Is a Budgie Right For You?
For those that have never owned a bird before a Budgie (or Parakeet) would be our recommendation. These smallish birds are available at many pet shops (usually at a very good price) and as such are great if you are on a budget. It follows on from this that cages, toys and other accessories (right down to feeding) are much less expensive for a budgie than – say – for a parrot.
Despite its small size, the budgie can make an absolutely fantastic pet. They can be excellent talkers (there are reports of some having vocabularies in excess of 400 words), are inquisitive, entertaining and highly intelligent.
For somebody who is stuck in the house, be it through illness or any other reason, the budgie will prove to be an undemanding yet ideal companion – they are constantly on the go when awake and will chatter and sing a large amount of the time. They have extremely playful (and cheeky) natures and are always looking for something to do.
There are actually two different varieties of these birds, and it may depend on where you live as to which you are most likely to get.
The English Budgerigar (or budgie) is slightly larger than it’s American cousin (the parakeet) and looks quite different. That said, either can make a similarly great pet.
These birds have now been domesticated for almost 160 years, so it comes as no great surprise that there are masses of different colours to choose from – including yellow, green, grey, blue, violet, white – the list is almost endless.
While budgie seed is very popular for owners of these fantastic little birds, we’d always recommend feeding a varied diet as described in our feeding guide. You can add fruit and vegetables, together with whole grain cereal and a variety of treats that you can find at your local pet shop.
The average lifespan of a well cared for budgie or parakeet is generally around 8-10 years, thus much shorter than one of it’s larger cousins.
When buying a cage (see our guide here) it is worth mentioning that many pet shops sell extremely small cages as part of a starter kit. These are not necessarily the best way to go, and it may be worthwhile investing a bit extra to give your bird more room – as we’ve already mentioned, they are extremely curious, energetic and inquisitive, so if the bird is likely to spend a lot of time in it’s cage you may wish to make it more comfortable by providing it with extra room to play.
Budgies love to play with toys and are especially fond of Olympic rings, balls, swings and empty boxes. Be wary about mirrors, as we have heard many stories of them bonding with their own reflections rather than the owner!
We really cannot recommend the budgie / parakeet highly enough. An absolutely gorgeous little bird, treated and trained well he will be a much loved companion for many, many years.
