Budgie

We always had budgies when we were growing up. My Dad was an excellent trainer of them. They mostly flew away because of a moment's carelessness with leaving a window or door open. One got eaten by a cat. The loss of each one caused heartache and tears. Eventually a trip to a breeders aviary was made to choose another bird. All in all, we got to look at the behaviour of a fair number of budgies:

Choosing a Budgie
Budgies are colourful and cute birds that make amusing family pets. When choosing one, it's worth bearing in mind that popular opinion says a male bird makes a much better talker than a female. Most people choose a male for this reason.

The training period.
Budgies bite a bit during the rigorous training course that they have to go through when first befriended by a well-meaning human. Yanked away from their mothers feathered bosom at the age of six weeks, it's no wonder. The dear little thing just hasn't realised how lucky he is yet with all the care and love he will receive. Anyway, I expect we'd bite if a giant finger was stuck persistently under the chest and then we were driven mad by a voice telling us how pretty we are over and over again. The first couple of times might be quite flattering but after that it's sure to be a bit wearing.

Temperament.
No two budgies are alike in personality. Some like to be friendly and make the best of life whilst others are always on the attack and have a lust for human blood. The latter usually draws blood from an offered finger but may also take it from the noses and ears of those brave or foolish enough to put their parts within striking distance.

The names we give budgies can range from an evil 'Talon' to a sloppy 'Beauty'. It's hard to tell how a bird's personality will develop in the early stages so a 'Talon' type might have been given the name of 'Beauty' or vice versa and nobody can be bothered to rename it later. Whatever its name, it's best to treat all budgies with initial caution.

Let's assume an average type of bird here. One that isn't the budgie from hell, nor is he a winged angel from heaven. For this reason lets give him the arbitrary name of Smudgie. So there we have him 'Smudgie the budgie'. Smudgie quickly learns that he'd better start faking pleasure and gratitude or he might not get his millet spray and budgie nibble. He soon has you convinced that he actually enjoys putting his head under the bell and knocking the stuffing out of a plastic effigy of himself.

Getting his own back.
He'll exact revenge for his captivity when he can. So long as the mischief he creates is balanced out with the odd cute trick he can get away with murder. Typical 'in cage' subversive activities are:-

* Causing unnecessary expense by destroying the sanded sheet, turning it into a pulpy dropping infested mess around the water pot.

* Seeing how far he can throw seeds across the room.

* Trying to commit suicide by jamming his head between the bars and, with fading vision, joyfully watching you panic.

* Making a dreadful squawking noise while the telly's on and not taking any notice whatsoever of all the threats of death and mutilation.

Launch time.
Once Smudgie tames down a bit, or shall we say resigns himself to his lot in life, the time comes to let him have a fly around the room. The first thing he does is make a bid for freedom by flying at the speed of a bullet into a closed window. The fact he and the glass survive this is a minor miracle. It seems that nature must have made a budgie's head that nice dome shape just so it could be used as a battering ram occasionally (and to fit nicely under the bell).

When Smudgie's had enough of being on the 'flight around the room' learning curve he'll usually bat into the wall, slide down and end up behind the sofa with his wings at all angles. The stars and planets revolving around his head are almost visible.

Damage.
Don't worry he's tougher than Rambo. He will quickly recover and learn how to live in his new environment without further damage ...to himself that is! It won't be long before that sharp beak gets to work on peeling the wallpaper and gnawing the furniture in places where it won't be immediately noticed. He leaves little markers all over the place that will remove the polish from tables and he never seems to get the message by having his nose rubbed in it (as with a dog).

Careful now!
Once all these teething (or beaking) troubles are overcome, or at least come to terms with, a budgie makes an amusing and lovable pet. From then on you must be careful where you sit down., where you walk and how you close the door. He could have decided to perch just anywhere unnoticed and it would be awful to hear a crunching noise during any of these actions.

Add to this the difficulty of getting the kids to understand that you just didn't see Smudgie playing on the sofa right where you decided to flop down and you'll wish to heaven that you'd never bought him in the first place. A flat envelope could be used for the burial if accidents of this nature were to occur.

Never make the mistake of thinking that the love you feel for him is mutual. At the first opportunity, Smudgie will seek out that open door or window and fly south towards Portsmouth and warmer climes. Contrary to popular opinion he won't be grateful to fly back to the cage left in the garden. He would, it seems, rather die young whilst enjoying a short spell of freedom. R.I.P Smudgie.

Re: Budgie

When I first saw the Budgie heading I thought it referred to the Adam Faith TV series of the same name back in the early 70s.

Re: Budgie

Ah yes! That was a good series. Budgie and Charlie Endell. Funnily enough, some of the budgies we had were called Charlie. Perhaps a common name for a budgie. I wonder if either of the series creators had a budgie in their lives called that?

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We had budgies when I was little I think a lot of people did in those days .
With no TV they added to the entertainment

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My Dad continued to keep a budgie as a pet. When my Dad Died, I took the super-tame budgie and looked after it. It used to like to crawl under my wife's hair at the back of her neck and I was always having to get it out.

When a budgie dies, you're supposed to hold it while happens. When I knew this one was dying, I couldn't bring myself to do that. It was just too upsetting and I couldn't watch it go. When I came home it had gone down onto the floor of the cage and pushed its head into a corner. It was dead. I regret to this day going out and not holding it. I'm sure my Dad would have.

Just a budgie but it was my Dad's one. Even if it hadn't been though, it's possible to form attachments to pets large or small. I once had this pet flea..

One budgie I had, about 20 years ago, died just as we were moving house. Rather than bury it in the garden of the house we we leaving, I wrapped it in a tissue, and put in a a box in the freezer. When we got to the new house, I buried it there. It was as solid as a rock of course. I'm sure it would have made a good catapult missile but maybe a bit lethal if it had hit anyone (just joking).

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I had a budgie once that could only fly backwards, but it was a happy, talkative much loved pet

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Mart, in the 90's and up to not long ago, I kept and bred budgies and belonged to a local bird club at the time.
Mine weren't indoor birds though, they were outside in aviaries. They seem happier in colonies I think. I had cockatiels too, but I always loved my budgies, very endearing little birds.
I can't have an aviary where I live now, and I wouldn't have a lone one in a cage indoors, so gave them up in the end, I still miss hearing them chattering away to each other.

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How about a couple of budgies in a cage Mups? Our son does that and they seem very happy.

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We had a pure white Albino Budgie called Snowy, he was lovely, he used to come out of his cage and we would set up a goal post and a budgie plastic ball, and he would throw the ball into the goal, most of time he missed and I had to go and retrieve it. He lived to 12 years old, ended up with Arthritis in his feet and eventually could not hold on to the perch and died. We have him buried in the garden in a large matchbox with a cross and a tag, called: Snowy's little nest.

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I did think about it Mart, but decided I prefer to see them flying about in the sunshine in a nice big aviary. I know many, probably thousands, live in cages in houses, never having the company of their own kind, but it don't sit right with me somehow. I know most seem happy enough, but I'd feel guilty.