While some pet owners may prefer a furry companion like a cat or dog, it is very important to think about your individual lifestyle and living situation before you bring home a larger animal. As wonderful as they can be as pets, sometimes a furry friend just requires more time, money, and attention than you can possibly give them.
Birds, however, can provide affection, companionship, and entertainment with a lot less work on your part.
Here are twenty reasons a budgie makes an awesome pet:
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1. Budgies Don’t Need Much Space
Small bird species like budgies make great pets for people with limited space. At only seven inches long, a budgie is one of the smallest parrots. Because of this, a budgie’s cage does not need to be very large.
Most cages for budgies can easily fit into even the coziest of living spaces; at minimum, the cage just needs to be tall enough so that your budgie’s head and tail never touch the top and bottom of his cage at the same time.
Make sure your budgie can move back and forth easily inside of his cage; to the horizontally-flying budgie, width in a cage is more important than height.
Since a budgie really prefers to be perched up high, he will most likely gravitate to the top of his cage and stay there, so there is no need to waste space getting an extra tall cage.
As long as your budgie is let out to fly around and stretch his wings every day, a budgie is perfectly content to share your cramped living quarters.
2. Bird Brains are No Joke
Birds are actually very smart pets. The neurons in avian brains are small and densely packed in the forebrain, lending credence to the belief that birds, including budgies, are, in fact, very intelligent.
It only takes a few minutes of watching a budgie to realize that they do indeed have excellent problem-solving abilities — another indicator of a high degree of intelligence.
Their mimicking skills point to excellent cognitive skills, and they have an incredible capacity for learning new things quickly.
Not surprisingly, the parrot with the largest vocabulary ever recorded was a male budgie; male budgies are especially adept at speaking and learning new phrases.
According to the 1995 Guinness Book of World Records, a budgie from California named Puck officially became known as the bird with the most words. This intelligent little budgie was able to say over 1,700 words.
These little birds easily learn that you are not a threat and become tame. Even if you have bought two budgies.
If you want to learn how long it takes to tame a budgie and what you can do to tame your budgie, read this article.
3. Budgies are Easy to Care For
A budgie is one of the easiest of all pets to care for. A bird is content to stay in his cage while you are working during the day or busy doing things around the house.
As long as he has plenty of stimulating toys, he will be just fine. However, you need to get the right toys with the right size, made from non-toxic material. In this article, we show you what makes a good budgie toy and we show you 15 awesome inexpensive examples.
Birds do not require walks outside, and housebreaking is not something you have to worry about unless you just want to take on the challenge.
Cleaning a budgie’s cage each day simply requires fresh water and a change of newspaper, which is easier to many people than scooping litter or letting a dog outdoors constantly to potty.
If you invest in a cage skirt, you will have very little mess under and around your bird’s cage. Because budgies, by nature, are also one of the cleanest members of the bird species, they are an ideal pet for beginners and bird experts alike.
Also, you can clean your budgie cage easily with vinegar. Here are two articles we highyl recommend reading if you want to minimize costs and work when cleaning your budgie cage:
4. Budgies are Inexpensive
A budgie won’t cost you much. They are relatively inexpensive to purchase; you can buy a new bird for less than twenty-five dollars depending on where you shop and what you decide to buy.
Typically, breeders charge less for colors that are more common. While the cage may be your biggest expenditure when getting a new budgie, everything else is very affordable.
One small bag of quality seed for your budgie can last several months, when stored properly.
Treats for budgies do not have to be expensive at all! Let us show you 12 inexpensive treats budgies totally love in this article!
If you choose to line your cage with newspaper, you can avoid any extra costs there, and most budgies find homemade toys incredibly stimulating, cutting out another expense for bird owners.
With a start-up cost ranging from two to three hundred dollars for all necessary supplies, many of which last for years, a budgie ranks among the least expensive friends to care for in the pet world.
5. Budgies are Works of Art
Budgies are fascinating to look at. They are usually green in nature, but breeders have produced them in a multitude of stunning colors and shades, from turquoise to white to violet to rainbow.
If you check with different breeders, you can even find budgies that have a crest or curly feathers. Their stripes and patterns are truly captivating, and their vibrant colors make them all seem like unique pieces of artwork.
