Proper care of a parrot. Budgerigar in the house - we create comfortable conditions for a feathered pet

So, you have decided to purchase a budgerigar.

Before you go to the store or to the market for him, determine for yourself the purpose of acquiring a bird: do you need it as a companion or will it be used for breeding.

Further care for the budgerigar depends on this.

Budgerigars: proper care. How to choose a feathered pet?

Rules for choosing a budgerigar

It is important to take the choice of a bird seriously and buy it better from an experienced breeder, where you can personally assess the conditions in which the birds are kept and observe their behavior. The risk of buying a sick bird here is much less than in the poultry market.

The selected bird must be examined. Healthy parrots are active, their plumage is close to the body and looks shiny, their eyes are clean and clear, without clouding. The paws should have 4 toes (2 pointing forward and 2 back) with claws, the scales should fit evenly against each other. A sick bird is inactive and indifferent to what is happening, sits ruffled, its plumage is dull and disheveled, and around the cloaca it can be stained with liquid feces.

Sick parrot sits ruffled

You should buy young parrots aged from 1.5 to 3-4 months. During this period, they most quickly get used to a person and a new place of residence. Older birds are more difficult to endure a change of scenery, and are less tamed.

How to determine the age of a parrot?

In order not to be deceived by the seller when buying a budgerigar and not to buy an old bird instead of a young one, you should learn to determine its age yourself by the following signs:

1. There is a black “smear” on the beaks of chicks up to 2 months old, which disappears as they grow older;

2. Parrots under 3 months old have a characteristic “wavy” pattern on their heads from beak to back;

3. At the age of 3.5-4 months, the first "juvenile" molt occurs. After its completion, the parrot will have a yellow or white “cap” on its head with the remnants of barely noticeable “waves”;

4. Chicks have completely black eyes. By 5-10 months, the iris of the eyes brightens. Adult birds have a white rim around the pupil;

5. Throat spots at a young age of the bird have a semicircular shape with blurred contours. In parrots older than 6 months, the spots are clear in the form of an oval;

6. The cere of young birds is pale lilac or pinkish. After 4 months of life, the upper beak of males becomes bright blue, and females become beige or light blue. By 8-9 months, the cere of females becomes brown;

7. Tail feathers in young animals are shorter than in adults.

The above criteria for determining age are not suitable for variegated birds, albinos (all white) and lutinos (all yellow). Their beak is always light, their eyes remain black (in albinos they can be dark red) for life. Therefore, it is better to buy birds of this color from trusted breeders who will not hide the true age and health of their parrots.

How to determine the sex of a budgerigar?

Females and males can be distinguished by the color of the cere (the upper beak where the nostrils are located). At a young age, it has a pale lilac or mauve color in both sexes, only in females there are light rings around the nostrils. By the 4th month of life, the mandible in males turns blue and becomes brighter. In females, the cere acquires a pale blue or beige hue, and after puberty (8-9 months) it becomes brown.

On the left is a female (brown cere), on the right is a male (blue cere)

Budgerigars: proper care. Cell selection and placement. How to equip the "home" of a budgerigar?

Where to put a "home" for a parrot in an apartment?

The necessary criteria for the safe living of parrots at home are high-quality food, a bright location in the cage, and cleanliness in the cage.

It is best to place the cage in a bright place in the room. It is not recommended to put on the windowsill, as budgerigars are afraid of drafts. However, these birds need a long daylight hours - at least 12-14 hours in summer and 10-12 hours in winter. Therefore, in the autumn-winter season, additional lighting is required. In order for a feathered pet to quickly get used to the owner, the cage must be at the level of human growth.

How to choose a cell?

A bird cage is selected according to the following criteria:

Shape - the best is rectangular with a flat top. They make it easier for birds to move around. In addition, it is easier to hang toys, a mirror, a swing to a flat “ceiling”;

Size - depends on the planned location of the cage in the apartment, the number of birds and their size. The size of the cage is selected so that the bird can freely spread its wings, fly from perch to perch. The minimum parameters of the cell are 25x40x40cm;

The location of the twigs - horizontally located twigs are more convenient for moving birds along the walls of the cage. Climbing over them, the parrot will not slip;

Bird safety - parrots like to walk on the bottom of the cage, so it should be solid, not twigs. Otherwise, the bird's fingers or claws can get stuck between the twigs, and the bird, trying to free itself, can easily break its paw;

It is necessary to clean the cage every day, and general cleaning is carried out monthly. For disinfection after washing, the cage is wiped with a decoction of wormwood or chamomile.

Cell equipment

In order for the parrots to feel comfortable in their home, perches of various diameters (at least 2 pieces), feeders, drinkers, baths, toys and a mirror should be installed in the cage.

Equipped cage for wavy parrots

The perches are placed so that the bird can easily fly from one to another and not pollute the feeder and drinker with its droppings.

It is better to choose glass or porcelain drinkers (the water in them stays fresh and clean longer). Every day they should be washed with hot water and soda and wiped dry.

Feeders made of porcelain or plastic in a cage need at least two: one for grain feed, the second for soft.

Baths with clean warm water are placed in a cage periodically, especially on hot summer days. After the bird has taken "water procedures", the bath is removed.

If the parrot lives alone in a cage, then you need to hang a small mirror from the ceiling so that the bird does not feel lonely.

On a note! After purchase, all accessories and the cage itself must be disinfected by dousing with boiling water and wiped dry.

Budgerigars: proper care. Feeding, diet

The diet of budgerigars is quite diverse and includes grain mixtures, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mineral supplements.

Grain mixtures include peeled oats, canary seed, flax and millet of varying degrees of maturity. It is better to purchase such food in sealed packaging with a transparent "window" in order to visually assess the quality. In cardboard boxes, the grain may be moldy due to improper storage.

As a source of vitamins, minerals and vegetable fiber, vegetables, fruits, berries and seasonal greens should be present on the budgie menu. Birds are happy to gnaw on such juicy root crops as carrots, beets, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage. Favorite fruits for them are apples, peaches, pineapples, pears, citrus fruits. From berries, feathered pets will gladly eat raspberries, strawberries, strawberries.

