budgie bird

budgie bird

It's likely a parrot if you've ever been impressed by a small, vibrant, and chatty pet bird. The most prevalent variety of parrots kept in cages are parakeets, commonly referred to as macaws or "macaws." According to Dr. Alicia McLaughlin, an assistant veterinarian at the Center for Ornithology and Exotic Animals in Bothell, Washington, they are frequently gregarious and chatty birds. Uncertain about what parrot care entails and how to make it as simple as possible for it to join your family? Learn everything you need to know about caring for budgies here, along with other things to think about if you decide to have one.

The Budgerigar's past

budgie bird

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, there are roughly 115 species of parrots known as parakeets that are small, slender, and have long, tapering tails. They eat seeds. Due to the wavy, shell-like patterns on their wings, budgerigars, a particular species of parakeet, are also known as "budgies" and "shell parakeets."

Approximately seven and a half inches long, budgerigars are available in a dazzling array of greens and yellows. Parakeets, including budgies, are typically found in warm climates, from India to Australia and tropical America. They like temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s F (especially in parts of Australia where they congregate in sizable flocks on the country's grasslands). These birds create a breeding colony when they get together to nest.

How to Purchase a Budgerigar

budgie bird

Sadly, some budgies that are offered as pets at pet stores may have been raised in cages. Jacqueline Johnson, the manager of the parrot garden at the Best Mates Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, notes that there are parakeet rescue organizations in every state, because they'll have acceptable species that have completed medical checks and clearance. According to the Gabriel Foundation, a parrot improvement, medical examinations frequently include microscopic fecal analysis (to ensure a bird is parasite-free) but also testing for Plasmodium developed sense (psittacosis), a bacterial disease that could be carried by budgies and is transmissible to humans but doesn't cause any symptoms in them. In addition, general blood tests and examinations for different illnesses might be performed, particularly if a veterinarian is examining the bird.

The Food That Budgerigars Eat

Dr. Laurie Hess, DVM, a board-certified specialist in birds and the proprietor of the Veterinary Hub for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, New York, claims that budgies require a varied diet that includes seeded pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, and seeds only as a special treat on occasion. The majority of avian vets advise feeding prepared pellets as roughly 70% of the diet (these are nutritionally balanced and are created using a blend of grains, seeds, vegetables, fruits, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients). Fresh or frozen fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables, fresh or frozen grains, as well as small amounts of those other protein sources, like cooked eggs or meat, may make up the remaining third of a budgerigar's diet.

While McLaughlin acknowledged that seeds are a preferred snack of budgerigars, he warned against a diet that consists solely of them because they are low in almost all essential nutrients. Although grit, which is primarily made from bottom-up minerals and sand, is sometimes sold as a supplement for gerbils to help their stomachs grind up corn hulls, Johnson said that although the grit is useful for species like pigeons, which swallow fruits whole, birds hull their seeds once eaten and don't need to be given grit.

Most fruits, vegetables, and foods for human consumption are also good for birds. Avoid feeding your budgerigar too much fruit (which is high in sugar and may cause obesity) and canned foods, since they may contain preservatives that are unsafe for your bird, advised Dr. McLaughlin. Instead, try to feed them fresh or frozen veggies. Additionally, you should steer clear of giving your budgie avocado, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, uncooked dry beans, and legumes since they contain chemicals that, if your bird eats enough of them, can be lethal.

Since budgerigars are known to be creatures of habit, McLaughlin advised against making any abrupt changes to their diet since some birds may fail to recognize the new foods as food and end up starving. She advised bird owners thinking about changing their diets to consult an avian veterinarian.

Veterinary Treatment for Your Budgie

According to Johnson, budgies may be more susceptible to certain tumors and malignancies as a result of widespread inbreeding in the pet sector. According to Dr. McLaughlin, Budgerigars can experience a wide range of health issues, including traumatic injuries to limbs or beaks from fights with other animals, obesity, liver disease, gastrointestinal parasites, and other infections. For this reason, it's crucial to have regular checkups with a veterinarian who is experienced with birds. A monthly veterinary visit is crucial to help spot issues early and to create a normal baseline for the bird because birds frequently disguise symptoms of sickness for as long as possible, according to Dr. McLaughlin. Every six months, she advised, "I advise having budgies evaluated by an avian or exotic animal veterinarian to help identify and treat any developing illnesses early."