Because there are at least thirty-two primary color mutations in the budgie breeding world, there are hundreds of potential secondary combinations — a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
6. Budgies Serenade You
Although budgies are quieter than many other bird species, budgies, especially males, are still quite vocal. They love to sing, especially when they are content and happy.
Budgies are capable of remembering many different tunes, and they have lots of variety in their songs; their melodies are usually a joyful, complicated mix of trills and chirps and whistles.
If you sing or whistle with your budgie, he will often join in and copy you. He may even add his own flair in an attempt to outdo you. With a budgie’s ability to sing for long periods of time, who needs a radio?
7. The Greatest Showman
Budgies love to learn and show off new tricks. They don’t let being small get in the way of their trainability.
You can teach your budgie to drop balls through hoops and place rings on a peg according to color. A budgie can hang upside down from your finger or count up to the number three.
He will excel at climbing ladders or the sides of his cage — especially if the bars are horizontal.
Your bird can also easily learn to fly to you on command, play peek-a-boo, participate in hide-and-seek, and even do a somersault in your hand.
Some budgies will take pleasure in playing fetch with you or completing a homemade agility course, complete with slides and tunnels.
A budgie can even be taught to skateboard! When it comes to tricks, your budgie is only limited by your imagination.
Wanna see your budgie using a swing? No problem! Budgies love swings – just like most parrots and parakeets. And they do not even have to be trained to use them! Here is why they love swings so much and what kind of swing you should get for your budgie!
8. Budgies CAN Have Long Lives
Budgies can live anywhere from seven to fifteen years. If you want your budgie to have an extended lifespan, take extra concern to keep them healthy.
Budgies that are well-cared for, exercised, and fed supplemental fruits and veggies on a regular basis have been known to live over twenty years!
In fact, the Guinness Book of World Records lists a male bird named Charlie from England as the oldest budgie who ever lived — he was just a little over twenty-nine years old when he died.
9. Budgies are Affectionate
Budgies can be just as affectionate as any furry friend. Once you have spent quality time hand-taming your budgie, you will find that he frequently calls for you, and he truly looks forward to your arrival after you have been away from home.
When a budgie wants to show affection, he may nuzzle your face or cuddle against your neck.
Some owners report that their budgies like to snuggle inside their clothing or hide in their hair, while others relay stories of frequent, playful nips — a common request for attention.
Budgies enjoy sitting on their owners’ shoulders and just being near them. A budgie may even ask you for a pet or a scratch by bowing his head toward you, his beloved owner.
Let us show you 5 further facts that show how affectionate budgies truly are – Read our article on that here!
10. Budgies Improve Your Mood
Regardless of the activity, interacting with your budgie signals your brain to pump out higher levels of the hormones that play a part in helping you feel happier and more relaxed.
When your bird makes you laugh, endorphins are released throughout your body and create an all-natural feel-good sensation. Any time your bird gives you affection, your body reduces your cortisol levels which helps you feel secure and content.
It is well-known that having a companion around can ease loneliness, but it can also provide you with a purpose, hope, and a reason to get out of bed on hard days.
Spending time with pets is proven to help relieve even the most extreme stress, and hearing a budgie talk to you and sing for you is sure to lift your spirits, even on the most difficult of days.
11. Budgies are Practically Hypoallergenic
Dander is the most commonly bothersome allergen found in birds. Surprisingly, feathers alone are not a strong source of allergies. When birds preen, bathe, or flap their wings, it loosens bits of feather, dead skin, keratin, and other organic matter.
As budgies flutter around their cage, their dander becomes airborne and scatters through the air. Thankfully, many people who are allergic to cats and dogs actually do well having a pet bird.
Budgies are a smart choice for those who suffer from allergies because although they do have dander, they shed very little of it in comparison to their furrier friends — even when budgies are molting.
Adding an air purifier to your budgie’s room ensures that he is even less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.
12. Budgies Increase Confidence
People who have a strong attachment to their pets normally have a healthier attachment to their environment and better relationships with the people around them. In addition, someone who owns a pet is often less fearful of new situations.
That translates into bird owners being more comfortable with where they are in life, and eventually, who they are as a person.