In the spring-summer season, you can give parrots leaves of dandelion, clover, plantain, spinach, horse sorrel, and in winter grow oats and millet for greens.

Important! You can not feed persimmons, mangoes, all kinds of nuts, celery root, dill, meat and dairy products, potatoes, cheese, chocolate to parrots.

For the full development of birds, mineral supplements are also needed. For example, offer organic sand, chalk or sepia (the skeletal part of a cuttlefish). These substances enrich the body of parrots with calcium and other trace elements. In addition, by gnawing on chalk, parrots naturally wear down their ever-growing beak.

Budgerigars: proper care. First days at home

After buying and delivering a budgerigar home, it should be kept separate from other birds (if you have them) for the first 2-3 weeks.

At first, the bird will experience stress due to the change of scenery and transportation. Therefore, you should protect your pet from frightening factors: loud sounds next to him, the obsessive attention of children and other animals (if any). Communicate with the bird in a calm, gentle voice, do not try to force it into your hands - this is how you will establish a trusting relationship with it. This process takes time, patience and perseverance. After the bird gets used to you and fearlessly sits on your outstretched hand, you can start learning colloquial words.

Budgerigars: proper care. Diseases of budgerigars

With improper care and non-compliance with sanitary conditions, budgerigars are exposed to diseases such as scabies, inflammation of the goiter, and poisoning. Possible injuries to the paws, damage by downy eaters.

Budgerigar infected with knemidokoptosis (mange)

If you find the following signs, you should show the bird to the veterinarian:

Refusal of food;

Faded, disheveled plumage;

Lethargy and apathy;

Discharge from the nose;

Growths on the beak and legs.

The health of a feathered pet is in your hands!

Many inexperienced parrot breeders think that when acquiring such a pet at home, you can completely forget about its maintenance, systematically adding food and cleaning the cage from time to time. But this is far from the case, or rather, not at all!

If your choice fell on this bird, then it is extremely important to know how to properly care for a budgerigar at home, because the health of the bird, and, consequently, its duration and quality of life, directly depends on this knowledge.

When a new long-awaited tenant appears in the house, you should be fully equipped, first of all, this concerns the inevitable period of getting used to the new environment, which takes about four weeks for the parrot.

You must understand that you are not taking a toy into the house, but a full-fledged neighbor who needs comfortable home conditions, proper nutrition, walks and communication. After all, the quality of care directly depends on how long the wavy fidget will please you and your family.

For those who have a budgerigar at home, the tips from this article will be especially useful. Start with what size cage you need and where is the best place to place it.

At the same time, the budgerigar will thank you for your care, because it is one of the most talented birds. This is the most suitable pet for a city apartment. In captivity, he can live up to 15 years, although not all birds have the same abilities.

The length of the body usually does not exceed 20 cm, while the weight of the parrot is only 40-45 grams. Despite being roughly the size of a sparrow, the parrot appears longer due to its tail. It is always interesting with this bird: for both children and adults, because she loves to play with toys, and may try to imitate human speech or the singing of other birds.

Therefore, so often budgerigars, the care and maintenance of which is not difficult at all, become real pets. For the elderly, this bird can brighten up lonely everyday life, and children, communicating with parrots, learn to take care of our smaller brothers.

Before purchasing a pet, the future owner must be fully aware that feathers, food husks and droppings will henceforth become an integral part of his life.

What precedes the purchase

If a bird starts up for children, then adults should be prepared that care and concern will fall on their shoulders. However, almost everyone likes budgerigars, photos of which can be found on any site about animals.

Before you buy a bird, take care of its home. We are talking, first of all, about the cage, and the larger it is, the more comfortable your parrot will feel. Before settling your pet in it, treat it with boiling water and let it dry. If the cage comes with plastic perches, you can throw them away and replace them with wooden ones.

Who and how much to take?

Often the future owner cannot decide what gender the parrot needs. But if you approach the issue deeper, then there are no differences in caring for a particular floor. There is an opinion that the girl learns speech worse and the chance that she will speak much less.

But in fact, it all depends on the nature of the bird and the efforts of its owner. Problems with speech arise in a wavy person who has no one to communicate with, and instead of an interlocutor, a mirror hangs that can absorb all his attention. The parrot cannot always understand that this is just a reflection and takes it for another feathered one.

It is better to take parrots in pairs, then he will not have problems associated with loneliness. From a lack of attention, the wavy can get sick. Moreover, if you plan to get offspring in the future, then you should take individuals of different sexes, but do not forget that the couple will take place only in case of mutual sympathy.

Be sure to consider the size of the cage so that the parrots, especially if there are more than three of them, have room to turn around in the new home.

Distinguishing a male from a female

How to teach a budgerigar to speak is one of the main questions that future owners ask themselves. This question is inextricably linked with the sexual characteristics of the bird. This can be established by the color of her wax. However, only a specialist can do this with certainty. Young birds have a very similar color of the cere, which is most often light purple.

It becomes possible to distinguish the sex only by the uniformity of color. Females have white circles around the nostrils. Upon reaching 4 months of age, the cere of males acquires a certain blue. But in females, on the contrary, this place becomes beige or light blue.

How to choose a healthy bird

So, you have seen what budgerigars are, a photo of these wonderful birds really makes you want to get yourself such a pet. It remains to answer the question - where to go shopping? It is best to purchase it not from a reseller, but from those who are directly involved in their reproduction.

To choose a healthy bird, pay attention to the following signs:

the bird must be active and cheerful;
her plumage should be solid, without bald spots;
the parrot should breathe through the nose, not through the beak;
there should be no growths on the bird's feet;
the plumage of the bird in the area of the cloaca should not be contaminated with droppings;
make sure that healthy budgerigars are also sitting nearby, care and maintenance of birds in this case is carried out correctly.

Adaptation or the first days in a new house

Caring for wavy at home begins with a rather difficult period of adaptation.