How to Take Care of Your Budgie

According to Dr. McLaughlin, budgies are often tame, respond well to routine, gentle handling, and have the potential to be very affectionate. In addition, they can acquire surprising vocabulary and are not as loud as many other parrot species. Budgies are capable of learning hundreds or more words in several languages, depending on the specific bird and the quantity of instruction they receive. Despite their reputation as being quieter parrots, budgies may still be noisy and filthy, which is a characteristic shared by almost all birds. As with any pet, budgerigars need a lot of dedication, requiring time and care to socialize them, secure housing, and a balanced diet, according to Dr. McLaughlin.

According to Dr. Hess, budgies are small and may be timid, so owners should take extra care not to let the birds out of their cages when other pets—particularly cats or dogs—are present. They should also make sure that the cages are properly locked and not easily accessible to other animals.

Dr. Hess stated that because of their erratic movements and rough handling, budgies might not be the best choice for very young children. However, slightly older, responsible kids who handle these pets under supervision and who can be trained to let the birds sit can make terrific friends with budgies.

Your living condition will determine whether you let your budgerigar fly around your house or not, according to Dr. Hess. While it is nice to allow your pet bird to fly like it does in the wild, flying may not be practical in a small captive setting (especially if there are other pets in the home or if they can be in danger of flying into a window, mirror, ceiling fan, or out an open door), and wing clipping—or trimming the five outermost flight feathers to prevent lift—may be the more sensible choice.

Wing clipping is just temporary, though, and if you opt to let your bird fly, its feathers will grow back in a few weeks. A caretaker must balance the advantages of flying with the necessity of safety before deciding whether or not to clip wings, according to Johnson.

Before deciding to cut a bird's wings, Dr. McLaughlin advised consulting an avian vet. She said that cutting a bird's wings is a routine procedure that should be done every three months and is not unpleasant.

When choosing a cage, go with one with thin bar spacing that is roomy enough for your bird to fly or hop about in without always feeling trapped (larger spacing can lead to budgerigars getting their heads caught in the bars). If our property is abnormally chilly inside this winter, Dr. Laughlin advised keeping a ceramic space heater just on the side of a wall because budgies prefer warmer settings (outside the cage). She advises you to give your bird regular, supervised play outside in the sun, in addition to keeping it in a cage for safety.

Dr. Hess asserts that ultraviolet (UV) radiation is essential for the production of vitamin D in birds' skin, which allows them to absorb calcium from food. Dr. McLaughlin advised utilizing a 5.0 UVB light (which provides a five percent UVB output) beaming above the cage to give your budgie additional UV light for several hours each day if it's too chilly or impracticable to expose your bird to natural sunshine outside. Hess said that there are several safe UV lamps on the market for birds, and UV lights intended for reptiles shouldn't be used on birds as the light may hurt or burn their eyes.

budgie bird

For the best feather and skin health, Dr. McLaughlin recommended allowing your budgerigar to "shower" with water every day (or at least twice a week). The toenails on budgies should be kepbudgie birdt short and blunt so they don't snag on clothing or curl under and hurt the feet. However, if you want to provide your bird a variety of perches with varied textures, Dr. Johnson added, they will frequently spontaneously wear their nails down.

According to Dr. Hess, budgies typically like a wide range of bird toys, such as foraging toys, swings, noisemakers, shredding toys (made of paper for your parrot to shred), foot toys (to encourage dexterity of the feet), and foot toys (puzzle-like toys that hide food for your bird to discover). Wood, leather, paper, and the majority of hard plastic products that are not too soft to chew and ingest are safe materials to use in parrot toys. If a toy has bells or other metal components, only stainless steel or nickel-plated metal should be used instead of zinc or lead, which may be hazardous to birds.

Johnson added, "Budgies can be wonderful companions." If managed regularly, they are intelligent, silly, and have a tendency to form strong bonds with their owners. It's crucial to start off gently to build a connection based on trust. Once a budgie welcomes you, they will like your company.