Gestures of budgies. Sound signals of a bird indicating its sympathy

Often, the behavior of budgies confuses and puzzles novice owners. Basically, these pets try to explain by their actions what they want. To establish communication with a bird, any owner must understand what a particular bird movement, posture, or strange sounds means. In this article we will look at the basic habits of budgies.

Budgerigars have a very changeable character and their own perception of the world around them. They can have fun and, and a minute later they will get ruffled and grumble. Some birds have an easygoing disposition and therefore make contact quite easily, others behave quite aggressively, others are cowardly and can constantly hide from their fellow birds or people.

The owner must understand the behavior of his pet in order to be able to understand in time when everything is fine with him and when something is wrong. Of course, you won’t be able to change the character of the “wavy dog,” but you can change his attitude towards his owner personally. Having observed these birds for a long time, one can come to the conclusion that their habits are divided into two types:

• biological;
• external.

Let's take a closer look at each type of budgerigar behavior.

Biological factors

Sexual arousal

During sexual desire, when budgies have increased levels of testosterone in their bodies, their behavior changes noticeably. In some birds this is very noticeable, while others tolerate such changes quite calmly.

For example, a lonely male may attempt to mate with the owner’s hand or some toy, and the female may attempt to mate with eggs. That is why at such moments experts advise moving away from the pet. If he mistakes this object for a partner, then the relationship with the real bird may not work out. There have been cases when a bird, not receiving reciprocity from its reflection, fell into deep depression.

Hormonal activity causes budgies to groom each other. If you notice that the birds' behavior has changed, they began to circle around each other, take different poses, make loud sounds, coo, then they are ready for...

However, if you have a single male or one female, then puberty manifests itself in the form of such habits as rubbing the cloaca against the poles or bars of the cage. At such moments, it is not recommended to pick up your pet - he may begin to do the same to you. You should also not stroke the female on the back, as this may cause her to lay eggs.

Some pets living alone may begin to feed their owner. On the one hand, this speaks of a manifestation of love, but during the sexual period the bird thus shows its parental instinct. If you don't like this behavior, distract your parrot with a toy or something else when it starts to stretch its neck.

Possible problems

Under the influence of hormones, a pet can become quite aggressive and start biting. Females are especially active in this regard. Since you will still have to clean the cage, replace water and food, you will have to think about how to wean your parrot from this bad habit. Otherwise, these habits will bring you inconvenience.

There are several options for how to stop a parrot from biting. Let's look at an example of the most effective option.

By the way, the answer to the question: why does a budgie bite may not only be hormonal changes. Such habits can also manifest themselves due to lack of attention, defensive reactions, or character traits. And some birds play this way. Therefore, it is first necessary to establish the cause of this behavior, and only then try to eliminate it.

After you understand at what moments your pet tries to bite you, begin to remove the object of biting, strictly saying “No.” Then try to switch his attention to something else (a toy, a treat).

Be prepared for the fact that the bird will not immediately understand what you want from it. Remember - to stop your parrot from biting, you will have to be patient. You can’t shout at him, much less hit him. Your pet may get scared and start biting harder in defense of you. Gradually, he will stop performing actions that you do not like, having heard your categorical “No.”

Also, to stop your parrot from biting, you can lightly click his beak before he wants to do it. But this is not the best way, since it does not always work on the bird. You can simply leave the room if your pet tries to bite you. He will understand that he is losing your attention and will stop behaving this way.

External factors

Throat problems

Sometimes, when watching a budgie, you will notice that it opens its beak several times in a row. Moreover, the bird does not make any sounds. Many owners may be afraid of such strangeness. Let's figure out what could be causing this behavior.

Firstly, pets are trying to clear their throats after cleaning their plumage. The fact is that during such a hygienic procedure, a small part of the fluff gets into their throat, and the parrots try to get rid of it.

Secondly, this behavior may be due to the fact that the bird choked on something. There is no need to worry - “wavy” ones can easily cope with such problems.