There are a number of mistakes that new owners often make:

They are constantly near the parrot, talking loudly.
They try to immediately make tactile contact and feed from their hands, stroke.
Move the cell from place to place.
Released to fly on the first day.
Trying to cure diarrhea.

Too much attention

When a bird is brought to a new home, it is already in a stressful state, because it was taken from its native cage, and then taken or carried to an unfamiliar place.

To digest this amount of information, the wavy needs peace and time to get used to the environment, and people standing nearby and speaking loudly do not contribute to this.

The only reason to open a cage is to replenish food and feed. Although, as practice shows, even if the owners behave correctly, the budgerigar on the first day looks like a statue that moves little, does not eat or drink anything.

close contact

Tactile contact for a parrot is unusual, and comparison with such pets as cats or dogs does not fit here. In addition, you are a completely new person for the bird, which you still need to get used to.

Any close communication should take place precisely at the initiative of the wavy, otherwise, at the sight of your hand, the feathered one will try to run away and hide in a corner. Of course, there are individuals who like to be scratched on the tummy or stroked on the neck, but remember that for this the parrot must be tame and make contact first.

When the wavy calmly begins to eat from the feeder, this is the first sign of successful adaptation to a new environment. After that, approaching the cage to pour food or change the water, talk softly and quietly to the parrot, and the bird will eventually begin to respond to you calmly, without trying to hide in a corner or fly away. When you are sure that all of the above steps have been successful, offer the parrot a treat through the bars of the cage, but in no case stick your whole palm in there, it can greatly frighten the wavy and nullify the successful stages of acquaintance.

It is worth offering food from the palm of your hand after the bird begins to confidently and safely take treats through the twigs. At the first stage, the palm with food should be offered in the morning, when the wavy is still hungry. Keep it down, most likely the bird will not eat right away, but will simply remain on the perch to observe. Repeating this ritual every morning, without much perseverance, you will see the result.

At first, the budgerigar will gently grab a couple of grains, then do it more confidently and without moving away from the hand. The final stage will be the confident eating of food, sitting in the palm of your hand. It is after this stage that the bird will calmly sit on your hand and will be ready for the first walk.

Moving the cage, first walk

The cage should stand in the same place, for one simple reason - getting used to the atmosphere in the room. After all, it is while inside it that the parrot carefully studies the surrounding objects, which is of great importance for the first flight through the new room. The more often you move the parrot's house, the less comfortable it will feel.

Do not forget to equip the cage with the necessary equipment in advance so that the wavy does not have to be disturbed to hang a new perch or bell.

As already mentioned, for the first flight, it is necessary for the parrot to get acquainted with the situation, remember the location of objects, which will eventually become familiar to him. But having brought home a bird, the newly-made owner naively worries that she needs to stretch her wings and makes an unfortunate mistake, which quite often ends in tears.

A budgerigar, being under stress, and even in a new room, can crash into a window or mirror. Only after the successful completion of the adaptation period, which is about four weeks, is it worth letting the parrot out of the cage for a walk.

Stomach problems in the early days

Liquid droppings for a budgerigar on the first or second day after arriving at a new place is usually the norm and a manifestation of stress. The best thing you can do during this period is to leave the bird alone. No need to try to get her drunk with drugs or clean the cloaca, you will only worsen the situation and exacerbate stress.

After a couple of days, the problem will be solved by itself without your intervention. But if this did not happen, the bird looks sickly, does not eat or drink anything, then there is a serious reason to show it to a specialist and find out the cause of the ailment.

Good home - quality life

It turns out that you should not take care of a budgerigar from the moment you acquire a feathered pet, but much earlier - when it becomes necessary to purchase a future home for a bird, as well as to equip it.

Budgerigars need to develop their wings and muscles of the whole body, so experienced ornithologists do not recommend keeping feathered friends in cramped cages. The most suitable home for a wavy is considered to be a cage that will be longer in width than in height.

For example, for keeping one parrot, a cage with dimensions of 0.5x0.6x0.8 m will be the most ideal. If you want to breed these bright birds at home, then you will have to buy a large cage.

Many of us tend to fill the parrot cage with all sorts of toys, believing that they really like it. However, this is not entirely correct.

Parrots like to spread their wings from time to time, and excessive congestion of his house with various perches and other interior items will only prevent the pet from feeling cozy and comfortable.

When choosing a future home for your feathered friend, pay attention not to intricate branched cages, but to simpler models that can be cleaned without any problems, because cleaning is an important component of proper budgerigar care.

As for the placement of the future wavy home. It is necessary to place the cage in a warm room where there are no sudden temperature changes. Try not to put the home of a feathered friend near the door or on the windowsill. A well-lit room will only stimulate the good mood of your home flier.

Cell dimensions

The future parrot house should be as comfortable as possible, and therefore spacious. Birds of this species are distinguished by increased activity and playful disposition, so they just need space for entertainment and warming up their wings.

If you really want to take care of the well-being of your feathered pet, then try to find a cage model in which the parrot can fly from one place to another.

Qualified ornithologists say that a cage with dimensions of 0.5 m (D) x 0.6 m (H) x 0.8 m (W) will be an excellent home for budgerigars.

I would like to make a few important points:

When purchasing a cage, pay attention to models whose width is greater than the height. Budgerigars are inherent in horizontal flights, therefore, in fact, the height of the product should not play a decisive role in choosing a cage. For the same reason, it is recommended to buy flat-roofed parrot dwellings.
A feathered pet should feel comfortable and expanse in his house, so try not to clutter up his cage with all sorts of entertaining toys.
When choosing a cage, you should take into account the fact that it is you who will need to clean it from time to time, so try to choose the exact model that you can clean without difficulty.
Do you want to get a pair of parrots at once? Not a problem - the same cage will fit for two birds. But if you plan to house three or more parrots in it, then purchase a cage in advance, the size of which will be much larger than that indicated above.

Arrangement of the cell

You can properly care for parrots only when you have fully equipped his house.

