Ask Lafeber

Shall I get my budgie a friend?

Greetings. I have a male budgie named Ki and I have him since he’s a baby, now he is 4 years old.

I got him alone at first because I was spending my entire days in my room with him. He is not scared of my hands, he hops on me freely, but he is still scared of my fingers and he doesn’t let me touch him (which I can understand is a part of his personality). I don’t really train him. Sometimes when I see he absolutely wants to fly to me, I put my hand out and he flies to me, but most of the time even when I put my hand out he doesn’t fly to me.

Lately, I’ve been very busy, I’m always out and have no time for him except at night. I believe it will be like that for years now that other things ask my entire attention. He calls out a lot when I get out of my room, and everytime I try to leave the mornings he flies to my head and doesn’t want to go away. He also pucks his feathers more than before, but he still flies around the room like usual and play with his favorite toy everyday.

I wonder if I should get him a friend, another budgie, but I’m scared that because Ki is not fully tamed, the new budgie won’t bond with me. I’m scared that Ki feels too much alone and sad in the room.

Is it a good idea to get him a friend?

Hi,

The problem with getting another bird is that birds do not have other birds as friends – at least not once they are adults. So if you get another budgie, it needs to be in its own cage. If you try to cage them together, or if they are out together all of the time, they are likely to bond with each other and Ki will lose interest in you, and the new bird won’t bond with you at all. Another budgie in its own cage would provide some company for Ki, but Ki might be more bonded with you than you think, so he might just view another bird as a rival. And if you get a female, you are back to the risk of them bonding, and her laying eggs. It’s a lot to consider, and as long as Ki has some interaction with you daily, then some music or TV for Ki might be a better choice than another bird.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda