That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

I’m often questioned on the pros and cons of keeping Budgerigars (parakeets) and other parrots singly as opposed to in pairs or groups.  Most folks are aware that parrots housed alone tend to form strong bonds to their owners, more so than birds that have others of their own kind to interact with.  While this may be true to some extent, there are other considerations.  A recent question from a bird owner who planned to give away one of her budgies, in order to make a “better pet” of the other, has prompted me to post some thoughts here.

Social Life in the Wild

Parrots, including budgies, almost always fare best when kept in pairs or appropriate groups.  Those I have observed in the wild (and this is echoed by all careful parrot-watchers) are in almost constant contact with their mates and flock members.  Even in large flocks, and during flight, it is usually quite a simple matter to spot paired birds…they remain, literally, within touching distance of one another.

Solitary Pets

A great many of the problems experienced by pet parrots are related to their being kept alone.  The agitated “dances”, displays and attacks on toys exhibited by solitary birds, and which are found amusing by those unfamiliar with parrot biology, are actually born of frustrated urges to mate and defend a territory.  Several parrot interest groups have now published position statements to the effect that housing a parrot alone is, in most cases, considered by the group to be animal abuse.

Filling in for a Missing Mate

I advised the afore-mentioned budgie owner that while the bird may indeed form a strong bond with her if kept alone.  However there would be no way to predict such, as her pet had already been housed with another bird (this will affect its reaction to being kept alone).

But above all, the most important consideration to bear in mind is that spending a few hours each day with a budgie would not be adequate; parrots kept alone need the near constant companionship of a person if that person is to be considered a “substitute” for the missing mate.  This is difficult to arrange for most people.

Further Reading

Parrots that bond with people may make wonderful pets but sometimes raise a host of unexpected problems.  For more information, please see another article I have written, Parrot Bonding: Positive and Negative Aspects.

Click: Captive Care of the Budgerigar (“Parakeet”), Melopsittacus undulatus; – Budgerigars as Pets – Part I, to read the first part of this article.

Feeding
Budgerigars should be offered a mix of seed based (i.e. Pretty Bird Premium Budgie Diet) and pelleted (i.e. Zu Preem Parakeet Fruit Blend) foods.  Sprouting grass (sprout pot), budgerigar treat foods and a small amount of fruit should be offered 2-3 times weekly.  Cuttlebone and grit should always be available.

Captive Longevity
Budgerigars live an average of 5-8 years, but sometimes reach age 12 or so.   The longevity record is in the neighborhood of 15 years.

Handling and Training
Birds with clipped wings are easiest to train, and hand-raised budgerigars make the best talkers.

I’ll cover the details of training in future articles, but in general it is a good idea to position the bird’s cage in a room where you spend a good deal of time, and to talk to your pet quietly at frequent intervals.  Actual training sessions should be limited to 10-20 minutes.

Finger-training begins by allowing the bird to adjust to the presence of your hand within the cage.  Once it accepts your presence, you can gently push against the bird’s stomach, repeating the word “up” as you do so.  Eventually you should be able to remove the budgerigar from its cage.

Well-adjusted budgerigars genuinely enjoy human companionship and, in fact, may drive you to distraction with their constant play behavior (hanging from your eye-glasses while you are trying to read, for instance!).

Speaking is largely a matter of repetition – be sure to use words in context, so that your bird will appear to “know what it is talking about” once he or she does start to chatter away.  Budgerigars frequently pick up words or sounds on their own, including the calls of wild birds.  One kept by my grandparents frustrated my grandfather by continually calling his name in imitation of my grandmother.  My slightly deaf grandfather often responded the bird’s call and ignored his wife’s – both were convinced that the budgerigar’s “chuckling” afterwards was purposeful!

Parakeets are quick to learn simple tricks (more on that in the future) but bear in mind that their natural behaviors when confronted with new objects or situations are usually well-qualified as “tricks”.  Keep them in a stimulating environment and well supplied with toys and you will never want for amusement!

Breeding
Budgerigars are adapted to one of earth’s harshest environments (please see Part I of this article) and are quick to come into breeding condition when times are favorable.  In captivity, well-fed and watered, they are nearly always ready to reproduce.  In fact, the mere presence of a nest box may induce breeding behavior in a pair or egg-laying in a lone female.

I’ll cover breeding details in a future article, please write in if you’d like further information in the meantime.

Miscellaneous
The word budgerigar is derived from the Aboriginal term for “good eating”.

A unique article concerning experiences with budgerigars in the wild and captivity is posted at:
http://www.parrotsociety.org.au/articles/art_043.htm