Mail Room

I regret that because of other obligations, I cannot answer any more mail. For budgie-related inquiries, please check one of the many information packed pages in the links section.

Dear Steve:
Hi! I have always been told that budgies are very curious animals. If this is true, then why are my two budgies, Philip and Flower, afraid of evrything they see? In a book I read it said that budgies love playing with small balls. So I gave them a marble to play with. I left it in their cage for about an hour or so everyday, gradually lengthining the time that the marble was in the cage with them. After three weeks I had kept the ball in their cage for about three hours and still they were terrified. Why might this be and how can I help them? - Agnes

Hi, Agnes!

Older birds, who are not used to change, do not like changes in their environment. The ball was a threatening and unfamiliar object, so naturally they stayed far away from it. You are approaching the problem with the right method, though. Continue to increase the time the marble is in the cage with them.

Dear Steve:
The following letters are organized so that the newest letters are first. Hi Steve! I am e-mailing you to comment on your excellent site. I am terribly sorry about Birdbrain. I hope your new budgie lives long and prospers. I am a budgie owner as well, and own a little terror named Rogue the Grumpus. He is aqua green with a yellow head and bad temper. He actually is very sociable towards peoples faces but hates hands and other extremities, making him difficult to pick up, except in the shower. He also likes to dance, babble ceaselessly and mindlessly, and, best of all, make a big mess. I have not yet had a chance to veiw this sight with him, but I will probably get a chance sometime this summer. Anyway, I am just writing to say hello and send condolences about Birdbrains untimnely and shocking death. - From Bertrand(the name's French) and Rogue the Terrible(another of his assorted titles of infamity) in sunny Mill Valley

Dear Steve:
Do you have any birds?

I have one bird, who we got in November. He's cobalt blue, and his name is Chirp. Thanks for asking!

Dear Steve:
I'm planning to buy a budgie soon, and was just wondering, when you put a lot of food in their food holder, if they eat it all at once or only eat the normal amount that they need (leaving some left-over)? Thanks, Eric Price

Hi, Eric!

In general, you should keep the food holder full. The bird will peck at it and eat just a little. You should take the food dish outside and blow off the shell husks and add some more food every day.

Dear Steve:
I have tried to give my birds other foods besides their seeds but they won't try it. How do you train them to eat other foods?

It is next to impossible to get the bird to eat something they don't like. You have to get them started on different foods (along with seeds, which should always be available) when they are young. Try clipping some lettuce or bread on the side of the cage. They might peck at it when you're not looking.

Hope this helps!

Dear Steve:
I just heard about Birdbrain! I'm so sorry. I have a male pet budgie and his name is Buddy. I got him a year ago in May. I have been trying to train him for that whole time, but he is a nervous bird, and he just doesn't cooperate. I have tried everything I have ever heard of, if I think it is humane and kind. He isn't stupid, he's very intelligent. He chirps when I come in the room (my bedroom), and he screeches and flies around looking frightened when my sister walks in. She doesn't like him. I just want to hand train him. Please help me! Thanks. -Dani

Hi, Dani!

It is easiest to finger-train budgies when they are young, ideally within the first few days after you bring them home from the breeder. At this stage, they are usually to scared to move and you can easily get them onto your hand.

It will take a lot of patience to finger train Buddy, but it can be done. As often as you can, you'll have to go through a finger-training session with him.

First, make sure no-one else is in the room. Then, open the cage door, being careful not to let Buddy out. Put your hand in the cage slowly. Then, put your hand (facing down) out in front of him. If he hasn't moved, gently push him up just above his legs so that he'll have to either fall of step onto your hand. If he jumps away, wait a moment and then move your hand to where he is. Be careful to chase him or look threatening -- you want to show him that you are his friend. Once he's on your hand, keep him there for as long as possible, just on your hand inside of the cage. When he jumps off, do it again.

Repeat this activity several times a day. He should become more used to sitting on your hand. Eventually, you'll bring him out of the cage and he won't fly off your hand, and he will be finger-trained.

Also, you strive to never grasp the bird with your hand wrapped around him. This will only make him nervous around you.

I heard you got a new bird! Cool. Anyway, I was reading all the questions people had for you, and saw that you said if the budgies still had the horizontal lines on they're head, they're under 3 months, or something like that. Well, mine has those, and they're easy to see, but I know for a fact that he's older than that because I've had him for a few months over a year. I got him in May, 1997. Is there something wrong, or is it just coincidence?

In young birds, there are lines over the top of the head all the way down to the nose. Your bird likely has a "bald" spot on his forehead. On all normally coloured budgies, there are still lines on the back of the head.

I hope this clarifies things. Thanks for writing, and good luck with Buddy!

Dear Steve:
Hi my name is Kathy and I LOVE budgies too!! Right now I have a male and female! My male is an opaline cobalt, but I dont know what my female is!! She is a very light yellow and blue mix.....the black markings that my male has on his wings and such are actually a very light brown on her! Do you know what her color is?? I think someone mentioned before that she was a Seafoam something....... also I was planning on breeding them! Any idea on what kinds of colors I can expect for the babies? - Kathy

Hi, Kathy!

I'm sorry, but I don't know what colours to expect. You show a lot of enthusiasm for breeding. You should consult several books on the topic. At least one of them will have a chapter on genetics.

Hope this helps!

Dear Steve:
I love your site. I was contemplating on improving my bedroom. The walls are a bit of peachy colour and I planned to create a tropical look in the room. I plan to place two large palm plants in the room and just thought about buying birds to create an atmosphere with the tropical colours of the parakeets. I am not too keen on buying a cage for the room but is this neccessary and why? Some people had told me that the bird may leave droppings all over the place and that it would not know where to go. I had thought about a wooden bird table with the sticks for them to perch upon? Since I work all afternoon, will a pair keep themselves company or would it be too hazardous or drastic? I'd feed them regularly, food and drink and endeavour to pet them as much as I can. I am deaf and thus cannot hear them make sounds but have no desire in doing so. Any advice soon please!... I need to know if I am doing the right thing before buying them! PS Found some lovely budgies waiting for a good home, they are in the pet store. - Ramon

Hi, Ramon!

Budgies would probably be a little safer in the cage, because if they ever try to fly in the dark, they tend to smack into things. A few people have been successful with cageless budgies. The trouble is that birds like high places. Your budgies would probably spend more time on a curtain rod or clinging on the wall above a doorway.

One way to let the budgies know where their own special area is to have a cage at first, but then remove the cover once they are used to it. Make the cage big, so you can fit some sort of free-standing perches that don't require a cage inside. Hopefully, once the cage is removed, the birds will learn that that is were the food is.

You should be concerned about droppings. Budgies drop every 20 minutes or less. I let my one budgie out daily, and I must clean the window sills weekly.

If you keep plants in the room, better hope they grow fast, as budgies will see them as a free salad bar. Some plants can be hazardous to birds. You should check the hazards faq (http://www.upatsix.com/faq/hazards.htm).

Hope this helps!

Dear Steve:
I love your site. My name is Cyndi and I have been raising birds for several years. I really got a kick out of your web page. I am also putting together a page about our Amazon, Baby, and our cockatiel, Bubbles. (oh and, of course, our 2 cats, Simon and Shadow) My husband and I have had some training in animal medicine and I in avian behavior.

I was concerned about some of the letters that viewers had written about their pets. It seems that some of the most popular questions are concerning bird behavior and mixing pets. Unfortunately, many people assume that they must "breed" their budgies. This is a very stressful situation to put these little creatures into, not to mention the health risks. Please leave this hobby to the breeders themselves, or if you are determined, at least read as much info as you can before you go out and buy a breeding pair. If you believe your bird is "lonely" or if no one is home much of the day, consider getting 2 birds, but put them in separate cages close together.

Many people do not research a particular animal they are unfamiliar with before acquiring it as a pet. Birds are very different from cats and dogs and need their own type of care. I recommend to everyone who asks me questions on bird care and behavior to buy a copy of "Guide To A Well Behaved Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan, or "Let's Celebrate Pet Birds" by Dr. Lefebre. These are indispensable books that every bird owner should have.

Also on another note, please DO NOT allow your birds out of the cage around other pets, unless you are absolutely sure that they will get along, and only if they are supervised. My 2 cats have grown up around birds and have never shown any predatory tendencies towards them, but even so, I never leave them alone together unsupervised with my uncaged birds.

If you have any viewers asking questions about bird behavior, whether they are budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels or the bigger parrots, I would be happy to help answer them. Feel free to e-mail me about anything pertaining to birds. However, I don't give out medical advise; I leave that for the avian vets. - Cyndi

Dear Steve:
I love your site. Its nice to spend a little time reading the mail and indulging in one of my favourite subjects. My son and I spend many happy hours watching our 2 budgies, Loki and Leia. I don't know if you have named your bird yet. But never being one to pass on an opportunity to provide unsolicited advice; I though I'd make a suggestion. Shortly before we got Leia, I went to Prague and saw a wonderful performance of the opera "Carmen". When my son and I were bringing Leia home (nameless then of course), I suggested the name Carmen. The character in the opera was so feisty and full of life and music, and mischief, she truly reminded me of the various budgies I've known over the years. Needless to say, my son won the debate. But I still like the name.

Dear Steve:
About two months ago, I got two birds from a friend. Mostly, they have tried to stay as far from me as possible. But today i noticed that thier behavor was different. Of the two birds (i think one is male and one is female, the classic nose color test doesnt work, both have microscopic sized while rings around the nostril.) 'the white one' acutaly tried to talk to me. It came as close as it could inside the cage, looked at me and started chirping. 'the white one' Hopped around gesturing and looking at different things and me. 'the yellow one' followed and was forced away by 'the while one'. 'the white one' tried for about ten miniutes to communicate with me. Do you have any tips on understanding them? This is the first tikme they are starting to trust me a little more and i want to take advantage of it so i can be thire friend and let them roam free in my house.

Hi!

Right now, there is no suitable dictionary of the budgie language that can be used for translation. However, generally, the birds will chirp for several reasons:

1. They are talking to each other. (Scratch me behind the ears! Get away from my favourite perch! etc)

2. They hear some noise and want to join in. My bird chirps when the dishwasher comes on or when there is a song on the radio.