Thirdly, the parrot opens its mouth because it is infected. In this case, these movements are accompanied by a lethargic appearance of the pet, loss of appetite and a decrease in its activity. If you notice something like this in your feathered friend, immediately contact your veterinarian for advice. Only he will be able to make a more accurate diagnosis after examining the bird and prescribe treatment.

It is very bad if a budgie breathes with its mouth open. This bird behavior indicates that it has problems with the respiratory tract. If the bird does this for a long time and in a sitting position, it may have been sick for a long time. Take your pet to the vet immediately for timely intervention.

Accommodations

If your wavy pet hides his head under his wing, he may just be cold. This is how the bird tries to keep warm. Try making rooms larger with a portable heater. The main thing is that he does not stand too close to the parrot's cage.

Often the bird hides its head under its wing while sleeping. But not all individuals do this - some can sleep with their head tilted forward or thrown back. In general, these birds can. For example, grabbing the cage with one foot and the perch with the other.

However, if your wavy pet often tries to hide its head under its wing at a time when it should be awake, and this movement is accompanied by rapid or difficult breathing, lack of appetite, weakness, drowsiness, and lack of singing, the parrot may be sick or depressed.

If you took on such an interesting business as - then you probably had to have a whole bunch of questions. Most likely, you will be interested not only in how to determine the pregnancy of a budgerigar, but also in how to choose a suitable pair of birds for breeding. We will definitely consider all these, as well as many other questions, in the following article.

Principles of breeding budgies

In order to breed domesticated birds, you just need to know a few basic rules.

Firstly, breeders will need to select a pair of wavy dogs suitable for starting a family. It is very important that the birds you choose show sympathy for each other and do not fight.

If you purchase a pair of parrots from different breeders or in different pet stores, you should first place them in separate cages, thus allowing them to get used to each other's appearance. Only after a week or two, it will be possible to try to place one parrot with another.

Secondly, the birds you choose must be completely healthy. Only young and strong wavy birds can subsequently bring you healthy offspring.

Thirdly, the breeder will initially need to decide in what period of time he plans to start breeding his charges. Under natural conditions, it occurs at the end of spring or beginning of summer.

However, if, due to some circumstances, you plan to shift this period to a later one or, vice versa, to an earlier one, then you will need to perform a number of certain manipulations.

For example, daylight hours during bird breeding should be slightly increased by using daylight placed near the cage.

Fourthly, the one you choose must be of a certain age. It is not allowed to involve in the process those under one year old, or, on the contrary, those who are too old and weak, over six years old.

Fifthly, the break between laying eggs should be at least six months. If you break this rule and want your pets to bring you offspring as often as possible, the female will most likely not survive and die.

Mating season

The beginning of the mating season in birds is visible to the naked eye. The male begins to show interest in the female placed next to him. He flirts with her in every possible way, shows off and simply attracts her attention. The female reciprocates the male's feelings.

If you are already seeing a similar picture, then it’s time to cook. Surely each of you knows what it can look like. Usually, they are either made by hand or purchased from pet stores.

In any case, no matter what nest house you choose, the female will definitely show interest in it and begin to restore order inside it. She will often jump inside him and scratch for a long time.

Signs of pregnancy in a parrot

Here we come to the main question of this article. So how do you know if your budgie is pregnant?

Parrots cannot get pregnant because birds lay eggs to reproduce. Therefore, there is no way to know that a parrot is pregnant. However, budgies are showing some signs that they are about to lay eggs.

A female parrot lays three to eight eggs

Before laying an egg, the bird usually produces noticeably larger than normal bowel movements. She may begin to moult and use her feathers for nesting, or become more interested than usual in the nest box. The parrot may groom itself several times a day or walk around the cage in a certain way, but this should only last a few hours.

Be attentive to the behavior of the bird:

• the female will try to make a nest from any material available to her in the cage;
• she may spend more time than usual on things she used to do. Birds like to sit and conserve the energy needed to lay eggs;
• some female parrots become more aggressive than usual;
• the bird may be hiding in the corner.

Stay aware of physical signs:

1. A female parrot may experience loss of belly feathers. This is called a brood spot and appears right before the eggs are laid.
2. You may also notice that the bird's belly has become rounder than usual.

