Budgies, those vibrant and chatty parakeets, exhibit a fascinating range of behaviors that offer insights into their well-being and social dynamics. When a budgie is healthy, comfortable, and in a suitable environment, its typical actions provide a window into its playful, social, and sometimes quirky personality. This guide explores common budgie behaviors, from wing stretching and head bobbing to playing and bonding, helping you better understand and care for your feathered companions.
Budgie Wing Stretching and Exercise
Like all animals, budgies need to stretch their bodies after periods of rest. This often involves extending one leg and wing simultaneously, followed by the other side. They may then raise both wings, a silent ritual to invigorate their muscles. This should not be mistaken for aggressive wing-raising, which can occur around a crowded food source.
In the morning, budgies commonly engage in vigorous wing flapping while perched. This can involve their feet leaving the perch for a brief, noisy hover, accompanied by calls and chirps. This is purely a warm-up exercise, not a display of aggression. To ensure adequate wing exercise, especially for birds not housed in large aviaries, allowing them supervised free flight in a room outside their cage is essential. Budgies also enjoy “gymnastics,” climbing their cage, and engaging with suspended toys.
The Art of Head Bobbing
Head bobbing is a particularly entertaining behavior, most commonly observed in male budgies. This rapid, fluid up-and-down neck motion is often accompanied by chattering. In a social context, a male budgie may perform this for a female as part of his mating display, potentially leading to mutual feeding and courtship.
Pet budgies, however, may head bob at various times and for diverse reasons. An outgoing budgie is more likely to exhibit this behavior frequently. While less common, females can also participate. Males might head bob at other males, their owners, mirrors, favorite toys, or even food items. This action, sometimes part of a ritualistic song and dance, usually signifies happiness and excitement. For a tame budgie, head bobbing can also be a way to solicit attention.
Baby budgies often head-bob to signal hunger. Even after weaning, young birds may cling to their parents, head bobbing for food. While initially effective, this behavior eventually lessens as parental patience wanes, and chicks must learn to compete for food.
Engaging with Toys and Play
Budgies are naturally curious and will investigate any new object introduced to their cage. Some birds are more timid and may take time to approach a new toy, while others explore and play with it for a day or two before losing interest. Therefore, rotating toys is crucial to maintain their engagement and provide ongoing stimulation.
Toys that hang, move, or make noise are particularly appealing, offering hours of exercise and amusement. Rolling toys, such as ping-pong balls, are also popular, with budgies often nudging them along the cage floor. Toys with reflective surfaces can sometimes elicit a mating response, especially in solitary birds. If a budgie begins regurgitating food towards a toy, it’s advisable to remove the object to redirect its focus.
Obsessive Behavior and Companionship
Budgies, particularly those kept alone, can develop strong attachments to their toys. A bell, for instance, with its movement and sound, can become a favorite. When tapping and ringing the bell becomes a regular, almost obsessive behavior, it signals a need for companionship. While removing the object may cause temporary distress, budgies are adaptable and will eventually shift their attention. However, the best solution is to introduce another bird to channel their energies more naturally.
Eye Pinning and Curiosity
‘Eye pinning,’ or ‘eye flashing,’ can be triggered by favorite or exciting new toys. This is characterized by the rhythmic dilation and contraction of the budgie’s pupils as it focuses intently on an object. Pupil dilation also occurs when a male budgie is about to regurgitate food for its mate or a close companion. Tilting the head to one side is another common sign of an engaged and curious budgie, allowing for a better view of its surroundings.
Preening, Scratching, and Chewing
Scratching and Mutual Preening
While a budgie’s beak can reach most areas for preening or scratching an itch, it cannot easily access its face, head, and neck. Mutual preening, where one bird grooms the other’s hard-to-reach spots, is common. Alternatively, a budgie will use its foot to scratch or rub against a toy, perch, or cage bars. For some, this self-grooming becomes a pleasurable activity.
Chewing Habits
Chewing is a natural and necessary behavior for budgies. Providing them with suitable items to chew on is important. Balsa wood and wooden perches made from appropriate materials are ideal. Cuttlefish bone, while pecked at, crumbles and is not considered a chewable item in the same way.
Yawning and Health Indicators
Budgies yawn when they are tired, characterized by opening their beak wide, closing their eyes, and stretching their neck. This is a normal precursor to sleep. However, if a budgie’s beak remains open for extended periods, or if it shakes its head or makes coughing sounds, it could indicate a health problem, such as a blockage. In such cases, veterinary attention is necessary.
Social Dynamics: Budgies in Pairs and Flocks
Behavior in Pairs
Budgies generally thrive in each other’s company. A pair, regardless of gender, typically forms a self-contained unit, engaging in grooming, chattering, and socializing. However, in rare instances, pairs may not get along, leading to fighting or maintaining distance. Lack of mutual grooming and chattering can indicate incompatibility, and separation may be required. Sometimes, introducing a mirror can help break the ice, altering the social dynamic and encouraging interaction.
A bonded pair exhibits distinct behaviors. The male may sing and head bob, offering regurgitated seed. They will touch beaks and preen each other’s faces and heads, often staying close together on a perch.
Bonding and Flock Mentality
From the moment a budgie leaves its nest, it is part of a flock, and its behavior is geared towards bonding. This involves mirroring the actions of other birds – eating, grooming, chattering, flying, and bathing together. Budgies bond by actively participating in these shared activities. Close friends will engage in “budgie kisses” by tapping beaks and preen each other’s faces and heads.
For a single budgie, the owner becomes its flock. Providing social interaction through talking, handling, and allowing the bird to be part of daily activities is crucial. With time and dedication, a deep bond can be formed, offering a companionship as satisfying as that with a well-trained dog.
Preening and Grooming Rituals
Preening is essential for a budgie’s cleanliness and well-being. While they engage in mutual grooming, particularly of the head and chin areas, most preening is a solitary activity. Budgies possess a feather-oil gland at the base of their tail. During preening, they use their beak to distribute this oil along each feather, a process that takes considerable time. Like many activities, preening is often done communally, reinforcing flock cohesion.
A preening session typically concludes with the bird puffing up its feathers, shaking vigorously, and wagging its tail, signaling the completion of the grooming ritual.
The Importance of Mutual Preening
Since budgies cannot preen their own faces and heads effectively, mutual preening is vital. Companion birds groom these inaccessible areas for each other. For a hand-trained bird, a gentle scratch on the head with a finger can provide a similar sensation. A positive response involves fluffed head feathers and closed eyes, while tightly held feathers and pecking indicate the human touch is not quite right. Mutual preening is an integral part of the bonding process for budgies.
