Common Behaviors

Covered in this Page: Head Bobbing, Stretching, Preening, "Kissing", Beak Grinding, Perching on One Foot, The Splits, Biting, Squawking, Feather Plucking, Fighting, and Hormonal Behavior

Budgies do a lot of funny things and we can't always know exactly why. However, there are some very common behaviors that we can put an explanation to.

Everyday Behaviors

Head Bobbing: The rapid up and down movement of the head is called "headbobbing" and this is most common in male budgies (though females will do it too). This can be a courtship behavior and is often followed by the bird regurgitating food for its friend. That "friend" could be another budgie, a favorite toy, or even you! Budgies also headbob out of playfulness and excitement. Mine seem to do it most in the mornings after they've first been uncovered.

Stretching: Budgies stretch by extending each wing and leg away from the body. I've read in many places that this is a budgie's way of greeting you but from what I've observed, it's just a stretch. They seem to stretch before becoming active, just like you and I, and they sometimes stretch when settling down for a nap. While I wouldn't call this a greeting, it is an indication that your budgie is comfortable with you as he wouldn't be relaxed enough to stretch otherwise.

Preening: Budgies spend a lot of time preening. This is how they keep their feathers tidy and in good condition. Budgies have a preening gland on their rump near their tail and you will often see them rubbing their faces there to disperse the oils from this gland to the rest of the feathers on their bodies. Budgies will also preen each other to strengthen or create bonds.

"Kissing": If you have more than one budgie you might see them locking beaks. It looks like a kiss but this is actually one bird feeding another. One will regurgitate food up from his/her *crop to transfer into the beak of a friend or mate. (Yummy!) This is a bonding activity and can be observed between birds of any age or sex.

*The crop is a pouch located near the throat where food is stored before being passed along for digestion.




Beak Grinding or Clicking: A content and/or sleepy budgie will click and grind his beak. Sometimes he'll also chatter to himself as he settles into his nap.

Perching on One Foot: Most budgies will sleep or nap with one foot raised and tucked up into their belly feathers. This is a perfectly normal behavior and a sign of good health. A nervous or ill budgie will more likely sleep with both feet on the perch but don't be alarmed if your bird does this, especially if he is new. All budgies are different, just keep a close eye on him and when in doubt, have your vet examine him.

The Splits: Budgies are very acrobatic little birds and some seem to find this position especially comfortable to sleep in. Some budgies will take this move to the next level and do a complete flip!











Problem Behaviors

Biting: The most common reason for a budgie biting is fear. Another reason budgies bite is to defend their "territory" which is often their cage. In either case, you should ignore the bites. Don't scream, jerk your finger back, or do an irish jig. Budgie bites can hurt but if you react in any of these ways your bird will know that biting not only gets him what he wants (for you to go away) but it's fun to watch as well! Birds have quite the sense of humor sometimes.

If your bird is biting you, the first thing you must ask yourself is "why?" Did you move too fast? Did you invade his territory? Is he just completely frightened of you or something else in the room?

A fearful budgie frantically tries to escape from you and sometimes even shrieks while you pursue him. Biting will be his last resort and if you have to catch him, use a washcloth so that you don't get bitten.

A budgie who is defending his (or her) territory is a bit different. He will lunge at you when you put your hand somewhere he doesn't want it to be. His actions will seem more aggressive than those of a fearful budgie. If you jerk your hand away or scream, you're just teaching him that his efforts to keep you out of his space are working. Rather than do this, you must ignore the bites (no matter how bad they are). If you can, get him to step up repeatedly, especially if he continues to bite your hands. Keep "laddering" him this way until he stops. When he stops, make a happy fuss and/or give him a treat.

Another way to prevent or decrease territorial behavior is to change the cage every week or so. Rearrange all the perches and toys, rotate in new toys. Not only will this help curb territorial aggression, it will also keep your bird from becoming bored. If your budgie seems possesive over a particular toy, remove this toy and replace it with something else. You can try adding it back in after a week or so has passed but if the aggression starts again you may have to dispose of the toy.