Surely you have noticed more than once that parrots love to litter, but at the same time they always try to stay clean themselves.

Therefore, many qualified specialists recommend placing a special bathing suit in the bird's cage, which will be as accessible as possible for the pet and easily filled with water outside the wavy house.

Equip the budgerigar's cage with perches. Whenever possible, try to give your preference to natural materials. And if the perches are different in texture, your pet will constantly train its paws.

Many experienced ornithologists place the simplest wooden branches in the homes of their pets, which, by the way, look very harmonious and natural.

At the same time, it is necessary to make sure that the poles are securely fixed, so that traumatic situations for the pet itself can be avoided.

Currently, there are a lot of all kinds of educational toys that are very attractive to wavy. All kinds of abacus, bells, mirrors, beads, etc.

But, as mentioned a little higher, it is highly undesirable to overload the cage of a feathered pet, a couple of toys will be quite enough. If you so want to diversify the life of your flyer, then from time to time change the toys in his house.

Swimming place

Surely, following the budgerigar, you noticed that they are very fond of littering (especially boys), while they themselves try to take care of themselves and stay clean. For this reason, experienced ornithologists advise installing a small bathing suit in the parrot's home, which can be hung on the bars of the cage.

The main requirement when choosing a container for bathing a feathered pet is the fact that it should be as accessible as possible for the parrot and easily filled with water from outside the cage.

So that your feathered friend can fully care for his feathers and at the same time not splash water on the bottom of his home, it is not recommended to fill the bathing container to the top.

The dimensions of the bathing suit should correspond to the size of the pet, then your feathered pet will be able to completely immerse himself in the water.

Perches for "gatherings" of a parrot

It is not bad if several perches with different thickness and texture are present in the cage of a feathered pet at once. Many experienced ornithologists recommend using natural twigs as poles. Firstly, they look very harmonious in the home of a parrot, and secondly, the natural material is not harmful to the bird, while plastic products can exude a toxic odor.

If you still decide to mount a pole made of natural material in the cage of a home flyer, then make sure that it is a safe material. For example, a tree such as eucalyptus can harm the health of a parrot, oak contains tannin, which is harmful to birds of this species, and trees from the pink family contain a toxic carcinogenic glycoside.

Concrete perches are too hard for parrot legs, so try not to use them in your feathered pet's home.

When installing a perch in a pet's cage, it is necessary to check the reliability of its fastening in order to prevent all kinds of traumatic situations.

Pleasant trifles

Currently, there are a huge number of entertaining toys for feathered pets. All kinds of ladders, bells or balls will lure your feathered to the games, taking his leisure time with exciting entertainment.

And yet, do not get carried away with arranging the home of the wavy. Three toys will be enough for a medium-sized cage, otherwise you will simply “litter” his space for flights, thereby restricting his movements.

Where to place the cell?

In order to provide your parrot with full care, you need to take care of the placement of his home. Experienced ornithologists recommend placing the cage in a room with a consistently warm temperature. Also, the room should be well lit and ventilated.

It is highly undesirable to put a wavy dwelling at a sunny window or in a passage zone, since overheating, drafts and extra fright can kill a bird.

Providing Proper Parrot Care

Caring for a parrot at home is not just about feeding the bird and cleaning it from time to time.

Proper nutrition is the key to your pet's health

Many of us are used to thinking that parrots can be fed with everything that is on the human table. However, this is not quite true. There is a special diet for wavy, which consists mainly of seeds, vegetables and fruits.

I would like to note that seeds should be systematically replaced with grain feed, since a seed diet can lead to bird obesity.

the diet of a feathered pet should not contain caffeine, alcoholic beverages and chocolate, since these products are toxic to birds;
make sure that there is always clean water in the parrot's drinker, making daily changes;
add calcium-based mineral blocks to the feathered menu;
in the warm season, fruits and vegetables must be present in the parrot's diet, while in cold weather, vegetables and certain types of fruits (apples, pears, etc.), which are distinguished by long-term storage, can be preferred.

Cleaning is the key to health and comfort

The bird house should be cleaned at least once a week. Otherwise, your feathered pet is threatened by infectious diseases and worms.

It is necessary to wash the pernat cage with a gentle agent. Most experienced bird watchers use liquid dishwashing detergent that is free of phosphates and other harmful contaminants. Wash the parrot house only with proven products that you completely trust.

In the warm season, use a spray bottle to spray the bird, so that your pet will not be so hot at home.

Good sleep is the key to health

Like any living creature, a good night's sleep is vital for birds, during which a feathered friend restores his strength in order to please you with his radiant mood.

As soon as the time for sleep comes, you should throw light matter on the bird's cage, making sure that full ventilation is maintained in the bird's house. If the cover is too dense and completely envelops the bird's dwelling, then it may suffocate.

You should also take care that the parrot does not catch on the fabric, so check the quality of the fabric in advance.

You can use the cape not only at bedtime. For example, it is necessary to pacify a feathered pet or calm it down for a while while other residents of the house are sleeping.

If, while the parrot is under the covers, he will rush around the cage, this means that he is afraid of the dark. In this situation, a night light will save, which will provide the bird with a sense of calm.

Monitor your pet's health

Caring for a parrot at home means regular check-ups at the veterinarian. If you notice strange behavior behind your feathered friend (abnormal breathing, discharge from the nose and eyes, the appearance of mucous discharge on feathers, weight loss, etc.), immediately seek help from a qualified specialist.

Only a veterinarian can correctly diagnose the disease, and tell you how to care for a bird in a particular case.

If you do not observe "abnormal" symptoms, then experienced ornithologists recommend visiting a veterinarian at least once a year.

Surround your pets with care and attention and they will definitely please you with their good mood!

Light and temperature conditions

High-quality care involves setting the optimal illumination and temperature. Why is it important? Budgerigars are sensitive to the light factor, breeders know how many diseases can occur due to improper light conditions. These are hormonal disruptions, and beriberi, and shifts in behavior. In addition, in the presence of errors in lighting, they live in constant stress.