3. They want something. Some birds will chirp at you when they want their water changed, or especially when they want to be let out of the cage. Often, when they want out, they will climb the walls of the cage and try to get near you. Perhaps this is what your bird wanted.

Hope this helps!

Dear Steve:
Yesterday I found a blue budgie outside. He is now in a cage in my house. If no one claims him, I'll keep him. His wings are clipped and he has only 1 or 2 tail feathers left. Last night he was very tame, today he won't let my hand near him. I don't know how long he has been outside. Should I take him to the vet for a checkup just in case? If I want to get him a friend, how long should I wait, and how big should the cage be for two? Also, my roomate has a cat (no claws though). Should we keep the bird out of sight? - Thanks, Melissa

Hi, Melissa!

If you the bird shows any signs of illness (wet droppings, feathers that won't go smooth), take him to a vet if you are willing. He was probably tame because he was afraid to move. Today, he's probably more aware of you and healthier, which is why he won't let you go near him. You can probably get him a friend in a week or so, if he's not claimed. If his wings are clipped, though, he probably didn't come far. Try posting a found ad in a local newspaper.

A regular sized budgie cage should be large enough for one or two birds. You should keep the bird inaccessible to the cat. Keep the cage somewhere where there is no possibility of the cat knocking it over. I have often recommended hanging the cage from the ceiling, as cats show extreme ingenuity in getting at bird cages. Remember that birds are one of cats' natural prey.

Good luck!

Dear Steve:
I live with my budgie Pervo in Norway. He really lives up to his name, but he's a great bird. I'll try to enclose a .jpg picture of him and my late dog Odin, Pervo loved him so and went into a depression when he died. If you can use it in another budgie horror story or on your home page, please feel free. Regards, Bruse Espedal

Dear Steve:
I have a sky blue and gray male budgie named "Blu" (no "e"). He's about 9 months old now and very handsome. He just molted for the first time. He says "Birdy Birdy Birdy," "Good Boy" and many variations and combinations of both. He is very tame and loves to be with his people. My questions are:

1. What is the deal with the head bobbing? Its very cute but I want to know why he does it?

Budgies usually bob their heads when they are really excited about something.

2. I have to take him to get clipped. Its a 1/2 hour ride. Do you drive with the cover over the cage or not?

It would probably be a little less disturbing if you drove with the cover on.

3. Although Blu is a nice bird he likes to stand on my lower lip and bite on my nose. It's not a vicious thing but it hurts. How can I get him to stop? I'm afraid his next words will be "No biting."

One of the most effective ways to stop biting is the wobble method. Whenever the bird bites, gently wobble him so he'll have to let go to keep his balance. This method works when he's on your hand, though. I'm not sure if you could wobble him when he's on your lip.

4. Finally, went Blu was little I let him taste everything so he would like table food. Now he won't stop. He puts everything he finds in his mouth. I'm not sure if he actually eats everything or just tastes it. I'm afraid he will eat something dangerous. Is this normal?

Yes, it is normal, but you should be very careful that he doesn't get near anything toxic. Keep him away from poisonous plants, and keep anything toxic covered.

Dear Steve:
My daughter recently got 2 baby parakeets. They have most of their feathers and she has been handfeeding them. She wanted to know if she can bathe them at this age. Most info seems to be for older birds.

Also, Do you recommend a book that she should get to help her answer some of these questions?

Hi!

It is best to leave baby chicks with their parents until they are old enough to clean and feed themselves. If you give them a bath, it must be done very carefully. I do not know how it could be done.

There are many good books on taking care of budgies. The best thing to do is find a rack of them and look through them to see which ones are the most informative.

Dear Steve:
How should I set up a budgie cage? What should it contain?

Hi!

Your budgie cage should contain at least two food containers, one containing water, and the other with budgie seed. It should also have two to four perches, depending on its size. You could also put in a cuttle-fish bone, which gives the bird minerals and keeps its beak dull. Finally, keep a little bit of a fresh vegetable such as lettuce clipped to the side every day. Hope this helps!

Dear Steve:
I enjoy your website immensely with your combination of humor and information. A question: You've referred to budgies that reach age seven or so as old, and once you referred to a nine-year-old as "one of the Ancients." I thought a healthy bird could live to age 10-12. Miraculously, my first bird, a present to me on my ninth birthday lived 16 years. "Timmy" came from a local breeder. I'm now on my fourth parakeet, who's pushed past seven. I know I can't count on 16 years, but I'd like to think he could hit a decade or more! - Susan

Hi, Susan!

You are indeed correct. A very healthy bird could life to be 9-12 years old. But according to most books, it is rare for budgies to live longer than that. You must be a great owner for Timmy to keep on chirping that long! Wow!

Dear Steve:
So sorry to hear of the death of Birdbrain. I have been following your page for quite some time now. Recently I too lost one of my two budgies, Lori. The other budgie Murray seems okay, we are giving him lots of attention. Should we get another budgie as company? We have had Murray for a year and a half, Lori we got 2 months after getting Murray. Lori was just 1 and 1/2 when we found him dead at the bottom of his cage. I had checked on them just half and hour earlier to give them some celery tops. We are assuming that it was a heart attack. Lori was always a very nervous bird. We didn't want to take him to the vet to suffer the idignity of an autopsy. As I say, we are keeping a close eye on Murray and he seems just fine except for some confusion as to where Lori is. - Matthew

Sorry to hear about Lori. If you give him lots of attention, he may not need another bird for company. But you can still get another budgie. Two budgies are better than one!

Dear Steve:
Do you know if a wood-burning heater would hurt a bird?

Make sure the area is well-ventilated, as all burning creates carbon monoxide. Too much carbon monoxide in a room will mean that the bird will not get enough oxygen to survive.

Also, do not put the cage near the heater. Birds can withstand hot or cold temperatures, from freezing to 100*F, but they are best from 65F to 80F. The thing to avoid is temperature swings. Keep the temperature constant, and the bird will be OK. If it is really hot, make sure there is a lot of water available.

Dear Steve:
I had 4 budgies, at different times in my life. My two green ones were very friendly and sociable and had large vocabularies. My blue one was rather boring and never said or did much. My white one was quite aggressive and nasty and never talked. Are green budgies more likely to be friendlier and be able to talk more than other colours or was this a coincidence? I want to get a budgie soon and it is very important to me that it talks. I have read that males are more likely to talk and than it is better to get a very young bird. However, I read that you said it is almost impossible to know the sex of a bird when it is young. Therefore, how can I know I am buying a young male? Sincerely, Karin

Karin,

There is no correlation between colour and intelligence. These characteristics are determined by difference genes. Males are more likely to talk than females. The cere only turns blue for males and pink/red for females after the first molt, so you have to rely on "secondary characteristics," like stance, behaviour, and bone shape to determine the sex. An experienced breeder might be able to select a male bird for you.

Hope this helps!

Dear Steve:
So sorry to hear about Birdbrain. Our budgie, Geet, also has a crop infection and is now on his third antibiotic regimen in three weeks. He will look better for a couple of days, then decline. He has lost weight, is very tired and needs a lot of ecouragement to eat. Do you have any further advice or suggestions. I will try to get him back to the vet in the next day or two. He did fall into the toilet 2 weeks prior to showing this infection. Any help appreciated. - Chuck and Linda

I'm sorry to hear about Geet. I hope he pulls through.

The only suggestion I can give is to mix as much sugar as will dissolve in his drinking water. This will give the bird more energy if he is very weak.

Incidentally, the toilet probably did it. The toilet contains bacteria, which is the cause of a crop infection.

Good luck to Geet!

Dear Steve:
I have a qusetion about budgie exersizt and play type stuff. Do how much room does a budgie need to fly around and how often does he need it? And my other question, when i get my budgie, shoud i consider a friend for him/her. Im away at school all day so he might get bored sometimes. Will bird toys be enough?

Hi, Chris!

A budgie should be able to fly around the room for a few minutes once a day, if you can manage it. This will help develop flying skills and provide some healthly exercise.

A budgie kept alone in a cage all day will get very bored and not be very happy. You should get another budgie friend for him/her.

Dear Steve:
Just wondering if you got another bird after Birdbrain died. Hope you did, since you're so good with budgies.

Hi, Wade!

Yes, we did get another bird! He's about 10 weeks old now, and he's cobalt blue. We haven't determined a name yet, though. Thanks for asking!

Dear Steve:
I'm so sorry about Birdbrain boo hoo boo hooo.I hope you get another Birdbrain.

I would like the details on where, when, why, and how, because I'm a bird reporter for the tweet times that I publish in my own room.

Kevin,

Birdbrain was a green budgie, and he was very tame. He would let you put him on your finger whenever you wanted. There was never any trouble getting him in the cage. One day, in October, his chirping started sounding strange. And then, he stopped chirping at all. He never made any sounds. He just sad on his perch all day, sleeping. If you took him out, he would fall asleep on your hand. Although he looked fat, he was very light. When we took him to the vet, the vet said that Birdbrain had a crop infection, and he gave us some medicine to give the bird every day. But Birdbrain just kept getting weaker and weaker. One night, he couldn't even stand on the perch. He would loose his balance and fall off. Then he would rest a few minutes and try to climb back up, but he didn't have the strength. It was very sad. But by morning, he pain was over, because he had passed away.

Why did it happen? I can't answer that, because I don't know. He was an old bird, though. I guess it was his time.

Hi,

Sorry that was a bad introduction. My name Kevin James and I'm 11 years old. My birds are Cleo, the acrobatic bird, and sparks, my other acrobatic bird. I've e-mailed you before about how long I should let them fly but now I need to know if I should get my birds wings clipped because they don't seem to be attracted to me as much as they used to. My dad says no and so does my mom. But my dad said if I can go 24 hours without using my arms then I can. Is that something good? And also can I get them clipped so the wings grow back, or is it always permenant? - Kevin

I don't think the birds wings should be clipped. Your birds can start to be attracted to you again, but only if you're very nice to them. Go up one of them slowly and hold your finger out in front of the bird. If you do this many times, the bird will climb on your finger. You have to have patience.

