Tweet tweet! Have you ever heard of the budgie before? Often called parakeets, these tiny parrots are full of personality! They’re from Australia, where they live in huge flocks. Budgies fly many miles across the outback for food, water and friends. Though loud and social with their own kind, they can take time to adjust to people. Once they’re comfortable, they are as chatty and playful as they are with other birds.
Quick Care Tips:
Cages:
The cage should mainly be a sleeping spot and a safe place to stay when no one is home. Budgies should spend as much time out of it as possible. When choosing a cage, get the biggest one you can, and make sure it’s longer than it is tall. This will let them fly and get exercise even when they’re cooped up! Even though we used to think they were okay, round cages aren’t good for any birds. They can hurt them and make them feel scared. Get a rectangular or square one instead! The cage should be cleaned once a week, too. This includes perches, toys, grates, and bedding.
Food
Budgies need a varied diet of pellets, fruit, vegetables, and a bit of seed. They’re picky eaters, and it can be very hard to change what they’re eating, even if it’s unhealthy. They won’t eat something just because it’s in a food dish, so the trick is to slowly show them new foods. Mixing with their current food, hanging it in the cage as a toy, wetting it, then pressing it into a mash, and even pretending to eat some yourself are all ways to get a budgie to eat. This can take time, and that’s okay. Remember to be patient and not give up!
Toys
They love to play like anyone else! Budgies need plenty of toys to keep themselves occupied! Their favorite toys are colorful things they can chew! Anything made of wood, cork, or paper is perfect! It gives them a way to take care of their beaks and engage their minds! Plastic is okay, but it doesn’t satisfy their chewing needs in the same way. Toys with small loops or chains aren’t recommended, because there is a chance they could get tangled and not be able to get out. Anything reflective is not good either. We used to think it was cute to see a bird playing with a mirror, but it can actually confuse and frustrate them when their “friend” in the reflection doesn’t respond the way another bird would.
Health
Budgies need to go to the vet like any other animal! Six-to-twelve-month checkups are important to make sure they’re healthy, but not just any vet will do. Birds are considered exotics, and they all need a specialized avian vet to look after them. Taking them to the doctor if anything seems wrong is a good idea too. Budgies pretend not to be sick, so they look strong in the wild and don’t get eaten, but it also means that when they start acting sick, they’re really sick. A good avian vet will make sure your budgie lives a long life!
Fun Budgie Facts/Did You Know?
Books from our collection:
Parakeets by Catherine Smith
Discusses choosing and caring for pet parakeets, including information about their physical characteristics, behaviors, and health requirements.
The Parakeet Handbook by Annette Wolter
Budgies: A Guide to Caring For Your Parakeet by Angela Davids
In nature and as pets — Is a budgie right for you? — Selecting a great budgie — Basic care — Proper feeding — Training time — For better health — Breeding basics — Color mutations.
Playful Parakeets by Katie Kawa
Introduces parakeets and describes how pet parakeets live.
Parakeets by Nikki Moustaki
Introduces parakeets and describes how pet parakeets live.
Beaky’s Guide to Caring For Your Bird by Isabel Thomas
“In this book, Beakie the Budgie reveals how readers should go about choosing a pet bird, what supplies they will need, how to make a new pet bird feel at home, and how to properly care for a pet bird, including feeding, exercising, and keeping a bird cage clean. Text is accompanied by clear, labeled photographs to further reinforce key concepts, and the use of an animal narrator also allows the book to be used to teach perspective.”
– Provided by Publisher
Parakeets by Kelley MacAulay
“In this book, Beakie the Budgie reveals how readers should go about choosing a pet bird, what supplies they will need, how to make a new pet bird feel at home, and how to properly care for a pet bird, including feeding, exercising, and keeping a bird cage clean. Text is accompanied by clear, labeled photographs to further reinforce key concepts, and the use of an animal narrator also allows the book to be used to teach perspective.”
– Provided by Publisher
All information taken from the above sources.