For the wavy, the period of darkness is of great importance, if he sleeps at night, then illnesses will overtake him less often. Experts recommend covering the cage with a cloth at night, so the bird will avoid chronic sleep deprivation.

How much sleep should a parrot sleep? The time varies depending on the seasons and varies from 10 to 14 hours. In winter, the bird sleeps longer, in summer a little less.

You can not disturb the bird during lunchtime sleep.

And what about the temperature?

Basic Rules:

Although parrots live in a hot climate, they do not tolerate high temperatures well.
The ideal temperature for wavy is from 22 to 25 degrees.
Birds are afraid of sudden changes in temperature and drafts.
In the hot season, the bird should have a drinking bowl with clean water and a bathing place.

Important: heat stroke can lead to death of a pet.

Major diseases

Wavy pets have been living at home for a long time, but poor-quality care and maintenance can cause various diseases in them. How many cases in the practice of veterinarians that the birds could not be saved due to the poor attitude of the owners.

So, wavy diseases.

What can the owner face?

Wavy individuals in the natural environment are not limited in movement, they fly a lot and climb branches. At home, their activity is limited to the open spaces of the cell, which weakens the immune system. How long a pet will live depends on a number of factors. Diseases of parrots occur if poor-quality care, nutrition is organized, the conditions of temperature and light conditions are not met. It is worth paying attention to the requirements for keeping birds, then the pet will delight in longevity.

Breeding

In their natural habitat, budgerigars breed throughout the year. To properly organize the process in captivity, you should select a female and a male. Young individuals should not be allowed to breed, the most optimal period in which the reproduction of wavy can begin is the age of one year.

Budgerigars are very demanding in terms of choosing a partner, if the female does not like the male, then there is a high probability that breeding will not work. But if the couple has developed, then the birds touchingly look after each other, their affection lasts a lifetime.

How many pairs of parrots can be kept together? If space allows, then how much will fit for a comfortable stay. But during the nesting period, it is advisable for a couple to be seated in different houses. The cell in this case may be small.

Reproduction is best done in the warm season, it is not recommended to breed birds in early spring.

Domestic wavy birds bring warmth to the house, they can relieve stress and fatigue, and watching a pet is a pleasure. But it is important to think over the care of the bird, otherwise the pet will be pursued by diseases. You should not take home a bird for entertainment, experts classify parrots as highly sensitive creatures, so owners must take responsibility for the life of a small bird.

At the end of our publication, I would like to give you some useful recommendations:

Parrots need to trim their nails and wings from time to time. However, doing it yourself is highly undesirable. And to avoid negative consequences, it is better to entrust this procedure to qualified specialists.
If your pet suddenly bit your finger, then you should not react too violently to it (even if it hurts a lot, although in most cases the pain is tolerable), because with such actions you can scare the bird. And parrots endure stressful situations very difficult, and sometimes even die.
Communicate with the parrot in a gentle, affectionate and calm voice so that he understands that you will not harm him.

Show attention and care to your feathered pets, and they will definitely give you positive emotions and good mood!

Many people believe that these birds require less attention than cats and dogs. But the content of birds has its own characteristics. And if you are a busy person, you have little time to communicate with the bird, often go on business trips, then keep in mind that the parrot will be very bored and even pull out its feathers. So, what should the owner know about the proper maintenance of these birds?

What do parrots eat

The basis of proper nutrition of the bird is a special grain feed. It contains grass seeds, millet, peeled oats. You need to buy such mixtures in sealed packaging. The food in the box may be moldy. Experienced poultry farmers advise regularly giving sprouted grain to parrots. To do this, buy a special one at the pet store or use millet. It is poured into a saucer so that it covers the bottom, and warm water is poured to the top. It must be changed every 4 hours. After a few days, the grains will swell, sprouts 2-3 mm long will appear. After that, the grains are washed, dried, given to the parrot.

Fruits, berries, vegetables are an essential component of the parrot's diet. At any time of the year, the bird needs them to support normal digestion, energy, and give shine to plumage. An attentive owner will determine the taste preferences of the bird by observing the eating of such food, and will take them into account. It is forbidden to feed persimmons, avocados, mangoes and papaya to parrots.

As for green top dressing, it should be on the bird's menu in the summer. It is recommended that she offer lettuce leaves, plantain, dandelion, carrot tops, arugula. Control that the bird does not eat the green parts of indoor plants during leisure time outside the cage - this is dangerous!

Porridge for parrots can be offered steamed in boiling water. Suitable buckwheat, wheat, wild and brown rice, pearl barley, millet. Do not feed the bird instant cereals.

About the parrot house

The larger the bird, the more spacious its house should be. Large species of parrots need to buy an aviary. Ideally, there the bird should be able to fly, freely jump from perch to perch. A rectangular cage with a flat roof will be convenient for a parrot to attach toys, swings and other entertainment to it. You need to place the house in a bright and warm place so that there are no drafts.

In the bird's dwelling, it is necessary to maintain hygiene, clean it in the morning and in the evening. Do not use household chemicals for this. It is necessary to wipe it with warm water, and once a month prepare a decoction of wormwood, moisten a rag in it and treat all surfaces.

The drinker and feeder should be thoroughly washed daily. A bowl intended for fruit must be doused with boiling water. It is better to choose an open type feeder so that a curious bird does not climb into it and does not get stuck there.

A bathing suit is another important element of a bird house. In nature, parrots are very fond of water procedures. They should be given this opportunity at home as well.

Communication with a parrot

Experienced poultry farmers and ornithologists advise to tame a bird from the very beginning of its appearance in the house, train it and educate it.

Give her a week to adapt, at this time come up with a name, start accustoming to it. This species of birds is smart, quick-witted birds that appreciate the attention and kind attitude of the owner. If they are surrounded by care, warmth and tranquility, then they can quickly learn to talk (although not all types).

