My bird is depressed

[Bluberrytheparakeet]

I have found a way sorta... she stays out of the cage in the day, I open the blinds to my bedroom window, and crack the window ( it has a screen on it, but im paranoid about her breaking it) and then she calls the birds, and sometimes a bird will come up and sit on part of the roof and they chat back and forth.

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

I have found a way sorta... she stays out of the cage in the day, I open the blinds to my bedroom window, and crack the window ( it has a screen on it, but im paranoid about her breaking it) and then she calls the birds, and sometimes a bird will come up and sit on part of the roof and they chat back and forth.

That sounds really good! I'm glad she can stay out of the cage in the day.

 

[RavensGryf]

How long have you had this budgie? Sounds like she is in a drastically new environment and isn’t used to her “new life“ in your home and doesn’t really know what to do.

If you rescued her from outside, she would‘ve either have been someone else’s escaped pet, or escaped from an aviary or store. Have you tried to find an owner? I always encourage that before keeping a bird you found. She may eventually learn routine in your home, or she may be better off rehomed to someone with a budgie aviary.

 

[vsk101]

Hello, I have a female budgie, Her cage is pretty large, I provide her with loads of toys and perches, and a bathtub. She won't bathe, and she will sleep in one spot ALL DAY LONG. She does not grind her beak, she shows no signs of happiness. At this time I cannot afford to get another bird. I did rescue her from outside, and she flew freely, She is not clipped. What do I do?

Are you sure your budgie isn't sick? Birds hide their illnesses so their flock won't leave them. And seeping all day is a sign of illness. I would recommend an avian vet visit asap. If a pet bird has been outside, it is always recommended that they see an avian vet anyway. You can do an international search for one here: https://www.aav.org/page/finding_a_veterinarian

 

[Bluberrytheparakeet]

Just for the sake of time, It would really help if ya'll were to read my previous posts..


she has been in my house for almost a year now.. My mom won't let me re-home her.

I have been to the vet 8 times total this past year...

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

Just for the sake of time, It would really help if ya'll were to read my previous posts..


she has been in my house for almost a year now.. My mom won't let me re-home her.

I have been to the vet 8 times total this past year...

How's she doing?

 

[Squeeing_Onion]

I've seen a lot of advice on birdie health input, but not much focusing on the owner's methods of handling.

I've got some questions and suggestions! I'm unfamiliar with Budgies themselves, but I'm familiar with birds in general and have made friends with both captive and wild species, and of course the parrots i have in my home.

• How much time, roughly, do you spend with her? A half hour, an hour, several hours, etc?
• How do you spend that time with her?
• When you approach her cage, how do you do so? Do you speak or sing or whistle to her?
• Could you share a photo of the cage settup she has? (I did read through this whole thread, so if I missed a pic, my bad!)
• What sort of things does she do when you approach? Do you ever force yourself into her space (ie, putting your hand in the cage to try and ask her to step up or catching her to put her away or let her out, etc)?

Birds are very visual, and very sound, orientated. To a little lesser degree, they are also very scent orientated. One of the ways you could passively work on acclimating her to closer presence with you is by taking a shirt you wore for the day, and laying it on her cage if having a blanket cover doesn't spook her. Most my birds have a blanket draped over the back all day that I use to cover them at night, and save my poor walls from flung fruit and veggies.

Bright lights can be an additional stressor to a bird; they see colors a little differently than we do, and they're incredibly visually orientated. Pay attention to if your budgie has any reaction to clothes or accessories you wear; while you do want to eventually acclimate her to these things, at this stage, it's more important to remove as many possible stressors so your interactions with her can be as positive and set up for the highest chance of success as possible.

It's not something I do often, but sometimes I will dim the lights (not turn the room dark! just dim them or shut them off if I have a lot of natural light in the space from windows) and simply sit near a shy or frightened bird's cage and talk quietly to them. If you're at a loss for what to say, try reading a favorite book aloud for them; the real point is for them to hear a calm, soothing tone of voice from you, as parrots are very sensitive to your emotions and cues, so the tone of voice matters a lot even if they don't understand the words.

Sounds like your little birdie may have made some friends outdoors, who knows how long she was loose for outside -- so from her perspective, she's been caught and held in a strange place with everything unfamiliar. I'm so glad to hear she's been beeping with the birds outside at the window!

Something else you can experiment with is playing forest bird sounds, or other budgie making happy noises for her to listen to. Try to find a video that she seems interested in without over-exciting her.