If you do get the birds' wings clipped, they will grow back in a few months.

Dear Steve:
First off, I'd like to congratulate you on a faboulous site. All the books I've read on Budgies don't even come CLOSE to giving me all the information your site did.

Two questions:

  • My bird, Cosmo, is less than 1 year old. He is constantly "puffing" himself up. Is this normal, or is he just cold?
  • What are the easiest words to teach a budgie to say? I tried "hello" without any success.
    • Thank you! - Kim

    Hi, Kim!

    If the weather is cold, Cosmo will puff up to keep warm. But it can also happen if he is sick. Check to see if your bird is behaving normally. Is he eating? Are his droppings dry, and not watery? Are his feathers all smooth and clean? If they aren't, it could be a sign of illness.

    Short words are easiest for budgies to say. I've had success with "B" words, like "bird", "bye-bye", "budgie" etc. It takes a lot of patience.

    Dear Steve:
    Without a doubt, one of the cutest sites I have ever seen! You have a great imagination! - Terry (slave to 4 normal-sized budgies and the Little Green Monster, Pickle (Quaker)

    Dear Steve:
    Steve.....very nice page. I've a little budgie, Nicky. He's almost 3 year old & doesn't talk; he's a Capricorn & too stubborn like me. *smile* I enjoyed your little audio clips--the clips need to last longer so that I can teach my bird to listen. Keep up the good work.....

    Dear Steve:
    You say on your dalmation page that you can't pet budgies. Of course you can!! Ours loves to be petted. Scratched, stroked, you name it :) BTW does yours talk? - Lisa

    Lisa,

    Lots of people have told me the same thing! Still, to the end of his days, Birdbrain never liked to be petted.

    Yes, he used to say a few words, but not very often.

    You should alter your page to say YOURS doesn't like to be petted :) Actually, get the latest issue of BirdTalk. It is dedicated to budgies and that's one of the things they address. Some birds just don't like to be petted, but they're few compared to the rest of them. Some like to be petted on certain areas, but not other areas. Some start out liking petting, but as they "grow up" they don't like it any more.

    Dear Steve:
    I like your Page it is cool. Hi, I am Zoy from Marinwood, and my sister's bird Thud was fighting with my bird, Munchie. Munchie got beat up but he plucked off her tail feathers and now she looks like a lovebird. Should we wait?

    Zoy,

    Just wait a while and they should grow back. And try to keep her away from Thud!

    Dear Steve:
    Checking out the budgie links because of something that happened here in San Diego last week. I don't have a budgie, but was so endeared by what happened I probably will soon. I like your site and thought you might enjoy the story. Here goes:

    My oldest son (8) came to tell me about the "pretty bird" in the tree. I went to see, and discovered a green budgie perched just out of reach, looking at the circle of kids gathered around. She didn't seem scared, so I thought it must be a recently escaped bird, but I couldn't coax her out of the tree. One of the kids said it looked like "April's" bird, which had recently flown away. He went to get April, who agreed that it was her bird. She tried to coax him down, to no avail. I'd heard that budgies might re-enter their cage if they saw it, so I asked her to go get it. THE MOMENT April turned and moved away, the budgie let out a squawk, flew to the ground and tried to run after her, squawking all the while! April scooped the bird up and took her home while I stood, amazed. They'd had the bird about five years, the bird had been gone three weeks, living outside in some very cold, rainy weather left over from a petered out hurricane. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, our family was so impressed by this that we've decided to get a budgie in the near future. Best wishes - Reggie

    Reggie,

    That is amazing! I also got a chuckle out of it. Thanks for sharing your story!

    Dear Steve:
    I have a story that I think it is important for every budgie lover to read. I have always had budgies since I was a little girl. My last budgie was the second pet I have had since I've grown up and he meant EVERYTHING to me. My world revolved around him, I used to bring him with me wherever I could, rush home from work every lunch hour to see him, and brought his cage into my bedroom every night (much to my husband's dismay).

    Last year, when I was 8 months pregnant I had just started my maternity leave and decided to get the house clean. The first thing I did was put the oven on self-clean. I thought it would be safe because you use no chemicals, just heat. Well, about an hour later my poor budgie was gasping for air, at which point I rushed to the vet, but didn't make it in time. I was heartbroken.

    We don't know for sure if it was the oven because I was afraid to damage his body in an autopsy, but please warn your dedicated readers: DO NOT PUT THE OVEN ON SELF-CLEAN WHILE THERE IS A BIRD IN THE HOUSE. It may be a hassle to take the bird to a friend for 3 hours, but it is well worth it. If you live with your parents, make sure they know this too.

    The other lesson that I learned from this is that you can become too attached to a pet. He was like a son to me and my world revolved around him. It's so easy to get attached when your pet sits and talks to you and kisses you and gets mad when you leave. I think it's important to remember that birds need love, but know where to draw the line.

    I now have two new budgies who are very happy together. The fact that they have each other keeps me from getting too attached (as well as the fact that I have a daughter now).

    I hope that my sad experience can save the lives of budgies in the future. - Amber

    Dear Steve:
    I have 4 parakeets, two male and two female, on of the males and one of the females keep trying to have babies, but every time they are in position, the other male flies over and knocks the one male off. Is there anyway that I can stop this from happing so the two birds can have babies. I do have a nest box for them to lay there eggs. Please help - Ryan

    Ryan,

    It sounds like a case of jealousy. You'll have to get another cage and separate the two pairs. And don't let them watch any more soap operas in the afternoons!

    Dear Steve:
    My budgie's beak has grown very long. So long that it is almost curved down to his breast. Is this something I should be concerned about? He is still able to eat, but I worry about the length becoming a problem. I have put a couple of different 'beak conditioners' in his cage, but as of yet I have seen no difference in the size of his beak. Any ideas?

    Dennis,

    The beak will have to be clipped, but you shouldn't do it yourself. If you make one wrong move you can crack the whole beak. Take the budgie to a bird vet, or an experienced budgie person familiar with the problem if you can find one.

    Watch the bird carefully. Does he look thin? Does his breast bone feel too pronounced? If the beak is too long, he may be unable to eat. You should get the problem fixed as soon as possible.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi, I'm Annie Rutgers and at the moment I'm following a Msc Program in Sweden. Originaly I come from the Netherlands. Back home I've 8 parakeets but I don't know the English words for the type of parakeet. Here in Sweden I bought a Budgerigar and named the bird Budgie. For you this proberbly is a silly name but in the Netherlands this kind of parakeet is cold Grasparkiet and in here in Sweden and in the Netherlands budgie is an unknown word. Because I don't like birds in little cages I want to give Budgie the oportunity to fly in my room. I've the bird for 2 weeks know and was trying to tame him by giving him a lot of attancen (how do you write that...). It was going alright and I could almost touch the bird. Budgie wanted to get out of the cage so I opened the door. But than he fly up to the walls and windows. After 5 minutes he didn't dare to fly anymore. After some while I wanted to help him in the cage again so I tried to gatch him. This was last wednesday. Know he is really frightend for me. Now I've some questions:

    I hope you can answer this questions because I only have experince to tame birds in a large cage. Standing in cage myself and try to let them eat from my hand. - Annie

    Hi, Annie!

    You must be patient and keep trying to tame him. The only way the bird will learn how to fly well is to let him out in the room a little, but watch him to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Cover up the windows and turn on a light so he doesn't fly into them. When you catch him, put him on top of the cage and see if he can find his way back inside. This way, he can learn to find his cage on his own. Budgie will learn to fly soon.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    We purchased a single budgie for our children as a pet. Recently, we were given 2 more budgies by a friend. All 3 birds are together in a large cage.

    It was my understanding that birds only mated when a nesting box was placed in the cage. Our old budgie (Buddie) and one of the new ones (Carl) are quiet friendly. They peck at each other's beaks. They don't seem to be fighting. They actually look like they are trying to kiss each other. Carl then places one leg on Buddie. Right now they are looking at each other in a special way. This sounds totally ridiculous to me, but they are look like they love each other. Is this possible?

    I have been trying to find information on the mating ritual of budgies but have not been able to come up with anything. We are not looking to breed birds. They are only supposed to be pets.

    Please send any information or helpful links. I did try some of your links, but they were more on breeding, than on the mating ritual. - Thank you for your help, Michelle

    Hi, Michelle!

    Here is some information on the budgie mating ritual. (Minors, please place some duct tape on the computer screen.) When two budgies ahem.. What I mean is when one budgie likes the other one, the male will try to "woo" the female by feeding her and gently cleaning her feathers. If she doesn't peck his eyes out, the male will stand on the hen's back and they will both rotate their tales to achieve contact. The male will put both of his wings straight down covering both sides of the female and they will make bubbling chirping noises. This will also happen with two males who have had no contact with female birds.

    Hope this helps.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have a budgie named Baba Dgjier Kgj Prenounced(Barbar Dleer Kij)
    I love him very much he is just like a human
    He does everything I do.
    He was hand reared by a friend of my brother.
    He is so lovely.He is a male with a pink cere.
    He puked, continuously at the mirror, so the vet injected him with female hormones,but that only affected his cere

    O, and finish day of the budgie , please. Bye!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Great page, my son showed me some your pics and thought they were so great just had to take a look for myself. Lots of great info and pics. Tried to sign guest book, but comp. is acting up. Will be back!! By the way, our budgie loves his mirror (himself) more than us I'm afraid. N. Callin

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have a new (to me) budgie . It's about a year old, could it be eggbound? How do you tell ? what can you do about it please? I look forward to hearing from you, - Thanks, Queale

    Queale,

    When female budgies are laying aggs, sometimes the egg gets stuck. It can be caused by an improper diet lacking calcium or too got or too cold breeding areas. If not remedied, or if the egg breaks, the condition is fatal. An eggbound hen sits in a peculiar position and gasps for breath. To treat it, sometimes a little steam or olive oil rubbed in the vent helps. (Information from Feyerabend, Cessa. DISEASES OF BUDGERIGARS. England: T. F. H. Publications, 1970.)

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi Birdbrain!

