Keeping budgies as pets is like bringing exquisiteness at home in incredible bright colours. Its breed name is called Budgerigar but it is more popularly referred to as budgies or parakeets. Birds appearing as small parrots are referred to as ‘parakeets’ where budgies belong.
Are budgies good pets? Let us get to know how fascinating these budgies are as pets.
Interesting facts about Budgies
- In the ancient times, budgies are called by a variety of names depending on which country they came from. Names include canary parrot, shell parrot, undulated parakeet, warbling grass parakeet, and zebra parrot.
- Whilst nearly all birds have three toes facing forward and one facing backward, the Budgerigar have two toes facing forward and two toes facing backward.
- If you look closely at a budgie, you may or may not see its third eyelid. This is rarely visible in most cases and is very important for budgies to lubricate its eyes on its own, removing lingering dirt or debris.
- They have an extremely fast heart rate at over 300 beats per minute which cannot be monitored in the usual way.
Photo Credit: windy city parrot
- The first budgie discovered was coated in green-yellow colour. Other colours were developed since then. The second colour was developed from a genetic mutation creating an all-yellow budgie.
- Budgies have monocular vision, which means they can use each eye independently.
- Budgies are known to poop every twenty minutes. However, they do not urinate.
- They are very sociable and are recognised as one of the most vocal amongst pet bird species. They can mimic sounds and words but do not learn the meaning of such words.
- Can a budgie be kept alone? Budgies are social creatures and require verbal interaction. If you are planning to keep one, experts recommend keeping more than one budgie.
Budgies as pets: Feeding requirement
Keep your budgie happy and healthy by giving appropriate nutritional diet. A healthy budgie will have lustrous plumage and dynamic voices. In the wild, seeds have always been the traditional staple food in a bird’s diet. Its diet should comprise 60 per cent grain, 10-20 per cent fresh vegetables, and 5 per cent fruits.
Nowadays, there are a variety of foods available at pet stores that can be given to your pet bird. It is best to provide your budgies with a high-quality pelleted food specifically developed for birds. You may add supplementary food such as fresh veggies and fruits. Moreover, fresh food and water should be given every day.
Budgies as pets: Things to buy
Include the following things in your checklist to buy for your budgies:
Cage
Provide the largest cage available if you are planning to keep them indoors most of the time. It should be durable that can resist any bending or dismantling attempts by the bird. It should be made of non-toxic materials. Cage bars should not be wider than 12mm apart to prevent any escape attempts.
Food and water bowls
Remember to place food and water bowls in an accessible area. Food bowls should be wide rather than deep to encourage your pet bird to eat. You may place food and water bowl opposite to each other to encourage exercise by flying back and forth.
Perches
Perches allow your birds to roost and provides a place to stay whenever they feel the need to. You may place two perches on opposite sites for them to fly or hop.
Toys 
Chewable items for birds include branches, natural fibre rope, pine cones, rawhide chews, and soft white pine. You may introduce your pet bird to other activities such as foraging, training, and human interaction.
Choosing the right budgie
How long do budgies live as pets? Make sure that you are ready to have these companions for as long as 5-10 years. Are you interested in buying a pet budgie for sale or adopting one? Here are important things to keep in mind whilst looking for your first budgie:
- Choose a store or a reputable breeder housing a good environment for budgies. Do not buy a budgie that’s less than eight weeks old.
- Ensure that they are kept with good hygiene. Bad hygiene can cause digestive complications or other medical conditions.
- Wings can be clipped but ensure that all feathers are still there and should be full and lustrous.
- Choose a playful budgie that can socialise well with other budgies and humans. Alertness and playfulness are indicators of a happy and healthy budgie. They are easier to handle or tame as soon as you decide to keep them as pets.
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