Budgie Appreciation

[foxgloveparrot]

3/21 is National Budgie Day (yes, I know when you Google it it says it's the 17th-trust me on this). And I can't emphasize enough how much we need this day, because budgies are so often overlooked, underestimated, mistreated, impulse-bought, and unappreciated. They don't cost thousands to buy, don't take up a lot of space, and in most budgie owners' eyes, don't matter. After all, it's "just a budgie"...right?
Wrong. If you look past the size of the bird, the price tag placed on the bird, and into their eyes, you will see an intelligent, emotional, irreplaceable, beautiful soul, a soul that deserves better. Even though the bird itself is worth less money and less space, its life is NOT worth any less.
Please, please do your research before getting a pet, regardless of their size, appearance, price, or the fact that they seem to be everywhere. Saving one bird may not change the world, but it will change the world for that one bird.
I'd also like to give a shoutout to @𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆. Ollie, thank you, you and your flock are a constant reminder that budgies are deserving of the same respect of any macaw or cockatoo. You've saved countless birds' lives, as have so many other members of PF. Thank you all, and thanks for reading.

 

[Deleted member 42416]

Ok! I’ve not ever mentioned my beautiful budgies…despite the fact that I’ve been doing keen budgie watching all day. I now have 3 budgies…here they are:

1. Hopper

• turned 7 years old this month. Hatched in my house (intentionally) and was the youngest of his clutch of 4
• had to be hand fed (along with siblings) after he was a week old week because Mom got sick and Dad was too overwhelmed to continue feeding.
• Taught me how to hand feed REALLY small birbies!
• His Mom passed a year after he hatched, and Dad and siblings passed over the past 2 years. I kept and loved them all!
• He is the “runt” but sooo lively!
• When he lost his bonded brothers, he bonded with his father. When father got sick (suspect testicular cancer) he fed and preened Dad until he passed. One of the most beautiful birby relationships I have ever witnessed.

2. Pistachio

• Adopted 5/31/2020
• Was found by a dog rescue person who was living in her RV while planning to build on some very lush acreage. Looked out her window and saw Pistachio with a flock of wild birds (doves/grackles?) foraging in the grass. Went out and Pistachio (normally not tame) was very happy to step up and come inside. They fostered her for 2 months while trying to find original owner and to quarantine; then placed her profile on Petfinder. I was ecstatic to adopt! She was a full adult but looked young, I figured a year old at that time. The dog foster Mommy also gave me boy chihuahua reusable diapers for Pancho, who had just been neutered but was still marking!
• She is bossy, beautiful, and loves dandelion greens (the wild bird in her!)

3. Gidget

• The most recent addition. Just got out of quarantine yesterday
• Adult female, unknown age
• Was dropped off to the Small Animal Management class at my daughter’s high school by another teacher. That teacher’s mother was moving and didn’t want to take the birds. There were 2 budgies in a small cage: male and female. Per my daughter, they were extremely stressed by the change, the loud students, and students yelling at them “shut up, you stupid birds!”. The male was shaking in fear and passed away after 2 days. The teacher asked if anyone wanted the female and no one said yes. At that point, my daughter called me and said she was bringing her home; the cruelty was unbearable and this birby would surely die. Of course I could not say “no”. She appeared stressed on arrival, but otherwise healthy with normal poops. The small cage was crowded with toys and extremely filthy. I throughly cleaned and bleached the day she came home. (Too gross to wait). She has been in quarantine until yesterday when her cage was brought to the “bird room”. My budgies were excited to see her and have rolled out the welcome wagon. She juuust ventured out of her cage and I’m waiting to see if she’ll join the others (they have a very large flight cage).
• We have named her Gidget and we know nothing about her past before the school.

 

[clark_conure]

I have six budgies now, I rescued four from a bad environment with owners that had a dog no interaction and such, now they can free fly in the downstairs then another two babies that they claimed had wings clipped because running into stuff.

They babies sit on my shoulder for a bit after I pick them up, then I let/put them go back to open cage, just building trust. I hope they are the bridge to get them all to come over, but I'm not going to clip them. They come to my hand when on the floor so I think I'm building trust.

All the birds tend to sit on my side of the cage, not by any design.....it's like .....ewww he's a human....but if I get lost he will bring me home.

 

[wrench13]

Hear hear, budgies ARE parrots in every sense of the word.

 

[Laurasea]

Happy Budgie Day!

I got my 2, Clear Skies and Cloudy Skies from someone in the neighborhood who was moving didn't want them and heard i had birds. About 5 years ago

 

[Deleted member 42416]

Ok, 3/21 is officially (by my one and truthful internet source) Budgie Day!

Yay! Never mind that we share it with Down’s Syndrome and “Fragrance” Days.