Accustom your bird to short phrases: “hello, Fred”, “eat, Gosha”, “come to me, Garik”. Constant repetition will help you make the parrot talking. It is important that communication with him takes place on the same level. That is, you should crouch in front of the cage so that your eyes are in line with the parrot, and not looking down. It is also convenient to communicate when the pet sits on your arm and watches the articulation of the lips. When training a feathered friend, it is imperative to use treats - your pet's favorite food.

As for flying, it is recommended to let the parrots fly out of the cage twice a day. At the same time, it is important to observe safety precautions, for example, if a bird flies in the kitchen, then nothing should boil there, the windows in the room should be closed.

You need to know that parrots are shy. They are very afraid of the noise of a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, and other appliances. Therefore, they should not be turned on near the bird. The guests of your house, who show an increased interest in the bird and try to climb into its house with their fingers, can also become a source of stress. Stop such attempts and take care of your pet.

Buying a budgerigar and putting it in a cage, after pouring food and water into it, is not quite the care that your new family man needs. By purchasing a budgerigar, you take responsibility for its health.

Many will immediately ask, so how to care for a budgerigar?

Here, fortunately, there is nothing complicated, but failure to comply with these requirements can lead to the death of the bird. The first moment - a new family member needs to be let out of the cage to fly around the apartment, at least for 30 - 60 minutes a day. If you bought a chick, and having bought a large cage for him, you think that this is enough, then it’s better not to torture the animal and give it to someone who will give his new curtains and cornices to be torn to pieces without pity. Not only these objects can suffer, but everything that is at a height. It is likely that the top of the wallpaper will be gnawed off. You should not open the windows, be sure that the parrot will feel the fresh air and will surely fly away, and do not hope that he will return. Perhaps your pet will fly to strangers who will try to find the real owner, but most often parrots are victims of pigeons and simply die in an unusual environment for them. If you have not yet changed your mind about giving away the already purchased chick, then move on.

An important point that you want to focus on is the care and maintenance of a budgerigar. The cage where your feathered pet will live should contain: a drinking bowl, a feeder, a perch, a bath and, if possible, a swing with a mirror. A mirror is needed only for lonely parrots who live alone. At the bottom of the cage, put river sand and crushed eggshells, you can put charcoal. All these components will provide the “feathered” with good digestion. The cage with the bird should be in a room where there are no drafts. Do not allow direct sunlight to hit the cage with a bird. Do not forget that the parrot loves to swim very much. In the care of budgerigars, bathing must be included. Just put a bath on the roof of the cage once a week, and a regular plate of warm water will do. After bathing, it must be removed, otherwise there is a risk that the bird will get drunk on dirty water.

If there are other pets in the house, try to make their introduction to the new family member as friendly as possible. It is unlikely that the cat Vaska, who will hang on the cage with all his limbs, will bring positive to the life of a small bird.

Have you paid attention to the fact that there are two types of budgerigars in the store. The first type is an ordinary budgerigar. The second is a Czech exhibition parrot, which is twice as large as its congener. Caring for a Czech budgerigar differs only in that it needs a large cage, otherwise the care is no different from the usual "wavy".

Many people wonder about feeding budgerigars. The store has a very rich assortment of grain mixtures, at a variety of prices. What kind of food is most suitable for poultry and is it worth overpaying for seeds and cereals produced by well-known manufacturers.

In the care and feeding of budgerigars, trial and error will help you. The bird will choose which food is the most pleasant for her. Of course, for this you will have to buy more than one grain mixture, but in the end you will understand what the parrot likes more. Do not limit yourself to just seeds from a pack, periodically put grass, a roll soaked in milk, sunflower seeds in a cage. Be sure to push chalk or mineral stone through the bars of the cage - the parrot will receive all the necessary substances and sharpen its beak.

By the way, we must not forget about caring for the beak of a budgerigar. There is nothing complicated here, just give him pebbles, twigs and other hard objects so that the parrot has the opportunity to grind it down.

Most bird lovers are interested in the question, who is better to buy a female or a male?

Caring for a budgerigar boy is practically no different from caring for a female. The only thing is, the boy has the opportunity to learn how to talk, but if you bought a pair in advance, a female and a male, or put a mirror in a cage, then most likely you will not hear the phrase “Kesha is good” in the Russian-parrot language.

To determine the sex of a wavy friend, the color of the wax will help you. In other words, you need to determine what color the parrot's nostrils are. In boys, after 4 months, the wax becomes blue, in girls it remains pink.

It happens that after buying a female and a male, you want a new offspring, but for some reason, it does not appear.

Strange as it may sound, the love-dislike factor plays an important role in the care and reproduction of budgerigars. It happens that the birds live together, receive proper nutrition, care, but the chicks, as there were, are not. I don't want to upset you, but they are unlikely to appear already. Try to solve the problem by changing the pair. Transfer the female to another cage and buy a new one or swap with familiar males or females. If you notice that the relatives are scratching each other's feathers, kissing and feeding each other from the beak, then expect an early replenishment (see).

Do not count on the fact that the female will rush right on the perch or in the corner of the cage. For breeding chicks, she will need a house. She will lay her eggs in it. You can make such structures for breeding future parrots with your own hands, for example, take an ordinary birdhouse and do the same, only according to the size of your cage. That is, the breeding house should not occupy half of the free space, but should not be the size of a matchbox.

The budgerigar (lat. Melopsittacus undulatus) is a bird species from the order of parrots, the parrot family, the only representative of the genus of budgerigars (Melopsittacus).

The Latin name of the species is formed by 3 words: the Greek word "melos", meaning "singing", the word "psittacos" - "parrot" and the Latin word "undulatus", which means "wavy". Therefore, in literal translation, the name of the bird sounds like a singing budgerigar. A number of ornithologists suggest calling the bird a wavy singer.

Budgerigar - description, appearance and characteristics.

All of the above names are absolutely true: budgerigars are really very noisy and talkative, perfectly remember and imitate individual words and phrases that are repeated many times, often without much meaning.