    Thanks for answering my question about Babyblue. But I have a diferent question now. Babyblue is 9 years old now and I wondered if he is too old to breed and have babies could you through in some info about breeding bugies too. - Jessica and Babyblue

    Hi, Jessica!

    Babyblue is very old for a budgie, but he might still be able to breed. Make sure you get a younger female, though. For information on breeding, get a good book in the library or consult an experienced breeder in your area.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I really like you page, it's nice of you to reply to all these people. Anyway, I am going to breed my 2 budgies, Taz and Spunky.

    1. I was wondering how big should the nest be?
    2. What is a good bedding for it?
    3. Do I put the nest in before they breed?
    4. Is a cardbord box with a hole ok?
    5. And Spunky (The female) is ripping up the paper in her cage into tiny pieces, does this mean she is trying to make a nest of her own? - Mandy

    Hi!

    I don't know much about breeding. But I've found that books are by far the best sources of information. Go to the library and get a good book on breeding budgies and that should answer all of your questions.

    Also, you can find an experienced breeder in your area and learn from them.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Great site Steve! My kids loved it. If we ever get our new (and first) budgie, Petrie, to talk, we'll send you the sounds. Right now she is working on the sound of water running! - Best Regards, Julian, Emily and Lisa

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi my name is Tiffany O'Brien. I live in Wheeling, West Virginia. I have a parakeet named Snowflake,a hamster named Whiskers,and two fish named Taz and Sylvester. I had two parakeets but my cat killed them. Their names were Tweety and Gabby. Please write back. I am eleven years old. CHOW FOR NOW BYE!!!!!!!

    Hi, Tiffany!

    Say hello to Snowflake for me. Do you still have a cat? If you do, make sure you count your pets to make sure none are missing!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    My name is Darlene and I recently had a budgie given to me. He is approximately 3 years old and has a vocabulary of about 50 words and sentences,he is not shy at all and just loves all the attention he can get. My question is,is it true that if thier nose is blue-they are a male and if it is brownish pink it is a female?and also how would I go about introducing my "Benji" to a female friend? as well I would like to know if having a mirror in his cage a bad thing to do,I was told it was a mistake to give him the mirror,but he loves to admire himself in it. - Thank You, Darlene Krieger

    Hi, Darlene!

    It sounds like you got a great bird!

    A blue nose usually indicates a male, and brown or any other colour is usually a female. If you want to introduce Benji to a female friend, just put them in the same cage together.

    Some people say that having a mirror in the cage is a bad thing because the bird will pay more attention to the mirror than to you, and it will be harder to teach it to talk. But since Benji has already learned 50 words and is three years old, he probably won't forget them now because of a mirror. Let him have his mirror.

    Good luck!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi, I have a question about my parakeet. He is a yellow fancy parakeet that has always seemed bigger around than our green parakeet. For the past a couple of days she hasn't been eating very much. This morning she seemed in distressed. We checked her over and she was all messy from her poop on her underneath. We cleaned her up and she seems a little better. We took her to the vet. He didn't know much about parakeets, but he said that she didn't have an egg stuck. We think that maybe she is constipated or something like that. I would appreciate any advice that you would have about our bird. Is there anything that we could give her to make her feel better? Thank you very much.

    Hi!

    First, take the time to try to find another vet that knows something about birds, so if you ever have another emergency, you'll know who to call.

    Check her seeds. Are they fresh? Make sure the seeds are dry and do not clump together.

    One of the best foods for budgies (as a supplement to seeds) are organically grown dandelion leaves. These contain lots of vitamins, which your bird probably needs now. Other fruits and vegetables will work too.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    (as a side note I refuse to call people birdbrains now because it is an insult to the birds :) ) Anyway, I just got my parakeet on a thursday, it is now the next monday, and to me he still seems a bit shaken up. He is about 6 weeks old as the pet store told me. While he is eating well (I ensure this) He just doesn't like to move, only for a drink. Mainly he just sits on the perch next to his food. I also noticed in the past day that when I go to pet him he turns his back to me, then when I pet the back he turns his front to me, he then moves left to right I guess avoiding me. Why does he want to avoid me like that? I scratch his head like everybody says...He doesn't really have any reason to fear me as I have been more than kind to him. Could he be depressed that he hasn't left his cage? I am scared to let him out for although he has his wings clipped like the store assured me there is always the potential for who knows what. I also was wondering if it would be adivisible to get him a companion, male or female (maybe not female because they mighty have chicks and that is a heck of a responsiblity for me). I figure with another parakeet he won't feel lonely while I am at school all day. Thanks in advance for the advice, and thanks for listening to me ramble on and on....By the way, his name is Shorty and I am Chris.

    Hi, Chris!

    Your budgie is probably scared and still misses all of his other budgie friends. Keep trying to make friends with him and handle him, and he will begin to trust you. After he is tame, you should consider getting another male budgie, because the second one will be easier to tame if he's in a cage with another tame bird.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi I think your page is really excellent and the 'Dear Birdbrain' page answered a whole load of my questions but....

    We've just built an aviary and we have in it 4 budgies, Romeo, Juliet, Titania and Oberon and 2 zebra finches. We have a place at one end for them to go in when it gets wet or cold or at night but they wont go in it. We've been having really bad weather lately and they have been getting soaked and sit there shivering till the sun comes out and then they seem fine. Is there any way to get them to go in? and if we cant will they be ok?we've tried coaxing them in with food and everything we could think of.

    Also we thought we had 2 females and 2 males but the 2 males and Juliet all seem to be fighting, not seriously, over Titania.The 2 males have blue ceres and the 2, hopefully, females have light purpley ceres. They're about 2 1/2 months old. I hope you can help me. Thanks - Maddy.

    Hi, Maddy!

    I don't know much about aviaries. The opening has to be big enough for them to see it. Budgies don't like dark places, so make sure you can light up the room inside of the opening. I don't think budgies should be subjected to extreme temperature swings, but if they're used to it, it might be ok. But you should keep trying to get them inside. Be extra careful of mites, insects, parasites, rodents, and small animals.

    If they are fighting, you should probably get another female to give them more options. The fights might get more serious when they get older.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I'm so upset. On Sunday, Tiger flew out of his cage and outside. There was probably no way I could have prevented it. I live in a very small town up north, where nobody here knows how to clip bird wings properly, and the Animal Control says that they don't know what to do about "lost lil' critters with fuzzy wing things."

    Tiger has never been outside before, he flew off into the woods behind our house. Just like the letter that c.c. wrote about Caesar, he's afraid of the outside world, and inside, he kept flying back to his cage. But this time, he doesn't know where his cage is.

    So I put Oprah and the cage out in the yard, they were communicating all day long, but he still had no idea how to get back home. A few of the neighbours let me put the cage in their yards too, but Tiger was even more confused, and flew straight past us every time I moved the cage to a new yard, so I stopped doing that.

    He's been gone for two days now. I'm worried about Oprah, they have been living together all their lives. She's still eating, and she cries every night. Everyday, I've been putting the cage out in the yard, she still calls out to him, but now, there is now reply. It's mid August, wild birds by now should be heading south, but he doesn't know that. I'm afriad he's a goner, and I can't go out to look for him, because it's black-bear-killing season.

    I went to a web page and read a bit about what to do about lost birds, but now I can't find it anymore! (I use bookmarks, but every once in a while, the computer erases them.) Could you give me some tips? Or else find that web page.

    When is the best time to go get some new friends for Oprah? My parents want to get two new baby budgies this Friday, but I'm afraid, that she won't like them. She's crying again, I better go check-up on her... Please write back soon.

    WARNING: Reader's discretion is advised. I don't think you should put this in the mail bag-for the sake of young readers...:

    To think I would learn to close the cage from the last incident-by the way, he never returned. I thought it was ok, to let Oprah, sit on top of the cage since she just lost her friend. Wrong. The dog got her.

    Her stomach is cut open and there's like, a big bloody thing sticking out. Amusing hunh? There's no vet. We did everything we could/can, but a bandaid over her so whatever it is won't fall out, a cross, angel and some grass on the bottom of the cage and checked up on her every hour. She picked the bandaid, it got stuck to her foot and it started to bleed! EEEEEEW! But we managed to cut half of the bandaid off.

    We took her to the petstore today right when it opened, the lady cut the rest off. She said that the thing was probably her stomach! EEEEEEEEW! Poor bird, and that if she lived for a week or two, that we should get a new bird. She also said that we didn't need a cage the new bird?! I think that that info she gave us was wrong? Oprah is a pretty aggresive bird, and I don't think she would quickly adjust to a new bird that easily.

    The vet's gonna be here next week! Yay! If we make an appointment, they will have to operate on her, put the whatever it is back inside and sew her up. She's sitting on her perch, eating, drinking, whatever, but not singing yet. They were surprised she survived. I just pray that she'll make it until the vet comes up...

    You could fix this letter up and take out all the gross stuff. But there is one thing I think is very important: It's like I'm cursed, not to take care of budgies. I'm very good with animals, nothing like this has ever happened before. I could have prevented all of this. A lot of towns that should, don't, have vets around for emergencies. The health and well-being of animals, even little budgies, is just as important as a humans'. But some people are just to ignorant to understand that until something bad hits them. The vet closest to our town is 4 1/2 hrs. away. Always, always, always, always keep the cage closed and the dog(s)-even the nicest ones, and cats away from the bird. - Cursed with pet budgie accidents, Amanda Tsui

    Amanda,

    Hopefully, your letter will help warn people out there that budgies need careful supervision when larger pets are around. Let me know what happened. And whatever happens, don't give up on budgies!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I got a budgie (Lilly) about three weeks ago, she is about nine weeks old now and I am trying to train her but the pet store only clipped one wing and she can fly very well. I can't find specific methods for finger training. She won't let me near her without a chase around the cage, I can grab her and hold her for a few seconds and I have let her out a couple times. Today she landed on my chest and I petted her head and then put her back in her cage. Am I going about this the right way? She seems to be terrified and breathes hard, Is there danger of her having a heart attack or something? Also she makes a sort of sound like she is spitting but it could also be a sneeze, do budgies ever make this kind of noise or should I take her to the vet? I live in a dorm room that gets stuffy and I open the window and put the fan on low, it does not blow directly on her and I cover the exposed side of the cage, is this enough? Should I sacrifice my comfort for the sake of her health? I am willing if it is necessary. As you can tell I worry a lot. Thanks for your help! - Renee & Lilly

    Hi, Renee & Lilly!