I might have more ideas if I can get some more info on how you've already tried working with her, but the most of everything boils down to patience, time, and a whole lot of understanding love as you learn more about her. Good luck! <3


Whatever you do, I don't recommend you get her a mirror. It might seem like a good choice, but in the long run, it can cause some bad psychological issues for parrots who think their reflection really is another bird, as that reflection won't behave a way another bird would in response to what your budgie does.

 

[Eudie]

Hello, I have a female budgie, Her cage is pretty large, I provide her with loads of toys and perches, and a bathtub. She won't bathe, and she will sleep in one spot ALL DAY LONG. She does not grind her beak, she shows no signs of happiness. At this time I cannot afford to get another bird. I did rescue her from outside, and she flew freely, She is not clipped. What do I do?

I have had any birds and none, liked pellets. Parakeets are very inexpensive to keep. Get a 5 lb bag of parakeet seed and it will last a very long time ., Add a little piece of Kale and it will be happy and healthy. Sit next to the cage and talk sweetly to it for around 15 minutes a day. Don’t put your hand inside as that is her territory. Just keep talking sweetly to her. Does she have a swing? They like swings small foot toys as well. Don’t overwhelm her with toys.
A second bird is not the answer as birds are like people and don’t like everyone. I had a cocktail that tried to kill my other Bird and parakeets that hated each other. So don’t get another bird. Get her wings clipped as it is dangerous not to.That is how you found her. She flew out of her home. Get them clipped and have her cage in a safe place, open the door to the cage and let her climb out and climb around the outside of the cage. Sit there and talk to her.. have a small towel near you. After around 15 minutes gently put the towel over her and put her back b in the cage. Increase the time .out. Now after a few days when you put her back keep her gently wrapped in the towel with her head uncovered. Then gently scratch the top of her head and around her ears. She will find this very enjoyable. Do it for a few minutes, then put her back in the cage. increase the time. You can do it first using the earaser on a pencil as she will probably try to bite you. The eraser is soft. Once she likes it you can use your finger. Talk to her A lot. Once she is happy you can leave her out longer and let her sit on your shoulder. It is fine with a parakeets but not bigger birds.
feed her the kale by hand as a treat as well as putting it in her cage.
Do not use any pots that have Teflon on the to make it non stick. Overheated. Teflon gives off fumes that kills birds.
If you do what I suggest, you will have a happy bird.
good luck.

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

I have had any birds and none, liked pellets. Parakeets are very inexpensive to keep. Get a 5 lb bag of parakeet seed and it will last a very long time ., Add a little piece of Kale and it will be happy and healthy.

I'm sorry, but many things are wrong here. Ok...
Budgies are prone to fatty tumors, their main diet should ALWAYS be chop.

Get her wings clipped as it is dangerous not to.That is how you found her. She flew out of her home.

Wing clipping can make budgies depressed, they fly up to 500km a day in the wild! Wing clipping also doesn't prevent a budgie from flying or escaping unless you totally butcher their wings. I have see the negative affects of wing clipping in my flock, all whom came clipped. It's horrible, and reduces their confidence so much.

Now after a few days when you put her back keep her gently wrapped in the towel with her head uncovered. Then gently scratch the top of her head and around her ears. She will find this very enjoyable.

Most budgies DO NOT like scritches. Grabbing a budgie is also scaring it. WOuld you do that to a big bird that could bite your hand off? No? Then don't do it to a budgie, they're big birds in a small package. Toweling them will make them fear you, and learn that they cannot fight you, so they give up. It's not a healthy relationship to have with your bird, and frankly, many consider it abuse.

You can do it first using the earaser on a pencil as she will probably try to bite you.

Because she is SCARED and doesn't like it!!!

If you do what I suggest, you will have a happy bird

Please, no one take this advice. Just because a bird SEEMS happy doesn't mean it is.

I'm sorry, this may have come off as rude, but I'm sick and tired of people mistreating budgies because they're smaller, cheap and can't fight back.

 

[Eudie]

Hello, I have a female budgie, Her cage is pretty large, I provide her with loads of toys and perches, and a bathtub. She won't bathe, and she will sleep in one spot ALL DAY LONG. She does not grind her beak, she shows no signs of happiness. At this time I cannot afford to get another bird. I did rescue her from outside, and she flew freely, She is not clipped. What do I do?

I just read how you caught her. No wonder she is depressed. She probably had a mate as she had a nest, and perhaps had eggs.
you will have to give her plenty of love or take her back to where you found her and put down the carrier and see if the male bird comes by.. if so let her go as she was doing fine before you caught her. Many birds mate for life and do fine outside. There are colonies of wild keets in many states that have warm weather..
then get your self a bird that belongs in a cage, not a wild bird. Both of you will be happy then.

