Budgies are another popular cage bird. They are friendly, suitable for children, and one of the most easy to care for parrots. They like to play with toys, be on shoulders and hands, and love to be talked to.
1)Wing Flapping (also refer to cockatiel page). This is common in budgies, and when they do grip their perch and “fly”, it sounds (and looks) like a hummingbird. But don’t worry, they are just exercising their wings, and they should be let out or ignored.
2)Constant Chirping. Remember this: A budgie’s motto is “the more the merrier, and the louder, the better.” Don’t be surprised if they bob their heads and sing when the vacuum/microwave/stereo goes on. In the wild, budgies are constantly conversing with each other, so this behaviour is normal.
3)Eating off the floor. Budgies and cockatiels are ground feeders, which means in the wild they feed off insects and seeds from the ground. So if your budgie drops a handful onto the bottom of the cage and then rescues it, don’t worry. However, if your budgie (or any bird, for that matter,) is sitting on the bottom fluffed up, it IS something to be concerned about. They may be critically ill and unable to perch. Baby cockatiels are known to do this, and mine did, but they grow out of it.Its just a matter of using good judgement.
A lot of people make the mistake of buying a small, 9 x 10 manufactured cage for their one or two budgies. My two budgies are kept in one that is 12 x 18 x 18, and it seems a bit crowded. The best, however, that you can do in this situation is give them plenty of outside time. I’d say for one or two budgies, a cage 18 inches square would be fine. They like to jump from perch to perch, shake things (like bells) and bathe in a shallow water dish. If they won’t use their dish, you can spray them weekly with a fine mister.
Most budgies are on a seed diet, and, although they can develop some possible dieseases, you can lower this risk by clipping fresh beggies and fruits (except avacado!) to the side of their cage. Another possibility is to provide them with a vitamin supplement twice a week. However, there is a disease caused by too many vitamins, so be careful about the portions being fed, and always read the package.
Some common budgie behaviours can include: wing flapping, constant chirping, and eating off the floor of the cage, which I’ll explain in the next paragraph.
Budgies can live for up to 15 years, but some live for only 5 or 10. I would recommend them to children above 8 or 9, since they are so easy to care for. The males are better talkers than the females, and although they can learn an extensive vocabulary, you have to spend time working with them to make it happen.
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