Budgies

Budgies are a favourite with many pet bird owners because they are small and yet they are capable of singing and talking.

Chances are that you would have seen some budgies at a friends place before if you don't already own one yourself. Budgies belong to the parakeet family, but not all parakeets are budgies either.

Like the term parrot, parakeet is a term used to describe a range of small birds or parrots in fact which have long tails. This includes the budgie, also known as budgerigar bird.

Within the budgerigar family we have two species, one being the English budgie and the other is the American budgie which is more commonly held as a pet bird.

The American budgie is smaller in size than the English budgie which is often used in exhibitions and bird shows.

Like many bird, the parakeet is monogamous, meaning he bonds with his mate for life.

As pet birds, budgies are a wonderful species to choose. They are easy to keep and due to their independant nature they can be quite comfortably left alone as long as he has a mate. If you want to breed budgies, make sure your bird is 12 months old at the minimum to have him properly matured sexually.

As with many pet birds, if you want optimum pet bird care with your budgie, pair him up with a mate. Although if you have other compatible birds in the house, a single budgerigar might be suitable as well. In our house we have 5 cockatiels of which one is home born and one budgie. They all get along quite well with each other, except the usual quibble between brothers and sisters.

If you own a female budgie beware, especially if you think about adding another one. They can be quite agressive toward one another and it is recommended you stick with the one female and one male. Males get along easier and there should be no issues while pairing them up.

Adding a new bird to a flock of existing birds in your home always requires some adjusting time. It is best to leave the new bird in the bird cage until the others have adjusted to it and vice versa. Usually this can take hours or less, sometimes more depending on the bird itself.

Like humans, all budgies have different personal qualities and need to be treated accordingly. As pets, budgies are very easy to keep and can be housed similar to cockatiels. Our budgie actually shares his home with our tiels and it works fine.

Note: Budgies tend to hassle or bully your cockatiels at times and as long as you have more tiels than budgerigars, you should be fine. They are also quite capable of defending themselves and standing up to their bigger mates. 

One of the most amazing qualities about these parakeets is their ability to chatter, sing and talk all day long. You no nlonger need a radio when a budgie enters your home - especially if your pet bird is happy. 

If you buy them young, they are relatively easy to tame. Spend some time with your parakeet and teach him how to talk and you should see some action soon enough.

As with other pet birds, your parakeet needs some suitable bird toys to keep him entertained and happy. Mirrors are especially favoured by them because they like to look at themselves and chatter away. Budgies are a great addition to any household and once you choose to take one home, you will wholeheartedly agree.