Once it has been possible to understand that the parrot is “pregnant”, it is worth paying attention to the behavior of the female in order to notice signs of complications in time. Parrots can have problems laying eggs, especially when the female does not get enough vitamins or varieties in her food, or her diet lacks calcium.

When a bird fails to lay an egg, it becomes lodged in the vulva and can put pressure on the female's internal organs, eventually leading to death. Signs of this complication include a swollen belly (a bird's belly will not swell unless there is a problem), difficulty breathing, or limping. Limping may be a sign of severe nerve damage due to a stuck egg. Sitting on the ground for long periods of time is also a sign of complications.

If a female parrot sits on the ground for long periods of time this is a sign of complications

It is worth taking your female parrot to the vet if there are signs of complications.

• the veterinarian will be able to feel the swelling caused by the eggs;
• The veterinarian will also know how to check the cloaca (the reproductive opening of birds) for hanging or swelling;
• react quickly to such problems in the female, as it only takes a few days to create an egg.

Egg laying in budgerigars begins approximately one to two days after mating. Once the female has laid her eggs, you can keep all of them or remove some of them based on your reasons for breeding parrots.

Some breeders breed parrots to obtain good or new genetic combinations. These breeders will likely remove the eggs from the nest. They remove them because they believe the parrot cannot care for more than four to six chicks at a time.

Breeders remove eggs from the nest because they believe the parrot cannot care for more than four to six chicks at a time

Breeders who raise budgies for sale will likely keep all the eggs to sell more birds later.

Why do some eggs need to be removed? Imagine if the female lays 9 eggs, once every two days. This will make the laying period 18 days. She simply does not have enough time to feed all the chickens to make them strong and capable of life.

It may also happen that the mother bird will simply throw out some of the chicks that are not yet ready for life, and after a while they will die. Therefore, it would be better to remove the eggs before it is too late.

Once egg laying begins, the female will sit on them the entire time. Often a male comes to her. You can even observe at this time how he sits on the outside of the clutch and feeds the female through a round hole. In general, it is best to simply keep the male parrot in a cage and let the female incubate the eggs as best suits her.

When eggs begin to be laid, the female will sit on them the entire time.

Sometimes after laying eggs, budgies act as if nothing happened. If a female lays an egg and does not sit on it, remove the egg from the cage.

While waiting for the eggs to hatch, only the female will sit on them. She will do this about 18-19 days before the first bird is due to fly. The eggs should be kept at a temperature close to the mother bird's body temperature. This ranges from 40 to 43 degrees Celsius.

Once the budgerigar chicks hatch, check if everything seems normal and if the female is feeding them. She will throw all the eggshells out of the nest herself, so there is no need to look there too often.

Since eggs are laid every second day and there can be anywhere from 4 to 9 eggs, it may happen that the first chick to hatch already has feathers and the last one hasn't even hatched yet.

Budgerigar chicks grow very quickly. As soon as they gain a little strength, they begin to explore the world around them and rise to their feet. The female will try to push them away and take them out of the nest because she is immediately preparing for the next mating.

Parrot chicks leave the nest when they reach the age of 30-35 days. About two months after hatching there is little difference between parents and chicks.

After the parrots are “born”, pay attention to the female. As soon as the chicks grow up, she will begin to push them away and prepare for another mating. Owners should not allow her to mate more than three times a year, as this is too tiring for the female budgerigar.

Studying how birds communicate with each other helps us figure out how to understand a parrot. When interacting with each other, birds use tactile, olfactory and auditory methods of communication. They have an amazingly beautiful voice that is pleasant to humans.

Bird language

To figure out how to understand a parrot, you need to observe its behavior

In nature, budgies are less common than at home. The idea that they only reproduce screams is erroneous. This sharp, abrupt sound is not the basis of communication for them. In human speech it would sound like “cha-cha-cha.” Parrots use it to communicate that they are excited, nervous or scared. Sometimes it indicates the bird’s cheerful and daring mood. She begins to actively move around the cage and flap her wings, telling her owner about her fun.