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

I just read how you caught her. No wonder she is depressed. She probably had a mate as she had a nest, and perhaps had eggs.
you will have to give her plenty of love or take her back to where you found her and put down the carrier and see if the male bird comes by.. if so let her go as she was doing fine before you caught her. Many birds mate for life and do fine outside. There are colonies of wild keets in many states that have warm weather..
then get your self a bird that belongs in a cage, not a wild bird. Both of you will be happy then.

DO NOT recommend she release the budgie!!! She was mated with a dove, not a keet! There are no wild keets where the OP lives (or I think anyhow). She's not wild, she is a PET, and no bird belongs in a cage.

 

[Cottonoid]

I agree. It has been a YEAR and Bluberrytheparakeet did a lot to try to find an owner. She wasn't a wild bird!

@Squeeing_Onion your advice is really helpful - I too have a bird that doesn't want to be handled and sometimes I question whether I'm taking things too slowly.

@Bluberrytheparakeet I've had pets before where I didn't think I was giving them their best possible life, but I knew 100% I was giving them a life better than they had before.

I think it's great you're trying to figure out ways to enrich Bluberry's quality of life. I also am proud of you for articulating your boundaries and needs in this thread.

My bird Cotton LOVES videos of other Ringnecks. He goes absolutely bonkers talking to a video of baby IRN and he gets so happy and fluffy afterward. He also likes hearing bird sounds so I play ParrotTown TV from YouTube for him a lot. I'm still learning what he likes and doesn't like so it might take some experimenting if you've tried that already.

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

I agree. It has been a YEAR and May did a lot to try to find an owner. She wasn't a wild bird!

@Squeeing_Onion your advice is really helpful - I too have a bird that doesn't want to be handled and sometimes I question whether I'm taking things too slowly.

@May1234 I've had pets before where I didn't think I was giving them their best possible life, but I knew 100% I was giving them a life better than they had before.

I think it's great you're trying to figure out ways to enrich Bluberry's quality of life. I also am proud of you for articulating your boundaries and needs in this thread.

My bird Cotton LOVES videos of other Ringnecks. He goes absolutely bonkers talking to a video of baby IRN and he gets so happy and fluffy afterward. He also likes hearing bird sounds so I play ParrotTown TV from YouTube for him a lot. I'm still learning what he likes and doesn't like so it might take some experimenting if you've tried that already.

Umm, I'm pretty sure @Bluberrytheparakeet is not May... May doesn't have a budgie named blueberry, and she has multiple birds (or had).

 

[Cottonoid]

Umm, I'm pretty sure @Bluberrytheparakeet is not May... May doesn't have a budgie named blueberry, and she has multiple birds (or had).

OMG 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ that's what I get for doing the forum on my phone 😂

Wish me luck fixing it and not messing up worse 😂

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

OMG 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ that's what I get for doing the forum on my phone 😂

Wish me luck fixing it and not messing up worse 😂

Good luck! LOL

 

[Kenya Parrot]

How's she doing?

Does your bird have a mirror? They like to look at themselves. It might help

 

[bittybo]

Hello, I have a female budgie, Her cage is pretty large, I provide her with loads of toys and perches, and a bathtub. She won't bathe, and she will sleep in one spot ALL DAY LONG. She does not grind her beak, she shows no signs of happiness. At this time I cannot afford to get another bird. I did rescue her from outside, and she flew freely, She is not clipped. What do I do?

this may have already been added but i would suggest that you only allow her to fly in small rooms at first like maybe only the bathroom or your bedroom with the doors locked. give her time to acclimate herself to the room and sounds associated with the house.. you could turn on the tv and place a small bowl of seeds or millet beside you and just watch the tv and let her get used to the room. eventually she will come over to you especially if she sees the millet.. it might take a week or two. small steps.. this is how they stay alive in the wild by being super wary of anything new. if i add a new fruit or veggie in my budgies cage it takes forever for them to go check it out. i wouldnt let her fly freely around the whole house until she calms down or she might fly into a window and hurt herself. let her safely explore one room at a time once she is used to your bedroom or family room or bathroom

 

[Rozalka]

Does your bird have a mirror? They like to look at themselves. It might help

No, this may things make worse! I've already lost my budgie in this way - she was so obsessed about her mirror and was sitting there 24/7 and wanting to mate with the bird in the mirror

 

[HeatherG]

Courtesy of “Chicken Thoughts”…

(No, I’m not serious. I’m just being a smart aleck.)

 

[Bluberrytheparakeet]

I agree with @stormypica ... thank you so much for being the critic so i don't have to do it all. ( I am being serious not sarcastic)