Education | Birds
Budgies — The Tiny Birds People Often Ignore
When we think about domesticated birds as pets, we think about large birds like African greys, macaws, and parrots. But there are smaller domesticated birds that make excellent pets such as budgies, canaries, and cockatiels. In this article, we will be taking a look at the budgie also known as the parakeet, and the budgerigar, and what makes it an excellent pet choice.
Origins
Budgies originated in Australia. They are found in grasslands and forests, in flocks from three to one hundred birds. These small birds have survived five million years in extremely harsh environments.
Etymology
The name “budgie” comes from the indigenous tribes of Australia. Budgie means “good food”. They called them that because they ate them. Some people think budgie means “good bird” it is not clear, but people know that the name budgie has the word “good” in it.
Care
Budgies like all pets need attention. They should be out of their cage two hours a day. If they are new, they should get their wings clipped because if they go out of the house, they may fly away. They should get their toenails clipped and get a bath at least once a month. It is also a good idea to get them toys for fun so the budgie does not get bored. Giving a budgie a cage is necessary or they would mess up your house by pooping everywhere.
Budgies poop every twelve to fifteen minutes, which doesn’t help the fact they have to be out for about two hours a day for exercise. This means owners of budgies have to try to minimize debris from these pets. This means limiting their space to one room in the household.
Size and weight
Budgies are five to eleven inches, the third smallest domesticated bird behind canaries and finches. Budgies' small size means that they can be kept in small spaces, which is beneficial for apartment dwellers. They weigh 1.1–1.4 ounces. That makes it so that you could carry it on your finger. It is also good because they don’t have to eat too much.
Life span
Budgies live from five to ten years in captivity. It isn’t as hard to own one since they are only going to need people to look after them for only ten years. Afterward, you can get a larger bird, since you had a starter bird and know how to look after them.
Social nature
Budgies are extremely social pets. They love having other birds as friends. It is recommended that once you have a budgie, you get another. Budgies, like all birds like living in flocks. They interact with each other like humans and, like humans, budgies love having friends. Since these birds are so small, it is easy to keep two of them. That is good because you don’t have to get more things for the second budgie because the first one can share its toys.
Speech
Most people ignore the fact that budgies can talk which they do quite well. Although they only live for about ten years, they could learn a lot of words during this short time. They can learn all the way up to one thousand words if you train them every day. Some experts would tell you to be patient if you're teaching your bird to speak. One reason is that they are like toddlers, you shouldn't yell at them as you could intimidate them.
Why they deserve our attention
Budgies are great animals who are usually overlooked by anyone searching for a bird as a pet. And don’t forget to consider the budgie if you want a pet bird. In conclusion, budgies are great pets that deserve our attention.