Squawking: Actually, this is usually not a behavioral problem but if you find that your budgie is shrieking for attention, the best plan of action is to ignore him until he's quiet. This means no running to him and telling him to shut up or throwing balled up socks at the cage. But as I mentioned, this is NOT usually a behavioral issue. Budgies squawk for many different reasons. It's just part of budgie ownership and the bird should never be punished for making noise.

Feather Plucking:
Unlike some of the other parrot species, budgies rarely pluck for behavioral reasons. Illnesses such as giardia can cause a budgie to pluck so if you notice your bird is doing this, you should get him seen by your avian veterinarian as soon as possible.












Fighting:
It is completely normal for budgies kept in pairs or groups to bicker amongst each other but if the conflict becomes especially violent or if an injury occurs, the birds should be separated (any injured bird should see an avian vet for treatment). Not all budgies will get along well with one another and this is something that should be taken into serious consideration before you purchase multiple birds or decide to add another to the flock.

When adding a budgie to your home, be sure to have a spare cage prepared before even bringing the new bird home. The cage must be kept in a separate room of the house so that the new budgie will have no contact with your other(s) for at least thirty days. This is known as the quarantine period and is critical when buying a new pet. During this time, you will be able to monitor the new budgie for illness, have it checked out by your vet, and spend quality one-on-one time taming it so that when introduced to your other budgie(s) it will have already developed a relationship with you. Do not allow the birds to interact at all during this period and always wash your hands in between handling them.

Fighting budgies often do well when given time out of the cage together but this must always be supervised. If the fighting is especially bad, you will have to arrange seperate out of cage times for each budgie.

Hormonal Behavior:
Under certain conditions or during certain (warmer) times of the year, budgies may become hormonal. This means, basically, they go into "breeding" mode and it may become necessary to discourage this. Signs of a hormonal budgie include an increase in noise, biting, and/or bonding with favorite toys, perches, or other objects. A hormonal budgie may attempt to regurgitate food for these objects and will often become possesive of them.

A hormonal budgie desires a mate and will be very frustrated in the absense of one. It is not a good idea to provide a mate for your budgie during this time as they will breed easily and breeding entails a host of its own complications, especially when done without research. For instance, hens (female budgies) that breed are put under a lot of physical stress as their calcium stores are depleted. There is a considerable risk of egg binding (when an egg becomes lodged in the vent) and this can lead to death. It can be extremely difficult to stop a breeding pair once they've started and the expenses of extra food and vet care can become very overwhelming. Providing a mate for a hormonal budgie only increases the problems for both you and your pet. Preventing and stopping your budgie's "breeding mode" is the best course of action.

• First and foremost, make sure that your budgie is getting no less than twelve hours of darkness each night. Increased daylight is a hormonal trigger. Cover and uncover the cage at the same times each day and use a dark colored cover so that morning light will not filter in.
• Remove any objects that your budgie has become bonded to such as certain toys or mirrors. It's best to not add a mirror to begin with, especially if you have a solitary budgie. (Note: This does not mean you should remove all toys from the cage, just remove those that your budgie is becoming too posessive over.)
• Rearrange the cage on a regular basis. Changing up the arrangement of perches and toys about once a week will help curb hormonal behavior. Budgies become more nesty when conditions are constant.
• Remove anything that may resemble a nest box or nesting area. Generally, female budgies will not lay eggs unless they have a nest box but they have been known to use food dishes and other hollowed out objects to nest in. Some may even lay eggs at the bottom of the cage.

If one of your budgies does lay eggs in the bottom of the cage, they should be disposed of and replaced by "dummy" or fake eggs. These can be purchased in pet stores. Alternatively, you can freeze or shake the eggs and replace them in the nest until the hen loses interest. If you remove the eggs but offer no replacement, she will simply lay more and as mentioned earlier, this can be quite taxing on her body.

If you suspect that a physical ailment may be the cause of your budgie's behavioral changes and/or your budgie does not respond to the methods listed above, consult your avian veterinarian for more advice or other alternatives.