The budgerigar is a beautiful and slender bird, which, due to its long tail, looks much larger than it actually is. body length of a budgerigar, excluding the tail, reaches 17-19.8 cm with a body weight of about 40-45 g. Domestic birds participating in exhibitions often have a body length of 21 to 23 cm.

Wings budgerigars 9.5 to 10.5 cm long are used by birds exclusively for flight and are completely unsuitable for support when walking or sitting. The flight is beautiful and arched, similar to the flight of a swallow, and when landing, the wings of a bird are bent to the bottom, like a quail. Thanks to this structure, the budgerigar flies quite rapidly and is able to cover considerable distances in search of food.

The budgerigar has a fairly long tail stepped shape, growing up to 8-10 cm in length, and in young individuals the tail is much shorter.

limbs feathered developed and tenacious, ending in 4 long fingers: 2 of them are directed back, 2 look forward. This design allows the birds to grab various objects, food with their paws, as well as deftly climb trees and walk on the ground. At the end of the fingers grow strong curved claws of dark blue, black or almost white. The paws of the budgerigar can be painted in gray-blue, reddish, bright scarlet and pale pink.

In wavy parrots living in nature, eyes dark blue, and the color of the iris is yellowish or almost white. These birds are able to distinguish colors, and a sufficiently large viewing angle allows you to view 2 perspectives at once.

The budgerigar is distinguished by its strong beak, protected by a strong horny substance, and its curved shape resembles the beak of birds of prey. At the base of the beak of a budgerigar, a cere with nostrils is clearly visible. The bird's beak is quite mobile, the upper jaw is not fused with the bones of the skull, but is held by a ligamentous apparatus, while the lower jaw is much shorter than the upper one. Due to its peculiar morphology, the beak of these birds serves as an excellent mechanism for breaking off and crushing shoots, foliage and seeds of plants, and at the same time it is a convenient tool for carrying objects, eating and climbing tree branches. In the event of an enemy attack, the beak of a budgerigar acts as a reliable object of protection.

Budgerigars have a small, short and thick tongue, and its rounded tip is protected by keratinized epithelium. In almost all individuals, the inner surface of the beak is equipped with special horny teeth, which act as a file that sharpens the beak, help clean grains, and also pluck and break fruits. The beak of the chicks is dark in color, but with age it becomes intense yellow, with a slight greenish tint.

Thanks to the natural grassy-green coloration, budgerigars are invisible to enemies against the backdrop of the natural landscape. Cheeks all individuals are decorated with symmetrical elongated purple marks, and below, on both sides of the goiter, there are black spots - special signs inherent in all representatives of the species. As a rule, the markings partially overlap the throat spots.

Goiter and surface of the head wavy parrots living in nature are painted in intense yellow, in the occipital region a thin and light dark brown waviness passes to the back, where it becomes much wider and brighter against the general yellow background. In young parrots, the waviness is not so noticeable and starts right from the wax, and as it grows older, it is replaced by a characteristic yellow mask.

Feathers Budgerigars on the forehead of males have a unique feature: when exposed to ultraviolet light, they fluoresce, due to which females in nature choose their partner for nesting. Moreover, the human eye can catch this radiation only at night, and budgerigars see the glow even in daylight.

Determining the sex of a bird is not difficult. To find out the sex of a budgerigar, you need to look at its wax, which is located at the base of the beak.

Young males have a purple cere, in a young female it is intense blue with a light border around the nostrils.
In mature males, the cere is dark blue or purple (in albinos). An adult female can be distinguished by the beige-blue or brown color of the cere. By the way, the brown color of the wax in females appears during nesting.

Left male, right female

Types of budgerigars, photos and colors.

Today, the budgerigar is considered the most common and favorite decorative bird for home keeping. Over the long years of breeding work, more than 200 varieties of these birds have been bred with a wide variety of plumage colors, including recessive varieties that lack the characteristic waviness.

Photo from budgerigar.com

The yellow color of the budgerigar is the first mutational color and was obtained in Belgium in 1872, and subsequently all modern color variations based on a yellow or white base appeared. Below are some varieties of budgerigar colors:

Natural, traditional color budgerigar plumage - light green(Light green) with a glossy sheen that covers the breast, belly and lower back of the birds. The traditional mask is light yellow, with black dots on the throat, and purple marks on the cheeks. The head, wings and back of parrots are decorated with pronounced black waviness. The long tail feathers are dark blue, the bearing surface of the wings is painted black with a minimal light yellow edge.

dark green wavy parrots (Dark green color) are especially brightly colored, they appeared in France in 1915. The breast, belly and underside of the back of these parrots are dark green, the mask is light yellow, the dots on the throat are black, slightly overlapped by purple zygomatic spots, and there is a characteristic waviness on the body. The shade of the plumage of the wings is identical to the classic variety, but the tail feathers are darker.

olive green budgerigars (olive green) are descended from dark green individuals and were bred in France in 1919. The predominant color of the plumage of birds is olive green, the mask is bright yellow. The black waviness is marked in contrast against the yellow base. The wings of budgerigars are black with a green sheen, the tail feathers are darker compared to dark green specimens.

sky blue The budgerigar (Skyblue color) was bred by the Belgians in 1878. The breast, belly and underside of the parrot's back are blue, and the mask of the birds is pure white. The characteristic waviness is clearly defined on a white base, the tail is blue, the primary flight feathers are black with a minimal white edge.

cobalt budgerigars (color Cobalt) were first shown at the London Exhibition in 1910. Their breast, abdomen, back and tail are distinguished by blue color, the mask of birds is pure white, bright waviness is well expressed on a white background. The wing color of the budgerigar varies from black to blue. Tail feathers are darker compared to sky blue parrots.

Lilac budgerigars (color Mauve) are the result of mixing 2 dark factors, giving a deep lilac color without the presence of a gray tint.

