I was given a 5-year-old budgie that had never been out of its cage approximately 8 months ago. I want to be able to check its ears and head as it’s doing a lot of scratching and I’m wondering if eventually I would be able to hand tame her or is she too old
Hi,
Bird do a lot of preening and scratching, so it’s probably natural behavior. Unless you see any growths around the face, I wouldn’t worry about the scratching. As for taming her, it’s highly unlikely. You can try talking to her a lot and see if she becomes interested in you. Never try to grab her – budgie are prey animals and grabbing her would make her think a predator was trying to get her. She would also lose any trust in you. If you had to pick her up, you need to cover your hand with a towel. But again, I wouldn’t do this. If you are worried there is an issue, it’s better to take her to an Avian Vet. A bird’s ears are very hard to see, and ear issues are extremely rare in birds. I’ll give you the link to our behavior and training pages to help you with her.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
