Budgies (Parakeets) Make Great Companion Birds, But You Probably Should Not Get One

Are Budgie's the Perfect Parrots For You?

When people think of a starter pet for children, after hamsters, mice, fish and other small animals, many folks think of a budgie, also commonly known as a parakeet.

It is easy to understand why! Budgies are small, engaging, and if you have ever heard a small flock of parakeets chattering away at your local pet store, than you have literally heard happiness in one of its purest auditory forms.

There is a lot to love about keeping a parakeet, or two, or three. You don't need as much space as you might need for larger birds. Budgies are small and they can get adequate exercise and flight time inside a house or apartment. You won't need to buy and store as much food or spend as much on housing. This of course would depend on how many budgies were in a household. Small birds use smaller enrichment items like toys, foraging devices and play stands.  A smaller bird means all of those things are, or at least can be smaller.

Budgies have comparatively quiet voices, compared to other birds. So, if you live in a multi-family dwelling, your bird won't run afoul ('afowl'.?.) of your neighbors. Most find budgie chatter to be a pleasing sound.  

Budgies are very trainable.  These birds are card carrying members of the Parrot family!  Their small size should not lead you to believe they lack the intelligence of their larger cousins, they are wicked smart.  You can and should trick train them to build a bond of trust and create enriching ways for you to interact with your bird.  

Why Shouldn't You Have a Budgie?

There are lots of reasons not to have a budgie or any companion bird for that matter. 

• You shouldn't have a budgie if you do not have the time to interact with or supervise daily out time for your bird. 

Companion birds and particularly companion parrots, of any size, are a real time commitment.  As an example, our flock of 4 budgies gets at least 2 hours of time everyday outside of their various cages to interact with each other, with us, and fly about in the bird safe areas of our home.  This is supervised time.  Parrots left out alone and unsupervised are parrots getting in trouble.

• Budgies are small, but don't confuse that with inexpensive.

You will need to purchase the following for a budgie or any companion bird. 

1. A cage that is big enough to allow for the full extension of their wings, with room to spare and that ideally allows them to fly between perches.  Some of the best set-ups have a small night cage for each bird, that can double as a boarding cage, and a larger flight cage for the budgie(s) to be in during the day.  Smaller cages start at about $30, and flight cages start at about $90.
2. You will need a carrier cage to transport your bird to vet visits.  These can run anywhere from $15 to $100, depending on how secure and fancy you desire them to be.
3. If you have more than one budgie, you will also want a smaller cage that you can use to quarantine a sick bird.
4. Everything that goes into outfitting that cage with perches, toys, food and water cups, and paper for the bottom.
5. Food in the form of a quality seed mix, quality pellets, and fresh ingredients for your favorite "chop" mix. 
6. Play stands and other areas outside of your budgie's cage for them to land on during supervised out time.  These run anywhere from $20 to $80.
7. Veterinary care.  Yes, these small birds require regular veterinary care, preferably with a vet who specializes in avian medicine. Expect to spend anywhere from $30 to $50 for a routine year with no medical issues. More if your budgie becomes ill. 
8. Do you travel?  If there is no one else in your home to care for your budgie(s) while you are away, you will need to find a pet sitter or a place to board them.  

A larger bird will be more expensive, but don't be fooled into believing that smaller birds aren't a time and money commitment.  Some of these costs are one-time costs and some, like food, toys and veterinary care are ongoing costs that you should consider carefully before bringing a living, breathing, and intelligent creature into your home.

• You shouldn't have a budgie if you hate cleaning.

Birds are messy.  Budgies might be small, but you should expect to participate in a daily cleaning routine to manage the dust, feathers and poop.  You will need to change your budgie's cage liner daily, clean food and water cups daily, sweep and/or vacuum floors daily.  If you are prone to dust allergies, you will want air filtration in the room the budgies are in the most.

• You shouldn't have a budgie if you aren't prepared to make your home bird safe.

Budgies are great in that they are small enough that you can provide them with adequate flight exercise inside your home.  But you will need to make your home bird safe and bird friendly.  This means making sure obvious and not so obvious dangers are mitigated and your bird has safe and familiar places like play stands, on which it knows it can land.  Can all of your windows be covered during flight time so your bird doesn't accidentally try to fly out of one and crashes into the glass?  Do all of your windows have a secure screen?  Do you have family members who forget to shut doors?  Are your toilet seat covers down?  Are all the plants in your home safe for curious beaks? Making your home bird safe could be dedicated to a whole separate blog post. 

• Finally, you shouldn't have a budgie if you aren't prepared to do all of the above for several years. 

Properly cared for, budgies can live between 8 to 12 years.  Longer for some truly exceptional budgies.  One of our flock members is almost 16 years old.  He is blind, he has arthritis and he is slower than he used to be, but he still leads a life that keeps him grinding his beak in contentment, preening his feathers, warbling the song of his people and foraging for his food.  When you are a blind bird, all food finding is foraging. 

Deciding whether to take on a companion parrot is a big decision.  Hopefully the above has given you some things to consider in deciding if it is right for you, and importantly, right for the bird you may eventually bring into your home.  If you are considering this and think bird companionship may be right for you, please consider searching out an exotic bird rescue in your area.

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