    If you want her to trust you, you should avoid grabbing her, or else she will always be afraid when you open the cage door. To tame a budgie, put your hand inside the cage and try to get her to climb onto your finger. Do this several times a day, every day, trying to get her to stay on your hand for a longer period each time. Eventually, Lilly will be finger trained.

    Since the pet store clipped a wing, it is every difficult for Lilly to fly and it takes a lot of energy, so whenever she flys she gets exhausted and has to breath hard. You should either get the other wing clipped so she doesn't exhaust herself flying, or else just let the feathers grow back and let her fly. You could probably catch her by turning out the lights and closing the curtains. If you manage to finger tame her by that time, it should be ok.

    Sometimes, budgies do sneeze, mainly for the same reasons humans sneeze. It could be dust, or Lilly could have a cold. Be sure to keep the temperature fairly constant, without any hot/cold swings. Also, continue to make sure there are no drafts blowing on her. In general, budgies are very resilient.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have a very active 2 year old male budgie by the name of Norman. I always allow Norman to have freedom around the house, as I keep his cage door open (Norman is perfectly safe flying; there are no hazards in the house). Norman loves to fly around the house, look out the window, beg for food, and perch on my shoulder.

    Norman WAS attached to me, but not any more. He would always follow me wherever I went in the house, but I was able to control him. If I was sick of his accompaniment, I would push him off my shoulder and he would fly somewhere else.

    Norman no longer does this to me. He is now being a nuisance, but around my mother. Norman is totally attracted to my mother and refuses to leave her alone. Even when we try to push Norman off her shoulder, Norman refuses to let go. Norman accompanies her into the bathroom, when cooking, and into the dark basement to do laundry! When watching TV, Norman perches on my mother's neck, and serenades her for hours with his chirping. It's almost next to impossible when she has to step outside with Norman on her shoulder. Norman's controlling her every move! My mother is the only female in the household. Would this have any effect on Norman's attachment?

    Finally, when I intervene after my mother starts crying and swearing because Norman is controlling her life, I literally have to grab Norman, put him in his cage, and close the cage door. But then, Norman goes mental! He flies around his cage (which is fairly large), terrified, and soon after squaks in a way that you think he is crying. If I don't open up his cage, Norman continues to squak and make endless noise; he wants freedom!

    Does Norman have some psychological attachment to my mother? Why did he suddenly lose his attachment to him and become attracted to my mother? What should I do? Norman thrives on freedom, and I certainly do not want the solution to be to have his cage door permanently closed. - Thank-you, Josh

    Hi, Josh!

    It is a proven fact that budgies can only form an emotional attachment to one person at a time. The bird will regard this person as its mate. It doesn't really matter whether the bird or the human is male or female. It sounds like that's what happened to you. After a while, because you kept pushing him off your shoulder, Norman felt rejected by you. So, like a budgie-Don Juan, he found someone else-- your mother.

    Hopefully, with time, you can change that, and get him attracted to you again. Be very nice to the bird. Don't grab him any more -- maybe your mother can get him in the cage. Let him out when your mother's not around, and spend time with him. Maybe you can get him to like you again.

    If all else fails, get another bird. Norman may turn his attentions toward his bird friend and stop harassing you.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi, Birdbrain. I was just wondering if having two budgies in the same cage would affect them wanting to talk. Do you think it will? Please write back - Maria Goudy

    Hi, Maria!

    Two budgies in the same room will probably pay more attention to each other than to you. Teaching them to talk would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

    But owning budgies can be very enjoyable even if they don't talk. It's fun just watching them talk to each other in their own language. They might do gymnastics, climbing the ceiling of the cage. They might also like to be petted, as some vigilant budgie owners have told me.

    Good Luck, whatever you decide!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    We bought a couple of parakeets about two months ago. We bought a 3rd parakeet last week...along with a much bigger cage. We put all 3 birds in the new cage. After about 3 days together, the 3rd bird started acting weird...the other 2 wouldn't have anything to do with it. I suspected an illness, so we moved the 3rd bird to a separate cage. In the last 2 days, the bird has been eating newspaper...AND has started to crawl under the newspaper and not move. I don't think it will be alive in the morning. Any advise/help? If the bird was/is sick...what are the chances of the other 2 getting sick? Thanks - Lynn Frazee

    Lynn,

    It is good that you separated the bird at the first signs of illness, but birds usually do not show any signs of illness until they are VERY sick.

    The illness may not have been contagious, but in case it was, watch the other two birds for any deviations from normal behaviour, such as excessive sleeping, puffed out feathers more than normal, or watery droppings. At the first sign of trouble, have them checked by a bird vet.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I just wanted to know, since you are such a well trained Budgie enthusiast, where are the taste buds on a budgie located, on it's tongue, or the roof of it's mouth? Please answer as soon as you get this! Thanks, Samantha

    Hi, Samantha!

    I am very sorry that I could not answer sooner. I recieved your letter while I was on vacation, and when I read it I didn't know the answer so I had to research it.

    A budgie's tast buds are on the roof of its mouth, but it doesn't have very many of them.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have just found this site and am really enjoying it. I do have a suggestion (request?) regarding the image archive, though. Would it be possible to put descriptive captions with the pics, at least when you select the full-size version? I ask this because I am privileged to be the companion of two budgies and I have not yet been able to figure out what their colors/markings are "officially" considered to be. Joey is so many different colors I can't name them all (he was named Joseph for his coat of many colors)--yellow, blue, various greens, etc., plus some dark wing markings and the "original" black and dark blue head and throat patches. Gooneybird is some blue, some white, a little gray--but in ways I've never seen attributed to any particular color combination. I figure, if I see a bird that looks like one of my guys and that bird has a color description, I might finally know how to describe them to people who are into budgies. What do you think? Or should I just enjoy the guys without feeling a need to put them into some kind of category?

    Hi!

    According to Royan Webb on the Budgie Mailing List, "I would need some more information before a GOOD guess, but the first thought is that Joseph is a harlequin yellowface. Gooneybird is hard to tell without knowing WHERE the colors are."

    There are a LOT of pictures in the image archive, and I myself am not an expert in classifying budgie colours. However, if you want to learn more about this topic, there is a beautiful, LABELED image archive on Budgie Bytes, at http://www.user.xpoint.at/haselsteiner/normal.htm.

    Hope this helps!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    My husband gave me a youg Cockatiel for my birthday. I was wondering what is the best source of information for a "New Bird/New Owner". Thanks for your Help In Advance, - Kathy

    Hi, Kathy!

    In my opinion, the best place to get that kind of information is from a library. Most libraries have lots of books for beginners with cockatiels. A pet store can also have books, but not as many. You might also try the bird faq at http://www.upatsix.com/faq.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I just lost my bird Cowboy, my mom stepped on him on addicent. My other bird Indian has been fling in my room looking for Cowboy. I really miss Cowboy. What should I do for Indian and my self? - Amanda Haug

    Hi, Amanda.

    I am finally back from vacation, and I am very sorry to hear about what happenned to Cowboy. It is always a sad thing when a bird dies.

    Indian must feel very lonely now. Try and spend more time with this bird. Maybe you could get another budgie, to help keep Indian company. Try to train your birds never to walk on the floor, so this tragedy will never happen again.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have a male budgie named Banjie. My brother also has a male budgie named Pogo. They're in seperate cages, and the cages are in seperate rooms. Banjie is older by five months. Sometimes we let them out together. Banjie will try to feed Pogo, and peck at his mouth. He will also try to step on Pogo's back. Why does this happen? Is my bird too agressive? Or is he trying to mate?¿?¿? Thanx for reading this, Amy

    Hi, Amy!

    Yes, it sounds like your budgie is trying to mate. Sometimes, if there are no female budgies around, the male birds will turn their attentions toward eachother.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I just found your page and I loved it. It has a lot of information and it is fun to read.

    I want to know about breeding budgies in the tropics. I am from Panama and we dont have 4 seasons; we just have rainy and dry season. Do you think they would breed better when it rains? Help me please. I have 4 budgies (2 couples) and recently moved them to a larger cage. Thank you (even if you dont answer) for your great page. - Nilena

    Hi, Nilena!

    Thank's for the compliments. In the wild, during times of dought, the budgies stop mating, but when it rains, they start again. But caged birds don't have droughts; they always have the water dish and plenty of food available. I don't think it matters what season it is.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    We have really enjoyed your site! A few questions for you:

    Thank you very much! - Kathy Boulton (age 11) & Savanna Bella (age 11)

    Hi, Kathy and Savanna!

    A budgie could be bred after nine months, but you should wait a year. The eggs take 18 to 20 days to hatch. Hope this helps!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Is it possible for an eight or nine year old female to breed? Pritz has had two mates,and she killed them both. I have her a current mate.But he is far too young right now. What do I do? - Oriana

    Hi!

    If you want to breed, I strongly recommend getting another female. I don't think she should be bred at that age. Also, if she killed two mates already, I don't think her heart's in it.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    We have had a budgie for 1 1/2 yrs. He seems very healthy, but he regurgitates seed everyday. I can't seem to find any info on whether this is normal or not. Do you know why he would do this? - Powder

    Male birds regurgitate food to feed their mates, and female birds will regurgitate to feed their young. Some budgies regurgitate for no reason at all, but it is perfectly normal.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    My owner has been recommended by a pet shop owner to give me grit as part of my diet. Do I need grit?

    I eat seeds, fruit and somtimes pellets.

    Thanx - Jo

    Hi, Jo!

