It’s no secret for any budgie owner that budgies are some of the most playful birds out there. Enhance their playfulness even more by giving your budgie a toy.

Every budgie and their playing habits are different, so the toys that one budgie likes does not necessarily mean that it will also be what another budgie will like. But we can narrow a list of common toys that budgies tend to like.

Try getting your budgie noisy toys, especially bells, toys that they can perform tricks on, such as swings and ladders, and a nice variety of fun and challenging toys that will keep your budgie busy for hours.

Once you decorate your budgie’s cage with some toys, your budgie will forever be grateful to you for this. Budgies love to play, and you will see that the toys you got will keep your budgie occupied for hours.

And if you engage in play with your budgie- or you get your budgie a companion friend- you will see how happy and delighted your budgie’s everyday life will become.

So, here is a list of 15 different types of toys that are great for budgies.

1. Swings

Budgie swings or hammocks are great toys for your pet budgies. You will find your budgie perched on the swing and swinging from it for hours. You might also see that your budgie will be hanging from its toy, too, which will also create a fun atmosphere for your pet.

You will want to make sure that the swing is a nice size for your budgie (or budgies), and that it is colored with safe dyes since your budgie will likely chew on it.

• This is a great option if you have a single budgie.
• And this is a great option if you have a group/ flock of budgies.

2. Ladders

Again, budgies absolutely love to climb. Another good option for your budgie is a ladder. Not only will this make them feel entertained, but it also will be a good way for your budgie to develop balance, and to be able to investigate and explore what is going on in its world.

Getting a colorful ladder that is safe for your budgie to chew on and play with will make your budgie feel entertained for hours.

• Here is a ladder that is highly rated.

3. Organic chewable wood

Something that all budgie owners find in common with their budgies- budgies absolutely love to chew on their toys. Everything. Wood is something in particular that budgies like to chew on.

So, when on the hunt for toys, you will want to choose some toys that have safe wood for your budgies. Some people like to get special sticks just made for chewing, and others like to get regular toys that have safe wood for their budgies to chew on as well.

• Pro tip: simply get a real bamboo tree. It is safe for budgies – they can climb, play, and chew on it! We show you what to keep in mind when getting a bamboo tree for your budgie here!

4. Bells

Budgies really like noisy objects, especially bells. A lot of budgie toys often incorporate bells into their design to make the experience even more delightful for budgies.

When getting your budgie a bell, always make sure to get the kinds with open bottoms, rather than the Christmas bells, because the latter can cause your budgie’s toe to get caught in its slits.

• If you want to get a bell for your budgie, we highly recommend to get this bell toy here. The materials do not contain any substances that could be bad for your budgie.

5. Balls

Another toy that budgies like to play with a lot are balls. They might enjoy rolling the balls around, exploring them, and chewing on their toy balls. This is why it is also important to make sure that any balls you get for your budgie are made from safe dyes.

Many budgie toys often have balls as a part of their set-up, so it ultimately depends on what you would like your budgie to play with and what you deem safe.

• Most budgie owners get their budgies rattan balls, such as these.

6. Chimes

Along with bells, chimes are also another great option to include in your budgie’s cage. Budgies will like to peck at their toy chimes just to hear the noise that will come from it.

You might think that this will inevitably drive your crazy, but many noisy toys for budgies are now quiet enough that you as the owner will not go crazy from how often your budgie will play with it but are also loud enough to ensure that your budgie will have a great time.

• Here is a good example of a chime that is safe and non-toxic.

7. Perches

Budgies enjoy standing on their perches in their cage and exploring the environment around them. In fact, you will most often find your budgie standing on its perch. The number of budgies you own will depend on how large the perch you get for them needs to be.

Once again, it is important that the perch you get is made from non-toxic materials in order to prevent anything bad from happening to your budgie when it chews on the perch.

• This perch in size medium is awesome for budgies. It is completely natural!

