Ask Lafeber

Female budgie behaviour

Hello there Laefber, I’m currently in a situation where I’m truly unsure about what to do and I have a few things that I need some help with, Is it okay if you can at least give me tips, advice and directions on what to do?

the first thing I’d like to mention about is the fact that my partner has been having this young bird for a couple of months now. The first time I went to the house, I looked at the birds cage and I saw that one of the perches in the cage has been chewed on from the bird, like, it looks badly in shape, So I made a comment and told my partner that they need to replace the perch, but they haven’t at all.

The second thing I’d like to mention is, Even though my partner lets out their bird to fly and play around, Whenever I look at the bird, I can tell that she’s stressed out or scared, she doesn’t look as if she’s in a calm state at all and I just recently found out that the bird is actually a female instead of it being a male and I’m only really use to having and looking after a male budgie, because I’ve had mine since I was 12 years old.

I’m not too sure about what to expect with a young female budgie and I’m not too sure about why the bird looks as if she is in a stressed out state, because, compared to my budgie, she doesn’t make a lot of sound and she doesn’t play with the toys in her cage and its very concerning to me.

I’ve known for a very long time, ever since I got my budgie, that those type of birds, tend to be very loud and noisy and it worries me that the bird that my partner has, isn’t too loud or playful.

and also, I’ve noticed for a very long time, that my partners bird, Only really stays in one spot in the cage and the only time she really makes noise is if she hears something interesting.

Could it be the environment that she’s in, thats causing her to be like this or could it be something else?

I really would like some help on what to do, cause I’m worried that her mental state is only going to get worse when she gets older and I really want to solve this, before its too late

Please let me know ASAP, It really would mean a lot to me!

Thanks!

– Kat

Hi Kat,

Female budgies are generally not as vocal or as friendly as the males. They can also take more time to settle in, so she may just need more time to feel comfortable in her new home. Birds chew on their perches all the time. If the perch has sharp places or splinters from being chewed on, then it should be replaced. Regardless of sex, each  bird has its own personality. It sounds like she is still trying to settle in and just needs more time. She may be scared when she is out of the cage. The cage is her safe place. If she is flying loose and enjoying it, then this is good. But if she is flying frantically, and then panting from the stress, then it’s best to not have her out to fly around until she is more comfortable in the home. Here are some links to our training and behavior pages that should help you, too.

Teaching Your Bird

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda