All You Need To Know About Your Budgies aka budgerigar

Budgies aka budgerigar another name parakeets are very intelligent and lively birds.They make wonderful companion pet birds.

As they are very small in size.So ,they are suitable for almost all age groups.They are in huge range of colors and varieties.They can easily be tamed and trained to talk.As they do not have complicated needs,so they are easy to breed.Having said all this ,i want to conclude that like any other pet,they also need to be respected and well cared and their basic needs must be fulfilled.If you do not study about their necessary needs you will do them more harm than good.The main reason behind the production of this post is to share with you all the information that you require to have the same amount of joy and satisfaction out of caring for your budgie that I am having.

So feel free to look around.If you can not find the information that your are looking for simply use the search box above.I love to discuss about the many varieties and budgies genetics.So, always feel free to make contact and share your thoughts aor questions.

Budgie Care:

If you are looking to get a budgie and you do not know its care.This post is for you.I my self believe that the place to begin when considering caring for your budgie is to get a little bit knowledge about their origins.In this way you will learn what kind of food they like,what type of habitat suits them and also you will know a lot about their behavior.

Budgies thrive in their wild environment without the many of the problems we encounter with them in captivity.They are obvious advantages to captivity,like not dying of thirst or starvation during a drought.Although,many disadvantages caused by a lack of understanding of their needs.So,where these little active parrots come from and what does that tells us about budgie care?

Budgie Basics:

They are parakeets that originated in Australia.Australia has the full range of habitats for these parrots.Budgies mostly live in the grassland areas.They are nomadic,moving to new areas in search of food and water.They can fly upto hundreds of kilometres in a day.They can be found in many parts of Australia,from the inland desert areas to some coastal regions as they fly for food.Wild budgies live in flocks.Flocks can vary from a few birds to huge.When specific factors trigger breeding they will breed prolifically,producing three clutches of up to seven or eight chicks.Normally average is four chicks.However Australia go years without any rain and it’s temperature reaches to 49 degree,which is very hot .During this time budgies do not breed and many die.

Budgie Diet:

As you already know,budgies live in grassland areas mostly.This indicates that their diet mostly comprises of seeds,shoots and other plant materials,.They have access to different types of grasses which includes Mitchell grass,wild oats,canary grass and many others.They have access to trees that provide them with green leaves,buds and fruit to chew on.They are also knows to eat the charcoal from burned tress.This help them in times of illness.

For drinking,budgies get water wherever they an find it from natural sources like ponds,puddles or mad made sources like cattle troughs.

Wild budgies spend majority of their time travelling and searching for food and water.It requires exercise and intelligence.They would fly long distances for this purpose.This foraging behavior keeps their body and mind active and healthy.There is alot to consider when planning a healthy diet plan for your budgie.Keeping this in mind,i have a seperate page here.It covers different food options and how to use their foraging instinct to keep them healthy and entertained.

Budgie Accommodation:

As you already know that budgies are nomadic by nature,They are very active little parrots.They have energy to burn and curiosity to match.

You must supply your budgies with as huge living areas as possible.The largest cage will be best.Your bird cage should be well furnished with safe perches,water bowls and some carefully selected toys.

If you provide them with safe foraging opportunities.They will require fewer toys to keep them engaged.

There are many other things to consider when planing your budgies home.So,it is better to read about cages and aviaries in details on their own pages.

Budgie Entertainment:

Budgies have alot of spare energy.If you can devise a feed system that encouraging foraging you will have provided for hours of physical and mental stimulation.From there they will require some toys to keep them entertained.Always keep some important things in mind before getting them toy.Any thing that can catch a foot,toenail or beak in should be avaoided or used only under supervision.

Also keep in mind that your budgie will at least taste and at most try to chew pieces.So always avoid anything coated with potentially poisonous substances.Because such accident happened that many budgies have died from chewing and ingesting fibers from rope toys which caused blockage in their digestive tracts.Simple,If you don’t think that toy is not good for your child ,do not give it to your budgie as well.

Budgie Companionship:

Budgies naturally live in flocks, they have a strong need for social activities. It would be better to get another budgie for companionship.

Tame budgies love to have fun out with you.They will climb all over you,attack the tip of your pen,chew the page you are writing on.So if you can have just one budgie,try to tame it so it can have a life free from cage.It would be ore wonderful if you have two or more tame budgies that can come out of their cage .

There are some issues to be noticed when selecting a friend for your budgie.So it is ideal to do some research before buying a new friend.

Budgie Safety:

Budgies need alot of safety.They can fall into toilet.So always supervise your budgie when it is out of the cage.And also double check any thing you keep in their cage.

Budgie Health:

As mentioned above,the inland parts of Australia can become very hot and dry,with many birds dying.They can be put in different environments,form extremely hot areas to where it snows.

Always make sure your budgies have good diet,clean water and access to clean water to bath .Always pay attention to your budgies so that you can easily tell when they are looking different then usual

The life of a wild budgie is not an easy one. As mentioned above, the inland areas of Australia can become incredibly hot and dry, with many birds dying as a result. What this means for us, when considering budgie care, is that pet budgies are very hardy. They can kept in many different environments, from the very hot to areas where it snows.

However, this is not an excuse for poor budgie care! Making sure your budgie has a good varied diet,
access to clean water and plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, is the best way to ensure it stay
healthy.

In the wild predators would single out the sick budgies, so they will try to look normal for as long as possible. It means that if you r budgie looks sick, it is likely quite unwell and you should take action immediately. It pays to find out before hand if there is a veterinary nearby who is used to dealing
with birds in case of an emergency.Signs of a sick budgie link

The first aid for a sick budgie is to put it somewhere warm and in dark so it can rest quietly until you can
get it to a veterinary.

Budgies Sexing Guide:

I get alot of questions about whether a budgie is a girl or a boy .So keeping this in my mind I thought to write about budgie sexing to provide you with all the information you needed.

Adult budgies are more easier to sex than chicks or fledglings. So, first of all you need to decide which age group
your bird falls into.

Is Your bird an adult or a youngster?

As chicks most budgie varieties have markings on their head down the forehead to near the cere. If your budgie has barring down its forehead you can tell that it is a chick still. Another feature to look for is a dark tip to the birds beak, Although this may not be present in chicks with orange beaks.

Also, chicks do not have the light ring around the iris in the eye. Most varieties gain an iris ring as they mature but some do not . The iris ring develops at about 4-6 months so, if your budgie does not belong to those varieties, and you have only had it a short time, then the lack of an iris ring indicates it is still a youngster.

Adult male budgie showing flecking
Sometimes there can be little discrepancies to throw you off. Some varieties, especially opaline, can
have what is called flecking. This is when the bird has spots of markings left on the forehead after the
adult moult. It is more common on show type budgies.

If in doubt the other thing to consider is that young budgies usually have much softer ‘fluffier’ looking
feathers and they become more sleek and firm looking as adults. The baby feathering is primarily for
keeping warm but as adults it must also help with flight and protection.

If you a can’t find out the age you can either go through the information for both adults and
chicks, or wait for a few months and see if anything changes.

Budgie sexing – adult birds:

Lets start with hens:
Adult hens have a cere that is anywhere from whitish-blue through to deep brown in colour
It changes when the breeding season comes, often becoming much darker and rough surfaced and growing
into a more bulging shape, as seen on the hens below.

Now for the cocks. Adult males have one of two types of cere colour.

The most common is a clear, bright blue. It might become a stronger shade during the breeding season,
maybe fading a bit at other times. It will not return to the whitish-blue seen in young hens though,
always being a bold blue shade.

The other color is a fleshy or even pinkish . This is present in all the varieties with red eyes, and
the dark eyed varieties that do not have an iris ring as adults .

Budgie sexing – young birds

Sexing youngsters provides a bit more of a challenge, some are obvious not long after leaving the nest
but often you have to give them a few weeks before it is clear.

There are a few things you can check:

A dull, not shiny, white ring surrounding the actual nostril is a good indication of a hen.
you will often see a very light blue shade surrounding the white ring, this is not an indication of a male but a feature of a young hen.

Hens ceres tend to appear flatter whilst a males will be rounded and bulging looking.

Cock ceres lack a white ring and are often a pink or purple shade, they look very much like the adult male
flesh/pink cere.
so in young budgies blue is likely to be a girl and pink is likely to be a boy.
I hope after reading my post you got to know about budgies basics.

I want you to read our article down below as well, in order to gain more knowledge about budgies

https://birdandbeyond.com/english-budgie-genetics-for-breeders-owners