A pet owner also receives a wealth of unconditional love from their pet as opposed to the criticism they may hear elsewhere, which helps boost self-esteem. A playful budgie can be just the tool to help an insecure owner gain the confidence they need to face any situation.
13. Budgies Teach Kids Responsibility
While larger pets require a lot from the whole family, a budgie is a great choice for helping even young children learn responsibility.
While children often view a new pet as nothing more than a plaything for their entertainment, a pet can actually teach a child the selflessness of caring for another living thing. Kids can easily make sure the bird has fresh water and the proper portion of food each day.
In addition, kids are more than capable of cleaning out the bird’s cage and sweeping up underneath it when it is needed.
Being in charge of caring for a bird can also help a child realize that a pet is a long-term commitment, and getting one is not to be treated lightly. As long as parents are following up quietly each day, a budgie can thrive under the care of a dependable child.
To help you and your children with those tasks, we have created a couple of articles we recommend reading and/or bookmarking:
- How long can budgies go without water?
- How much budgies should eat
- How messy budgies really are!
- Your budgies are messy? Just do this!
14. Budgies are Feathery Therapists
Pet therapy is known to reduce anxiety and even physical pain. Patients who are terminal, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and patients working in physical therapy are benefitting from the company of animals, including budgies.
Some universities are even allowing pets in dorm rooms, as they have seen how a pet can alleviate feelings of homesickness throughout the semester or test anxiety during finals week.
Having a feathered friend with them can bring the students a familiar piece of home, even hundreds of miles away.
15. Budgies Make YOU More Interesting
Dog and cat owners are exceedingly common; having a bird makes you stand out in the crowd. Having a feathered friend is a great icebreaker.
And when you are the only one in the group with a talking pet, suddenly everyone has a question for you. How many words can your budgie say?
What is the funniest thing he has ever done? What made you decide to get a bird in the first place? The less familiar people are with your pet, the more questions they will have for you.
Have some funny anecdotes or maybe a video or two ready, and you are sure to be the one people flock to.
16. Budgies Make Great Watch-Birds
While budgies may not have incredibly sharp canine teeth or a menacing growl, they can still be useful in thwarting thieves.
There are stories of birds attacking robbers with their beaks and claws, alerting owners to intruders with loud squawking, barking like a dog at the sound of a doorbell, and even mimicking alarm sounds in the face of danger.
Budgies may be small, but they can still be fierce.
17. Budgies CAN Be Potty Trained
With lots of positive reinforcement and plenty of persistence, budgies can adapt to potty training.
Budgies can quickly be taught that pooping on humans and furniture is not welcome; instead, they can be trained to go to a designated newspaper in a consistent spot when they are out and about in the house.
While it initially requires lots of vigilance from the owner to prevent accidents, it is easier than cleaning up the messes that an untrained bird makes.
18. Budgies Travel Well
A budgie’s small size makes him an ideal travel buddy. Because a budgie is used to being caged, he is easy to transport in the car for a weekend trip.
All you need is a bottle of water and his food, and you are all set. You can have everything you need for your budgie and still pack as light as a feather.
Make sure his cage is secure, and he will be the perfect backseat driver. If you are not staying with family, some hotels make accommodations for pets — just be sure to ask for a non-smoking room, as smoking fumes can make your bird extremely ill.
19. Budgies Provide Feathery Fun
It only takes a quick Pinterest search to see that some budgie owners love to make things with their bird’s molted feathers.
Indoor budgies that receive artificial light may molt several times per year, so you will have lots of feathers to use if you want to collect them.
Simply save feathers in a bag and when you have enough, get creative! From realistic bird portraits to shadow boxes, bird feather crafts seem to be maintaining their popularity.
Making wreaths with painted feathers is not uncommon, and feathered jewelry is forever fashionable. Your feathery creations can be just as unique as your budgie!
20. Double the Love
Because budgies are incredibly social animals who do best with constant companionship, two budgies are normally always better than one.
Although it may seem like one budgie would be less work, in reality, two birds keep each other occupied so well that you are able to leave them alone more often without guilt.
They will sing to each other, play together, and provide you with hours of free entertainment. And with two budgies, you get all of the love, fun, and benefits of owning one bird — times two!