I love all 3! (For those not familiar with Down’s/Trisomy 21) please feel free to PM me. And FRAGRANCE!! Please do not PM me about that.

 

[Ria.345]

Omg! It makes me nostalgic and reminds me of my very first budgie I got when I was 11 or 12. I'll always miss you my little Owen...

 

[Ria.345]

Omg! It makes me nostalgic and reminds me of my very first budgie I got when I was 11 or 12. I'll always miss you my little Owen...

I'll try to find pictures on my old laptop!

 

[Ria.345]

I'll try to find pictures on my old laptop!

 

[Laurasea]

Cloudy feel appreciated with celery leaves ( I also feed celery with no issues) while Tadah enjoys some broccoli

( I'm make veggies omlet, so just sharing tidbits, before I make all their veggies of the day)

 

[StormyPica]

3/21 is National Budgie Day (yes, I know when you Google it it says it's the 17th-trust me on this). And I can't emphasize enough how much we need this day, because budgies are so often overlooked, underestimated, mistreated, impulse-bought, and unappreciated. They don't cost thousands to buy, don't take up a lot of space, and in most budgie owners' eyes, don't matter. After all, it's "just a budgie"...right?
Wrong. If you look past the size of the bird, the price tag placed on the bird, and into their eyes, you will see an intelligent, emotional, irreplaceable, beautiful soul, a soul that deserves better. Even though the bird itself is worth less money and less space, its life is NOT worth any less.
Please, please do your research before getting a pet, regardless of their size, appearance, price, or the fact that they seem to be everywhere. Saving one bird may not change the world, but it will change the world for that one bird.
I'd also like to give a shoutout to @𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆. Ollie, thank you, you and your flock are a constant reminder that budgies are deserving of the same respect of any macaw or cockatoo. You've saved countless birds' lives, as have so many other members of PF. Thank you all, and thanks for reading.

Omgmygosh. YES! We need this day so badly, in fact, every day should be Budgie Appreciation day! These little guys deserve way more compassion and empathy than most people give them, and I'm SO glad you posted this, because otherwise I wouldn't have known!

 

[Rozalka]

Happy World Budgie Day to all budgies!

 

[Tiki Bird]

God I love them.

I haven't had budgies for well over 20 years and it's so great to interract with them again and hear their happy noises in the house. Mine aren't fully trained yet but still young and getting more and more used to me everyday. They are really remarkable, adaptable little animals. So much pet in a tiny little package.

 

[HeatherG]

So true.

My great aunt gave me her unwanted budgie when I was about 9 because I would spend our visits glued to his cage watching and talking to him. I was allowed to have him because I could use allowance and gift money to buy bird seed. I know we went through several budgies because they were unwanted birds given to me and we didn’t know their histories. And even a very smart little girl who only has library books for reference can’t manage all health problems a secondhand pet bird might have.

But I learned how to take care of birds from these budgies and started to really love birds. My budgies got a LOT of attention. I lived in the woods and there were no neighbors to play with.

I hear from people asking advice about their bird, “it’s just a parakeet, it cost $x, I’m not spending the money to take it to a vet.” If you have brought the animal into your home, it deserves to be healthy and feel good. Vet care is another expense you just must ADD IN to the cost of owning an animal.

No animal is disposable or undeserving of good health. I so wish I’d been able to complete my studies as I am still fascinated by avian health.

 

[StormyPica]

So true.

My great aunt gave me her unwanted budgie when I was about 9 because I would spend our visits glued to his cage watching and talking to him. I was allowed to have him because I could use allowance and gift money to buy bird seed. I know we went through several budgies because they were unwanted birds given to me and we didn’t know their histories. And even a very smart little girl who only has library books for reference can’t manage all health problems a secondhand pet bird might have.

But I learned how to take care of birds from these budgies and started to really love birds. My budgies got a LOT of attention. I lived in the woods and there were no neighbors to play with.

I hear from people asking advice about their bird, “it’s just a parakeet, it cost $x, I’m not spending the money to take it to a vet.” If you have brought the animal into your home, it deserves to be healthy and feel good. Vet care is another expense you just must ADD IN to the cost of owning an animal.

No animal is disposable or undeserving of good health. I so wish I’d been able to complete my studies as I am still fascinated by avian health.

Yes, before I got budgies, I made sure my parents knew about the vet expenses and general expenses. I try to help out wherever and whenever I can, but I'm just a kid, without a steady job, so I made sure they could chip in. Also, the NOISE. Not loud, by any means, but constant. I needed to make sure everyone was ok with that. Thankfully, all worked out, and I now have 4 beautiful little guys (who I wouldn't trade for any other bird/pet in the world)!