8. Ropes

Another toy that budgies really love are ropes, specifically spiral ropes. These types of ropes are soft enough to be safe for your budgie and are also made with non-toxic dyes so your budgie can chew on the rope, too.

Many often have a bell hanging at the bottom, which will keep your budgie entertained. Budgies like to uncoil and twist the rope for their own excitement and curiosity. This is a great option to keep your bird occupied for hours at a time!

• This is just one of many great options to choose from.

9. Shredding toys

Shredding toys is a normal behavior for budgies. They need to shred things in order to be happy and healthy. However, you do not even need to make a special trip to the store or order fun toys online in order to satisfy your budgie’s need.

Many people simply provide their budgies with newspapers or papers to shred.

10. Pinata

To go along with shredding toys, budgies will also enjoy pinatas. Not the kind you would have for your kids at their birthday parties, but ones made specifically for budgies to enjoy. Pinatas are especially good toys if your budgie over preens or chews on its feathers.

Get one that has safe dyes and is all-natural so that your budgie can safely chew on it.

• Here is one that has many good reviews.

11. Bird Playground

Much like your children enjoy playing on their playgrounds, your budgie will enjoy playing on its own playground, too. These are especially great if you have more than one budgie.

When you do a search of a budgie playground, many different types will come up, but we are referring to ones that look like playgrounds your children play on, featuring a ladder, swing, and perches.

• This is an example of what we are talking about.

12. Bird Kabob

Bird kabobs come in many different styles, but what they all have in common is that they are good toys for your budgies to chew on and, depending on what they are made of, to shred.

These are more so intended for your budgie to chew on, so be sure, as always, that the material is safe and non-toxic.

If you want to get a non-toxic bird kabob for your budgie, we recommend getting this one.

13. Plush toys

You can also get your budgie some small plush toys! These are soft and great ways to keep your budgie entertained. Your budgie will be curious to know what this toy is- especially if you give it a plush toy of another budgie- and will play with it for hours at a time.

Since plush toys are soft, your budgie won’t get hurt, either.

14. Rattles

Similar to how babies like to play with rattles, budgies do, too. Budgies like noisy toys, so rattles are just another opportunity for them to have something to poke at and make noise with.

As with the rest of the toys, rattles will induce curiosity in your bird and will keep it occupied for a long time.

15. Intelligence toys

By intelligence toys, we are referring to toys that will get your budgie to think and to develop its own intelligence skills. These are also great ways to help get rid of depression or other problems your budgie has and to create special bonding time between you and your budgie.

Some examples of these toys include basketball stands specifically designed for budgies, and throwing rings for budgies. These are especially good toys that you can use to teach your budgie how to do some tricks, and therefore, to wow your friends when they come to visit.

Things to Keep in Mind

As per usual, there are many things that you need to know before going out to purchase your budgie a toy.

The first thing that you need to know is that not every budgie will like every toy.

You might get your budgie a toy ball, only to find that it is not showing much interest in the toy. This is perfectly normal. Be sure to analyze your budgie’s playing patterns to see what kinds of toys would suit your budgie the best.

It is absolutely important, however, that you get your budgie at least some variety of toys.

Luckily, budgie toys are not too expensive. Without some variation of toys to play with, budgies will become sad and depressed and will end up suffering both mentally and physically.

Budgies love to play, and being in an environment where they are deprived of doing so is not good for them. This is important to consider especially if you haven’t yet gotten a budgie.

Keep in mind, though, that you don’t need to clutter the cage in order to have a happy budgie. Beside the perch and swing, budgies really only need to have about three toys in their cages at a time.

You can swap these toys out every once in a while to keep some variation in your budgie’s life. Also, do keep an eye on toys that are falling apart due to your budgie chewing away at them. You don’t want to keep these toys in their cages for much longer.

Budgie cages are pretty small, and budgies themselves are small creatures, so you don’t need to get overly large toys that will take up the entire space of the cage.

