah" in Aboriginal languages, though there are different views on its meaning.