Grey-green budgerigar (color Gray Green) - the fruit of the labors of Austrian breeders, which was obtained in 1935. The front, lower part of the body and the bottom of the back of these birds are distinguished by a very light mustard or gray-greenish tone. The mask of parrots is bright yellow, the spots on the throat are black, and the cheeks are gray, a clear waviness contrasts well with the yellow background. The tail plumage is painted black, the primary flight feathers of the parrot are black with a minimal light yellow edge.

gray budgerigars (color Grey) appeared in Austria and England at the same time, in 1943. In representatives of the variety, the breast, lower body, cheeks and lower back are gray in color, the mask is snow-white, the marks on the throat are black. The characteristic waviness is clearly marked on the white base, the tail is black, and the wing plumage is black or greyish.

Violet The budgerigar (color Violet) first appeared in Germany in 1928. The breast, abdomen and underside of the back of the bird are distinguished by a deep purple color. The mask of the budgerigar is snow-white, the throat markings are black, the tail is dark purple, the primary flight feathers are black with a minimal white edge.

Yellowfaces budgies are of two types:
- The first type, one-factor, implies the presence of a lemon-yellow mask in the bird, which rarely goes beyond the occipital region and onto the chest. A lemon yellow tinge may cover the white tail feathers and other white areas of the bird's plumage. The yellow tint does not extend to the rest of the feathers. Two-factor birds do not have a yellow mask.
- The second phylum of yellow-faced parrots also includes two varieties, one-factor and two-factor. Both of them have a yellow mask. At the same time, the yellow color extends not only to the white feathers of the budgerigar, but also to the main plumage of the bird, turning it from light green to turquoise, from cobalt to dark green, from mauve to olive.

Lutinos(Lutino) - a very unusual variety of budgerigars with a bright yellow egg-yolk shade of plumage. These parrots have red eyes with a light iris and cheekbone markings of a mother-of-pearl shade. The feathers of the tail and wings of the budgerigar are light. Males are distinguished by a pink or purple hue of the cere, in females the cere is brown. Paws of birds are red-brown or rich pink.

Albino on the left, Lutinos on the right

Albinos(Albino) were first obtained in Germany in 1932, and by two amateur breeders at once. Such budgerigars are distinguished by pure white feathers and red eyes with a white iris. The cere and paws of albinos are the same as those of lutinos.

Crested budgerigars are presented in a wide variety of color variations, but differ in the type of crest. Some individuals are decorated with a pointed tuft of feathers growing on the forehead or crown. In others, the crest has the shape of a semicircle formed by feathers that grow to the very beak in a kind of shield. The third variety of budgerigars is decorated with a double or round crest growing from 2 points, while the feathers are arranged symmetrically and can form crests of various shapes and lengths.

Where do budgerigars live in nature?

Budgerigars live in most of Australia, in Tasmania and other nearby islands and are the most familiar and numerous species of Australian parrots.

Under natural conditions, budgerigars live in flocks of 2 dozen to several hundred individuals and roam the mainland in search of food all their lives. Usually birds keep semi-desert and steppe landscapes with light forests, therefore they inhabit the entire eastern and western coasts, as well as the central part of the mainland, with the exception of the northern regions with dense forests.

The composition of a flock of budgerigars is constantly changing: individual individuals fly away, others join, small groups can gather in giant flocks of up to a million individuals, which is an unforgettable sight in beauty.

The birds usually wait out the hot time of the day in the shade, hiding on the branches in the dense foliage of trees. At night, budgerigars sleep, and with the first rays of the sun they gather in small flocks and go to a watering place and feeding areas located a few kilometers from the place of lodging for the night. Some birds drink at the water's edge, others descend to the very surface and quench their thirst on the fly. Often the company at the watering place is made up of cockatoos and zebra finches.

What do budgerigars eat?

According to scientists, the basis of the diet of budgerigars in nature is the seeds of terrestrial plants, to a greater extent these are the seeds of kangaroo grass. Due to human intervention in natural biotopes, birds are forced to restructure their diet depending on changes in environmental conditions. Today, the main crop of Australia, grown everywhere, is, but the grains of this cereal are too large for small birds. In addition to grains, budgerigars eat young shoots and leaves of plants, various berries, vegetables and fruits, and occasionally feed on insects and other invertebrates.

Budgerigars nest in their natural habitat all year round: the northern part of the population begins to breed immediately after the end of the rainy season, in the south nesting begins in November and December. Breeding pairs occupy hollows, creviced stumps and any other hollow niches.

The mating games of budgerigars consist in various courtships, an important part of which is “kissing” and burping food by the male. Thus, he demonstrates to the female his ability to feed future offspring. In the chosen place, practically without any litter, the female budgerigar lays from 4 to 12 white eggs, their incubation lasts about 3 weeks. The entire period of incubation, the male budgerigar feeds the female, being nearby in a relentless search for food.

Budgerigar chicks hatch from eggs naked and blind, weighing about 2 g, the mother warms the offspring, and both parents are engaged in feeding. 10 days after birth, the eyes of the chicks open, at the age of 1 month they completely fledge and can leave their native nest, although some young individuals stay near the nest for some time. At the age of 3 months, grown individuals are already able to reproduce.

Breeding budgerigars at home is a rather laborious process. Male and female, unlike most birds, should grow up together and feel great sympathy for each other, and artificially created pairs, as a rule, do not give offspring for several years.

How long do budgerigars live?

In nature, budgerigars live for about 7 years, and at home, with decent care, birds can live up to 10-15 years. The life expectancy of some individuals in captivity can reach 22 years.

Budgerigars at home: maintenance, care, feeding.

It is better to stop choosing a feathered pet for home keeping at 3-4 months old: at this age, budgerigars easily get used to their owners and a new home. But before you bring the bird home, you need to stock up on everything you need for decent care and maintenance of the budgerigar at home.

A rectangular cell is considered the best option. The size of the cage for a budgerigar should be such that the bird can fly from one perch to another without touching the walls with its wings. A cage measuring 25x40x40 cm is enough to keep one budgerigar. A cage with frequent vertical and rare horizontal rods will ensure unhindered movement of the bird and prevent slipping. The best material for a cage is unpainted stainless steel. If the rods are painted, the bird will gnaw on them and may eat paint particles.