With short sounds reminiscent of “chak-chak”, the bird expresses approval and agreement. At the same time, she leaves the beak slightly open. This action shows what brings pleasure to your beloved pet.

When a bird wants to have fun, it starts whistling

The bird is trying to talk

Gestures help express friendship. When meeting its owner, the bird may hit its closed beak on an outstretched finger. Such a greeting symbolizes trust and goodwill.

The chirping of parrots differs from other species of birds in its melodiousness. It reveals various intonations and halftones. A simple chirp expresses concern, curiosity, or a pleasant mood. It all depends on the volume level.

Owners like to communicate with their feathered pets in human language. However, the bird does not understand the meaning of the words spoken. For her, the sounds of human speech are a way to express emotions. She reproduces the speech in a good mood, expressing her readiness to communicate.

It's sad when disease comes to our pets. However, this happens even to the most caring owners. Therefore, it is very important that in such a situation the pet owner does not get confused, but pulls himself together and acts clearly and quickly. Since, in particular, in parrots, and in other animals, many diseases occur very quickly (for example, this is how it happens), and if you miss the moment, you may lose the chance for your pet to recover.

Well, our publication today, in which we will tell you how to treat a parrot, where to start, will definitely be useful to you...

How to find out if a parrot is sick

It is very important to notice in time that your parrot is sick. This will allow you to start treatment for your feathered pet in a timely manner, and will significantly increase its chances of recovery. Therefore, we have especially for you compiled a list of symptoms of problems that indicate that your parrot is sick. This…

• Sudden changes in the behavior of the bird.
• Refusal of food and water or, conversely, increased thirst.
• Anxious or apathetic behavior.
• Weight loss.
• Lameness.
• Sneezing and discharge from the nose and eyes.
• Deterioration of the plumage and its condition.
• Redness of the eyes.
• Change in consistency of droppings.

You shouldn’t wait until your bird shows all the symptoms from the list above. This may not happen. Having noticed at least one of them, you should already pay attention to the state of health of the parrot and show the bird to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Choosing a veterinarian for a parrot

Find a good veterinarian for your bird

Ah, this is where the fun begins. As experience shows, there are not so many specialists who would treat parrots. Most of the veterinarians in our clinics are generalists, and we in no way want to demean their professionalism, however, treating cats and dogs is slightly different from treating parrots. That's why, if you are interested in the health of your bird, immediately after purchasing it you should look for a specialist who will treat it and advise you. So to speak for the future. Then, if you find yourself in an emergency situation, you will not waste time looking for a good specialist, but you will immediately know who to contact. It is very important. At the same time, it’s good if you find not just one specialist, but several - this way you will insure yourself against any unforeseen situations and force majeure. It wouldn’t hurt to look for contacts of specialists from other cities – email, phone, Skype number. With the power of the Internet, this is not so difficult. Each such contact is an additional chance for your feathered friend to recover.

First aid kit for a parrot

Sometimes, a bird needs first aid. And, the further fate of the feathered pet may depend on your efficiency, as well as on whether you have all the necessary means to provide such first aid at hand. Therefore, we would recommend that on the same day when you bring the parrot home - no matter what, a large bird (read more about keeping such birds) or a budgie, take care to collect first aid kit for parrot. All these products should be in one place and periodically you should check their expiration date.

Such a first aid kit must contain antiseptic wipes, adhesive tape, tweezers, cotton wool, hydrogen peroxide, activated carbon, an elastic bandage, scissors, a small towel (for fixing the bird), a universal salt applicator or heating pad, a teaspoon... Also, the first aid kit must be a notepad with phone numbers and contacts of your veterinarians, addresses and contacts of the nearest veterinary clinics. It won’t hurt to put in your first aid kit an ordinary ballpoint pen and paper on which you can write the veterinarian’s orders if you contact him by phone.

Even in the event of an emergency, when your bird is injured (read more about) or urgently needs your help, you can quickly react and provide first aid. However, as you noticed, there are no medications in the first aid kit - this is true, since their list depends on the bird’s illness and the doctor’s prescriptions. And we would not recommend you to self-medicate your parrot.