You don’t want to do so, either; what some larger birds like to play with, aren’t necessarily ideal toys for budgies.

Don’t get toys that will take up all of your budgie’s flying space, and don’t make the cage bottom all cluttered with toys, either. You’ll be surprised at how much one small toy will keep your budgie occupied.

Remember, budgie toys tend to have four different functions:

• swinging
• climbing
• chewing
• exploring

And the majority of budgie toys often satisfy several of these categories at once. Any toys that fall into these categories will be great for your budgie.

It is really, really important, however, that you remember that budgies like to chew on things. They like to chew on everything. So, no matter what toy you get it, your budgie is going to chew on it.

This could be fatal if you don’t pay attention to whether the toy you purchased for it was made with non-toxic and safe materials.

Otherwise, you could end up at the vet with your budgie- or much worse.

You also need to look out for small crevices that your budgie’s feet, legs, head, or wings could get stuck in because this could lead to suffocation or death due to stress.

When your budgie gets stuck and cannot get out, it is going to panic, which will cause this tiny creature stress and potentially lead to death. You also want to keep an eye out for sharp or pointed edges.

Overall, you don’t need to worry too much, especially if you got toys specifically intended for budgies. But it is good to keep these things in the back of your mind.

Can Budgies Play with Mirrors?

If you search online for toys that budgies will like, you will see that many websites will suggest that you get your budgie a mirror. But the consensus is divided on this issue.

Some budgie owners claim that their budgies love playing with mirrors. They love to see themselves in the mirror and believe that the bird looking back at them is a companion to play with. Some budgies do not have any trouble at all playing with mirrors and having a small “companion” to keep them company. Some owners claim that mirrors are especially great toys to get if you have one budgie.

However, there might be some negative consequences if you choose to get your budgie a mirror.

For one, your budgie might actually attack the mirror, which is not normal behavior for a typically non-aggressive animal. Your budgie might think that the bird in the reflection is trying to compete with it, for the attention of a female, for example, which will cause your budgie to attack it.

This will cause your budgie a great deal of psychological stress.

Or, your budgie could become obsessed with the mirror because it believes that the reflection is its mate. This means that your budgie might refuse to come out of its cage, refuse to have the mirror anywhere out of its site or cause your budgie to attempt to “mate” with its reflection.

And finally, you might find that your budgie is trying to feed the reflection in the mirror through regurgitating its food. This means that your budgie will end up throwing up its food constantly in order to feed the mirror.

Seeing that the reflection has not accepted its offer of food, your budgie will eat the food again, and this will cause a cycle. This could have serious side effects, including throat irritation, weight loss, and serious illness.

Ultimately, it depends on you and your budgie whether or not you decide to get your budgie a mirror. It seems that some budgies truly do enjoy having a mirrored companion, whereas others become aggressive and sick, and undergo psychological stress.

We do not recommend to get a mirror for a single budgie. Here is what you should do instead.

Tricks to Teach Your Budgie

One of the greatest and most delightful parts of giving your budgie toys is that you can teach your budgie tricks with these toys.

Not only will these create fun habits for your budgie, and not only will it surprise your friends and family when they visit, but teaching your budgie new tricks will help establish a special bond between you and your budgie.

You first want to make sure that your budgie has gotten used to the toys that you put in its cage before you start teaching it tricks. Do understand that, if you simply can’t teach your budgie tricks, this will have no negative impact on its health or your relationship.

Start small!

You will first want to start with easier tricks, the ones that probably won’t impress your friends, but will help your budgie get used to the idea of trying new things. A great trick to start with includes a stick.

• As your budgie is perched on your finger, get a stick and show it to your budgie (budgies might get scared if you shove the stick in its face at first, so simply show the stick to your budgie until it realizes that the stick is safe).
• Then, tap the stick gently on its beak, and use a command (this could be ‘peck the stick’).
• When your budgie bites the stick, you can go ahead and give it a treat.

Now, let’s look at some more tricks.