    Grit is a very controversial topic. Some birds think they need grit -- they like it for the extra calcium. Other birds think it gives them indigestion. I think, to be safe, you should convince your owner to always keep some grit available in the cage. That way, if you ever need it, it'll be there.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I was looking for info on parakeets and your page popped up. I hope you can help me. My wife and I have two parakeets, ages 2 and 3.5. We will be moving soon to the mountains of Eastern Tennessee and are concerned with our bird's safety during cold weather. I would like to find out what we can do to ensure their safety, especially in the even of a power outage (which happens sometimes up there.) What is the lowest safe temperature for parakeet's health ? And is there anything that can be done to help insulate them (electric blanket, blankets in general, etc.)? I am a little wary of getting a kerosene or propane space heater because I don't know how the carbon monoxide will affect them (I know about human hazard levels, but not birds.)

    Also, what is the average lifespan of a parakeet (budgie) ?

    Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! - Eric Field

    Hi, Eric!

    According to Anthony Olszewski's Budgie FAQ,

    "Sixty-five to eighty degrees Fahrenheit is a good temperature for Keets. They can adjust to anything from freezing to one hundred degrees. Don't subject them to extremes, unless that's how you live yourself."

    If the power goes out and it gets very cold, the best I can think of is to put a hot water bottle pad on top of the cage and cover it with a thick blanket.

    The average lifespan of a budgie is seven years, but they can live for over 15 in rare cases.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I would like to know how I can tell whether or not my Pensy is a boy or a girl and I would also like to know if I can teach her/him to say words? If yes how do I go about it?

    Hi!

    Wait until Pensy is about three months old to be sure, and then check the nose (called the cere). If it is blue, it is a boy. If it is brown, pink, red, or any other colour, it is a girl.

    If your bird is young, you will be able to teach it to talk. If the bird is older, it will be harder.

    To teach a bird to talk, take about 5 to 15 minutes a day and sit down in a quiet place with your bird with no-one else around. Take one word or short phrase, and repeat it to the bird calmly over and over. The bird should become very interested in what you're saying, and try to look into your mouth. Eventually, in a few days, weeks, or months, the bird will learn that phrase. Teach only one phrase at a time, or you will confuse your bird.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have a question to ask! I own a 1 year old budgie and I am considering getting another. Would there be any problems in introducing another budgie to him? Would appreciate any help! - Pete Szoczek

    Hi, Pete!

    They might fight if you introduce them to eachother right away. It would be preferable to get another cage and put them beside eachother until they get used to eachother. Then, you can put them together in the same cage.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Your page is groovy!

    Any way I have a 6 month year old budgie (male) named CAESAR and he is not very tame. He'll come on to my finger but when I try to take out of the cage he just hops off! What should I do? Also when he is outside his cage he just flies back to his cage. Does your budgie talk? Is it easy to teach? Thanks a grillion. -c.c.

    (grillion?!)

    That is normal for most budgies. They get bored on your finger very quickly. You see, your finger is not a very interesting place to be. Maybe if you keep trying, your bird will stay on your finger longer.

    Your bird is young, and is afraid of the world outside his cage. That's why he keeps flying back to the cage. As he gets more confident, he will be less afraid and venture to other parts of the room. By that time, it is a good idea to have him finger trained, because you'll have trouble getting him INTO the cage.

    Birdbrain does not, at the moment, talk. He is very fluent in microwave and smoke detector, though. It's easy to teach, but it takes a lot of patience.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I recently acquired a budgie, Zak, without the 'c' I've been told, who is estimated to be around 9 or 10 years old. He's always been kept in a cage, not large enough to fly around in but not miniscule either. I see from your replies to other owners that company is preferable but apparently he bullied his first companion, a female, who was bought at the same time. My questions are: 1. Is Zak too old to start trying to finger-tame and let out of the cage? and 2. do you think another bird would be a good or bad idea?

    Hi!

    Zak is one of the Ancients. I don't think it would be a good idea to keep another bird in the same cage. If you DO want another bird, get a separate cage for it. Zak sounds like a real loner, and would probably object to another bird in his cage.

    Zak does sound kind of old to tame, but it might be possible. Try it. Information on finger taming is available in books, or in some of the letters on my web page. Also, read the Budgie Faq, which can be found at http://www.upatsix.com/faq/

    I would still let him out for the excercise, but be prepared to dim the lights to catch him.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Sometimes when i talk into the cage of my Budgie, he will come close to me and open his wings,but not all of the way,just at the shoulders. Other times he will only open one wing with his foot along side of it. At the risk of sounding silly, are these just stretches, and why does he do this only when I am close to the cage?

    Thank you for your help.

    It sounds to me like he's just stretching. When you are not around, the bird has nothing to do but just sit there, and this can make him stiff. When you come close, he moves to be closer to you, and he stretches, just as you might stretch after having a nap.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Thank you for the great information on parakeets. I am doing a 2nd grade report on parakeets you know. I have a blue parakeet named Cheerio. - Faith

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I am at my fathers visiting for a month in Dominican Republic. Budgies are a very common pet here. But unfortunatly they only are for decoration and music. There are three parrakeets here. One is male, the other two female. They freak when someone walks by, puts thier hands into or near the cage. They only eat bird seed and I feed them occaisonal fruits and veggies when parents aren't looking. It is an old fashioned birdcage with horizontal wires, a swing and a pirch. It is far off the ground and out side ohn the balcony, 9 foors up. I am giving you their history so it can beeasier to answer the questions.

    1) I like taming animals. I hvae suceessfuly tamed cats & dogs of the streets, lizards, and misc sea life. But never Birds. These birds have been sitting in thier cage outside, never been let out for as far as I know as 2 or 3 years. Is there any hope of humanizing them? Would it be easy to clip thier wings and tame them? Give me tips! I want to conquer this feat!

    Hi!

    Older budgies can be finger-trained, but it takes a lot of patience. Put your hand inside the cage and try to get one to climb onto your finger. This could take a long time if they are terrified of you. Do this several times a day, every day, trying to get them to stay on your hand for a longer period each time. Finally, you may be able to take them outside the cage, but be prepared to catch them. The best way to catch a budgie is to turn out the lights in the room and grab them. I would take the cage inside before you even open the cage door so there is no chance of them escaping.

    It would probably be a lot easier if you clipped their wings. You should find someone experienced to do it for you.

    2) How do you tell if your Bugie is happy? The ones we have enjoy what seems like play pecking at eachother. And they chirp a lot. But I have an Iguana and I know with him that he woud be happier being friends than just a speciemen in a cage. Is that the same with budgies?

    Budgies are happiest with other budgies. If they are kept alone, you have to put them in a room where people will be most of the time. Also, you have to spend some time with a single budgie so it won't be lonely. But if you have more than one budgie, they will enjoy eachother's company and be happy as long as they are well taken care of.

    PS: My grandmother here has a lovebird with i think 3 or 4 budgies. The lovebird is the smarter of them all. How can I tame the lovebird? I think starting w/ clipped wings is the best way. But anyway I read some previous letters and you siad you woul dget Budgie parts. Well, no budgies have been murdered by the lovebird....

    I don't know anything about taming love birds. You can find some excellent information on training and taking care of all sorts of birds by reading the Pet Bird Faq, at http://www.upatsix.com/faq/

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hey, your page has been a really big help for me, because I think I'll be getting a budgie pretty soon. I was just wondering about something that i saw in the "mailroom". You were telling someone about what to feed them(the birds), and you mentioned giving them lettuce. I was asking my friend who used to have a budgie what I should feed them, and she said that I could feed them any fruit or veggie EXCEPT lettuce and cherries because they had some kind of poison in them that hurt birds or something. I have no idea what to believe, so if you could help me i'd be very appreciative!! - Adrienne

    Hi, Adrienne!

    Every book I've read always recommends lettuce as one of the foods that budgies like, but a number of people have expressed concerns to me about this controversial vegetable. I think the danger lies in the pesticides used to grow lettuce and cherries. A budgie is smaller than a human, so it can't handle the same amount of pesticide residues that may be left on some vegetables. Its best to feed your budgie only organically grown food. Always wash all vegetables thoroughly to get any contamination off of them.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    You have areally cool page. I was hoping you'd answer my questions.

  • If you have a finger traind budgie, and you've never taken it out of the cage would it be safe? He'd be a tasty treat for our 2 cats which catch about a bird a day. Oh yeah they're not clipped.
  • Is it true that if you put 2 budgies together they can't be trained?
  • About what is the temperature that is bad for budgies?In the daytime we hang their cage in the sun. We live in the northern end of the Californian Valley, where it averages 99 degrees.

    • Hi, David!

    Cat's will kill budgies just for fun. Only let your budgies out of the cage in a room with no cats, and with the door closed so no cats can get in. It's probably better that the bird is not clipped, so if any cats DID get to him, he could fly away. Still, always keep the cats away from the bird. Keep the cage in a place were the cats can't knock it over, like hanging from the ceiling.

    Two budgies kept together will probably not learn to talk, since they will pay more attention to eachother than to you. You can tame and finger train them without problems, though.

    Don't hang the cage in the sun. What you are doing sounds cruel. It's okay to have them outside, but keep them in the shade. Wild birds spend their time in shady trees, not sunbathing. Your bird will be fine in temperatures from 30 F to 85 F, but it's important to keep the temperature fairly constant.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Last month I got two budgies, Oprah and Tiger Woods, from a friend, who got them from a friend, who got them from a friend etc. I don't know how old they are, is there any way I can tell? I was thinking of teaching them how to talk, if it turns out they're old fogies, will it be too late? Also, I'm thinking of getting canaries, will they get along? When's moulting season? A box of moulting food came with the birds and I don't know when to start feeding it to them. I'm a shop-aholic and when I go to the petstore, I clean out the whole shelf of budgie food. There are so many different types, from making their feathers more colourful, to making them sing. I don't know which ones I really need. - Amanda

    P.S. I love your page, it's funny, friendly, informative and not one bit drop-dead boring. ;-)

    Hi, Amanda!

    You can tell if the bird is under three months old if it still has thr horizontal lines on the top of its head. After the first molt, it looses these lines and the forehead becomes a solid colour. Other than that, it is difficult to determine the bird's age. Usually, only young birds will learn to talk. You can still try to teach them, though. It is still possible for older birds to learn new words.

    Budgies are very social, and love to have other birds around. Canaries, however, should only be kept one to a cage, because they will fight with other birds kept with them. Don't put the budgies and canaries together.

    Budgies moult, or grow new feathers, about twice a year. There's not really a set time, and it depends on a number of factors. You know they're moulting when you see feathers all over the floor around the cage. Their diet should be enriched during the moulting time, but you shouldn't really need extra vitamins all the time if you give your budgies a balanced diet including occasional vegetables, like lettuce. According to the Budgie Faq (http://www2.upatsix.com/faq/) by Anthony Olszewski, you can make your own vitamin-enriched seed by "mixing one teaspoon of wheat germ oil and one teaspoon of cod liver oil with ten pounds of seed" and letting it stand overnight. This seed has to be refrigerated, and has to be used in a week, so obviously, don't make that much. I have never tried this.

    Good luck!

    I read on the net that budgies like leafy green vegetables, but keep them away from cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes. I don't see what's wrong with cabbage and lettuce. Do you have any idea why? I forgot exactly where I found that info, but if I do find it again, I'll make sure to send the address to you. Thanks.

    According to the bird faq, "Chocolate, Alcohol, Avocado, Rhubarb and Caffeine are toxic to your birds. Never feed them to your bird. Some seeds and pits are also toxic, but seeds from melons are okay. Foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar are no-no's too."

    I was trying to finger train Oprah, when my mom let the dog in the room. Oprah freaked and landed on the ground. She lost a lot of feathers on her left wing, and when I gave her a bath a few hours later, there was redness around a certain feather on her left wing, it looked like dried blood. It could have been just the colour of her skin underneath, it looked almost the same as her right wing. It's been two days, Oprah could never fly properly (she's too heavy), when she jumps off of my hand, she used to land and her feet, but now, she falls kinda face-first on the carpet. I think her wing could be sprained and that she's masking it. I'm pretty sure that its not broken. What can I do?

    It sounds serious. If it hasn't healed by now, you should take the bird to an avian vet, specializing in birds.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi! My name is Lindsay. I just got a budgie about 4 days ago. He has suffered a lot of change! He was recently with hundreds of other birds and now he's alone. I'm worried because he never stops shaking and he isn't eating much. Is this all part of the natural heeling BIRDY process in heeling cuts of change in his life? Or is this serious?

    Hi, Lindsay!

    Usually, a new budgie will be very quiet and not very active for a few days after he is first brought home. I'm worried about the shaking, though. Budgie's don't usually shake unless they are very sick. When they are scared, they don't shake, they just stand up tall and appear to get thinner. I recommend that you contact the place you got the budgie from.

    My new budgie, the one shaking, poops. He doesn't poop the regular way. Its dark green and it stained his tail feathers. Now he starts EATING off of his tail instead of his food cup to get the stains and poop off. We tried to clean him off, but it doesnt work and now his beak is green too! What do I do?????

    It sounds like your bird is sick. You should take it to a bird vet as soon as possible. You bird is probably not trying to eat, he's just trying to keep himself clean, which is a good sign. When birds are very sick, they loose all interest in cleaning themselves.

    Make sure the cage is kept very clean. Keep it in a warm place without any drafts. To make it warmer, put a heating pad over the cage. You might want to try giving him extra vitamins in his diet, such as vegetables, and a vitamin formula in his water from the pet store. Above all, take him to a vet.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Your webpage is one of best I have found and it is great that there is someone who is willing to helps us budgie owners out there (because I can not find one single book on budgies that encompasses everything).

    Anyway, I have a one year old female named Pinto and she has a rather strange appetite for the plaster off walls. She sits on my mirror and has more fun eating the plaster than lokking at herself. She does not get sick from doing this, but my parents do not really appreciate it. I have tried bluetac and she just rolled it into little balls and throws them all around my room. Now I am trying cuttlefish in the same spot, but this produces an even bigger mess. I was wondering if you could suggest an alternative to stop Pinto from eating the plaster and if the plaster will make her unwell in anyway, even though it dosent look like it.

    Thanking you for such a great page and your time, - Phoenix

    Hi, Phoenix!

    Once a budgie has found a perch she likes, whether it's a lampshade or a mirror, it's almost impossible to get her to stop going there. My grandmother's bird always flies to her shelf and eats her pension cheques, no matter how many times she shoos it away. You can't stop them; you can only cover up the plaster with something.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have a question about my 3 year old parakeet. Sometimes my parakeet makes a coughing sneezing noise as if he has something stuck in his throat. Is this a common sound that budgies make, it scares me and I sometimes think that he may be choking. Do budgies cough? - Budgie Owner

    Hi!

    Yes, budgies can get colds and they do cough from time to time. If you are worried, the best thing to do is to get the problem checked out by a vet. Respiratory problems can be very serious in birds.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I want to congratulate you on such a very interesting and helpfull Page.and to thank you for being so helpfull to us birdslovers. I have built an avairy 5.5ft X 5.5ft X 2.5ft, and I have put in it 4 lovebirds, if I put a pair of budgies, the bigger type budgies, will they fight with the lovebirds?

    I would like to thank you in advance, and I would like to encourage you to keep up the good work...

    I will be waiting for your answer...

    - Freddie from Malta

    Hi, Freddie!

    I posted your question on USENET, and I got a variety of answers. They all said basically the same thing. If you put budgies and love birds together, you will most likely end up with "Budgie pieces." It seems that love birds enjoy tormenting other types of birds, even birds that are much bigger than themselves.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Q1. HOW CAN YOU TELL A BOY FROM A GIRL BUDIES?
    Q2. WHERE SHOULD A BUDGIES SLEEP, DARK OR BRIGHT?
    Q3. CAN NAILS BE CUT?
    Q4. WHAT FEATHERS SHOULD BE CUT AND HOW MUCH?
    Q5. CAN I MIX DIFFERENT COLOUR OF BUDGIES?

    Kumarr Singh

    Hi!

    It's hard to tell girl and boy budgies apart until they are a few months old. After that, a boy budgie's nose will be blue, and a girl budgie's nose will be brown.

    Budgies can sleep in light if they are tired enough. But they probably prefer darkness. If you have to leave a light on all the time, put a towel over the cage so it will be darker and the bird can get some sleep.

    The budgie's nails can be cut, but only if they grow too much and begin to curl. You have to be VERY CAREFUL. There is a vein in the budgie's toe nails, and if you cut it, the budgie could bleed to death. Use good light so you can see the vein, and have hydrogen peroxide ready to stop the bleeding. Hold the bird with one hand, with the foot you want to trim between your fingers on that hand. Trim the nails with the other hand. But remember that it is better to leave the claws too long than to cut them too short and risk cutting the vein.

    The only time you need to cut the feathers is if you want to clip the bird's wings so it won't be able to fly. I have never done this. My book says that you can either clip one wing or both. Use a light pair of scissors to cut all but the last three feathers on each wing. But you have to be careful of blood feathers, feathers that are still growing and have a vein in them. DO NOT CUT these, because the budgie can bleed to death in minutes. Have hydrogen peroxide ready to stop the bleeding.

    I got this information from the book BEGINNING WITH BUDGIES by Anne Ray Streeter. T. F. H. Publications, Inc., 1985.

    You should be able to mix different coloured budgies with no problems.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    My name is Jonathan Wichett and I got a budgie for Christmas last year who has been called Jake. But we have also had a dog (Emmy) for over five years now and has been wanting to eat Jake. The other day Emmy had gotten a tail feather from Jake and nearly killed him. In the books it says that you can put the dog out of the room but we think that it would be unfair. What should we do? - Jonathan Wichett

    Hi, Jonathan!

    You must consider whether it would be fair to Jake. It would be unfair to have Jake in the same room with a dog that wants to eat him. Never let Jake out of the cage with Emmy in the same room. Put the cage in a place where Emmy can't get at it. The bird cannot defend himself against a dog, and he needs your protection.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I just found your page it is pretty cool. My name is Jessica and I have an 8 year old budgie named Babyblue. He is very smart and plays Go Fish. He loves me and my mom a lot. The only problem with him is that he bites anyone other than me or my mom and he is so friendly too. How can I train him not to? - Jessica and Babyblue

    Hi, Jessica!

    It's hard to tell the budgie not to bite people. Budgies bite when they're scared. It might be that your budgie is scared of people who he doesn't know.

    The only thing I can think of is to not let people other than you or your mom handle him if it bothers him. If I find any other solutions to your problem, I'll let you know.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    We really want to get two budgies but have 2 cats. We have a warm room where they could stay when we're not here (in a cage of course) and we could put the cats in the downstairs portion of our house when they are flying about. Do you have any other issues we should consider?

    Thanks! Nancy & Brian Metz

    Hi, Nancy & Brian!

    Cats are great budgie catchers. There are many cases where they have knocked over cages, letting the budgies out, and then killed the birds. You have to be careful when mixing cats and birds. Put the cage in a high place where the cats could not possibly get at it, ideally hanging from the ceiling. Be very careful when you let the birds out, and keep the door closed. Other than that, there should be no problems.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    We have a new bird named Elliot. If we get a 2nd bird should it be male or female? Will this decrease the chances of them talking? We have cats and it will be hard to let them out of the cage. Will a larger cage compensate somewhat for this? Thank you for the help and your site is great!! - Tom Gambrell

    Hi, Tom!

    If you get another bird and Elliot already talks, two things could happen. Elliot could forget everything he knows, or teach the new bird everything he knows (unlikely). If Elliot doesn't talk, and you get a new bird, they will probably devote more attention to each other than you and it will be harder to teach them to talk.

    If you get birds of the opposite sex, there is a small chance that they could mate and have eggs, but you need a nest box and a special cage for this. Birds of the same sex mate very rarely.

    I believe that budgies should be allowed to fly around for a few minutes once in a while. It keeps them fit and develops muscle tone. A larger cage might compensate a little, if they can fly from bar to bar. Keep the cage in a place where the cats can't knock it over.

    Dear Cody:
    My books tell me that if I keep saying a word over and over again that adventually my bird will start to copy me, what do you think? - Kate

    Hi, Kate! You clicked the wrong link somewhere and e-mailed Birdbrain instead of Cody. But Birdbrain is just as smart, or maybe even smarter (don't tell Cody I said that.)

    Yes, you can teach your bird to talk by repeating the same word over and over. Take a few minutes a day, get the bird on your hand, and repeat the word you want it to learn soothingly. Eventually, while your bird is chattering, you will hear the word mixed in with the garble. Or the bird may even say the word if it sees you.

    Another slower way of teacher the bird to talk is to always say a word to it whenever you come in the room, "Hello" for example.

    I hope this helps.

    Dear Steven:
    I take exception to your web page telling the world that one cannot pet one's budgie. My budgie, Jones, LOVES to be petted,even asks to be petted by putting his head against my fingers and rubbing. His favorite spot is his cheeks but when he's in the mood his belly and head enter the picture.

    I must admit sometimes he is not "in the mood" and cannot be pursuaded to submit to petting.

    I'm sorry you have apparently never experiences such cuddliness from your budgie.

    I am also here as a witness that my brother's birds, 3 varieties of parrot so far, love to be petted, mostly on the back of their necks.

    Sincerely,
    Sharon Richard

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I recently bought a new cage and a new Budgie. I got a medium-size cage, with bars about 3/4" apart. However, my budgie (Chaucer) can fit his entire head out, and he tries to pull himself out of the cage. Should I be worried about him getting out, or worse yet, he hurting himself (e.g. hanging himself, getting stuck)? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Chaucer is just getting used to his cage, and if I have to switch cages, I want to do so before he gets too familiar with this cage. Thanks! - James Foster

    Yes, I recommend another cage. The bars are definitely too far apart if Chaucer can get his whole head out. You are right that there is a danger that he could hang himself. Get another cage as soon as possible.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I have 2 male budgies that unfortunately I am not able to spend much time with as I work 2 jobs. My main question is: If I allowed them out of the cage to fly, will they return to their cage for food and water? They are in a very small cage until I can find time to shop for a larger one. I feel badly about them being so confined.

    It's very risky. You should try it first on a day when you are home to see if they find their way in.

    Also, if they have not been out of the cage often, they might not have good flying skills and could bump into things.

    Another problem is that a house is dangerous for budgies. They can fall into the toilet or a sink and drown. They could get their legs caught on something, try to fly, and end up with a broken leg. They could smack into something causing serious injuries. They could fly somewhere in your house and you may never find them again.

    I think in this situation the risks outweigh the benefits. When you let your birds out of the cage, they need supervision.

    Thanks for your reply and advice. I'll let them out of the cage when I can keep an eye on them. But will they return to their cage on their own? I don't want to terrify those poor little birds by trying to catch them so I can get them back in the cage.

    It helps if they're finger trained. Put your finger in front of the bird and try to get it to step onto it, and gently carry it to the cage on your hand. If that doesn't work, find some way to make the room dark. Budgies can't see very well in dim light, and you can just grab them. But be careful! If one of them starts flying when its dark, turn on a light so it won't bump into anything and hurt itself.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi, I just found your page searching for budgies via Lycos. I enjoyed all of the information and humor. We haven't had a budgie in about 12 years, but are hoping to buy another after we move and get settled later this year. When we had our pair of budgies, the male (Jodi) would cling to the side of the cage and "visit" with our springer spaniel Kodi. They were buddies:) - Rebecca

    Dear Steve and Birdbrain:
    My dad and I just found your homepage. It is beautiful.

    I have two budgies, Cowboy and Indian. Cowboy loves to fly all around the house, but always flies back to his cage. If he doesn't, for some reason, we act like we are going to get Indian. That brings Cowboy back. He thinks he is Indian's protector. - Amanda, age 11

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi, just found your page. I have 2 budgies, a male and a female. They are the sweetest little things! The male has learned to talk. He has about 10 words in his vocabulary. He also whistles a lot of different tunes. It is so funny. We let them out of the cage every day to get some exercise. They are very curious about everything in the house. They are great pets. - Marlene

    Dear Birdbrain:
    I had received a budgie for Christmas and we had bought some accessories for the cage. One thing we bought was a plastic budgie. Since we bought it Chipper sits by it all day long and picks at its head. Is this normal for budgies to do? - B. O'Hanlon

    Yes, that is normal behaviour. If more than one budgie are together, they will preen each other's heads. Your budgie may be bored. You might want to let it out once in a while for exercise. Make sure you spend some time with it each day. A good thing to do is to get another budgie friend for Chipper. Two's company, and maybe Chipper would appreciate a friend who's a little less plastic.


    Dear Birdbrain:
    This week I'm birdy-sitting my friend's female budgie. It makes it interesting becuase my bird is male. After the first day my bird started eating the paper in the corner of his cage closest to the other bird. At first it wasn't unusal becuase he always eats his paper. It starting getting weird when he would not stop. Soon after that the other bird started trying to dig in it's corner right across from my bird. We think they are either trying to tunnel to each other or try to make a nest. Did you ever hear any stories like this before? Is it uncommon or just weird? - Kendra Schmid

    Dear Kendra,
    Budgies love to eat paper! Birdbrain eats it all the time. It's not very good for them, though. Most papers contain traces of bleaches and other chemicals used during production. I have not heard of a bird getting sick from paper, though. If you are worried, try using a paper towel or something the birds won't eat to line the bottom of the cages.

    Tunneling? Maybe. It sounds like there's romance in the air...

    Dear Birdbrain:
    My name is Amy and I am 13. I really want a budgie, but I have to pay for it by myself. Do you think you could help me? Thanks. - Amy

    Hi, Amy!

    First, you have to decide whether you will take care of the budgie. You will need to clean its cage every other day, and spend time with it every day. A budgie needs lots of attention, or else it may get bored and start pulling out its own feathers to pass the time.

    You can get a budgie at most pet stores. They cost from $10 to $20. I recommend that you get a baby budgie -- these ones are cheaper and are more easily trainable. You can tell a young budgie by the lines on its head. An adult bird will have a solid colour on the top of its head, but a young bird has many horizontal lines going across.

    Next, you will need a cage. Don't get one too big, and DON'T get one that's too small. Try to get one with horizontal bars, so your budgie can climb it easier. But if you can't, that's OK. I don't like the cages with openings in the side so you can hang the food dish on the outside. What if you want to move the food dish around? Try to get a cage with the food dish hanging completely on the inside. A new cage will be less than $50. You can probably find a used cage in the classifieds section of your newspaper for much less. But you'll have to clean it and spray it with disinfectant before you use it. Make sure you buy your cage before you get your budgie, so you will have someplace to put it when you get home.

    A bag of budgie millet will be less than $5. Don't get a big bag, because it loses vitamins over time. Also, get some spray millet (millet still attached to the vine) because budgies love that stuff!

    Good luck in getting your budgie!

    Dear Birdbrain:
    Hi, my name is Nelson and my wife and me just got ourself a budgie. All we know about it is it is nice looking. We got it a case and some dry seed from the pet shop...we are not even sure it's sex.

    Can you tell us the things like how to take care of it, when to cut it's nail and how to tell it's sex? Thanks for your time and look forward to your reply. - Nelson Hsieh

    Dear Nelson,

    Hi! Budgies are great pets because they are very easy to take care of (Unlike, say, goldfish, which will immediately die if they get into contact with hazardous materials such as fishfood, or water).

    Make sure you give it fresh water every day, and check the seeds. Make sure it can find, and is eating the seeds. If your budgie can't find the food dish, put some seeds on a saucer on the bottom of the cage. Another problem is that the seeds may appear to be full, but are actually just shells. Take the seed dish outside and blow all of the empty husks out if that happens.

    Get your budgie used to fruits and vegetables. Try lettuce, apples, carrots, and anything else you can thing of. As a snack, your bird may want bread, crackers, pizza, chips, or spaghetti. Just avoid coffee, milk, and chocolate.

    Its hard to tell if the bird is a male or female when it is young. Wait a few weeks. If the budgie's nose (properly called a cere) becomes a smooth blue colour, it is a male. If the cere becomes slightly wrinkled and red or brown, it is a female.

    I don't recommend you cut the birds toenails yourself. The nails contain a vein and birds can bleed to death in minutes. For now, get a cuttle bone from the pet store for the bird to gnaw on. This will keep the beak short and provide some beneficial vitamins. If its toenails get too long and start catching onto things, take the bird to someone who has experience in trimming budgie claws.

    The main thing to remember is that budgies need attention. Put the cage in a room where people will be around most of the day. Let your bird fly around the room every day. Talk to the budgie softly to get it to trust you. Train it to sit on your finger. There are some excellent documents on taming budgies on Cody's Birdcage at http://www.angelfire.com/pages3/cody/index.html

    Dear Steven:
    Thanks for the information. My wife and me do talk to our bird a lot.....but in Chinese! Hope it understands. Do you know why it does not like to drink water, is it because of the yellow drug that I got from the pet shop (The guy in the pet shop said it is vitamin)? Also, when gets colder, how can we keep it warm at night? Also, it sometimes bites it's wing and hurts itself. Is there anything I can do to make it feel better? Thanks again for your time from our family...including Bubble (our bird) - Nelson Hsieh

    Dear Nelson,

    Budgies originally came from the dry regions of Australia, and they don't need to drink much water. You might not see your bird drink. My budgie drinks less than a teaspoon of water per day.

    If you think that your budgie is not drinking, it may be because it cannot find the water. Make sure the water dish is uncovered if this is the case.

    You shouldn't have to give your bird supplementary vitamins unless it is sick. Give Bubbles small pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables instead.

    If it is too cold at night and you are worried, put the cage in a warm place. The most important thing it to keep it out of drafts. Budgies are very sensitive to cool drafts.

    Dear Birdbrain:
    My 3 year old daughter pulled all of the tail feathers out of our cockatiel. Will they grow back and what should we do? - Ben Monagan

    Dear Ben,

    Just wait.

    Your cockatiel probably didn't appreciate it much, but the feathers should grow back in the next molt. This can be anytime in the next few months. It may help if you gave your bird extra fruits and vegetables for vitamins. If the bird flies, it may have trouble steering for a week or two until it adjusts.

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