This next one involves a small skateboard, which you can get easily online or in a pet store.

• Gently move your budgie around some on the skateboard so it can get used to the unfamiliar motion.
• Then, once you see that your budgie has grown comfortable, try and position the budgie in such a way that it’s one foot will be on the ground, and the other will be on the skateboard.
• Your budgie will make an attempt to walk, which will cause it to, essentially, skateboard. You might find that this trick will take a while, so be patient.

For the next trick, you’re going to need some type of tunnel. But at first, you simply will need a ring or something similar so that your budgie can get used to the idea of crawling or hopping through it.

• • Let your budgie crawl or hop through the opening through tempting it with a treat and using a special command.
  • Once you see that your budgie has grown comfortable with this trick, you can now move on to something larger; toilet paper rolls are perfect.
  • Place a treat at the other end of the roll and let your budgie crawl through it.

And finally, here is an easy trick you can teach your budgie if you got a ladder for its cage.

• If your budgie is standing on your finger, place it at the bottom of its ladder.
• Then, get a special treat and dangle it at the top of the ladder with your hand, and call your budgie using a special command, such as “up the ladder.”
• Your budgie will then climb all the way up the ladder and get the treat.
• You can enhance this trick by placing your budgie farther away from the ladder or introducing another component to the trick, such as a small slide.

There are tons of tricks you can choose from, but these were some of the easiest.

Bird Toys to Avoid

While most toys that are marketed towards birds are generally safe, there are some types of bird toys that you will want to avoid giving your budgie.

The first type is any toy that may fall on top of your budgie, particularly if it is a little heavy. Budgies are fragile creatures and getting squashed by a large toy can critically hurt them.

If you decide to get curtain hooks for your budgie, make sure that they are not made of metal. These can seriously hurt your budgie, and your budgie might get its head stuck in the toy, which could cause your budgie to suffocate.

Other than suffocation, a budgie that gets trapped could die of stress due to panicking.

When getting a toy for your budgie to chew on, make sure you read and research carefully about how safe the materials in the product are.

• Is it organic?
• Is it made of non-toxic materials?

Don’t let your budgie chew on any of your products that are made of leather and intended for use by people. Leather, particularly dyed leather, is harmful to budgies. You also need to make sure that any other product you purchase is made of non-toxic paint and is safe if ingested by your budgie.

If you get your budgie a rope toy or something similar that has fibers, avoid anything that has very small fibers so your budgie’s toes, legs, and other body parts do not get caught in it. Find rope that is thicker to prevent this from happening.

Jingle bells are great toys for a budgie, but if there are tiny crevices in them, this could cause your budgie to seriously get hurt. Try and find closed bells, or even cowbells, to prevent any possible danger.

Double check any swings, ladders, or other such toys that you get your budgie for any crevices in them. These can hurt your budgie’s toes.

Any toys that have pins, staples, or tacks that are easy to remove should also never be anywhere around your budgie. Budgies are naturally curious birds and will most definitely get hurt by one of these- especially should it decide to try and eat it.

Overall, you absolutely need to make sure that the toys you get will be safe for your budgie. This means no really small parts, any sharp parts, anything your budgie could get caught in, and anything containing paints or dyes that would be harmful if ingested.

You want to make sure that your budgie has fun, but not at the cost of its health.

Conclusion

Once again, budgies are incredibly playful birds that love social interaction and entertainment. They practically demand that you pay attention to them and that they have some sort of companion- whether human or bird- to be around.

These are important things that you must know when you decide to purchase a budgie.

Even if you have a lone budgie, getting your budgie some toys will keep it occupied for hours upon hours. You can establish some special bonding time by playing with the budgie and its toys yourself.

There are endless options for you to choose from as a budgie owner. Make sure that you follow safety guidelines and are in the know about what your budgie is doing at all times.

It is essential to keep your budgie happy and healthy, and knowing that your budgie is having fun will keep you happy as its owner, too.