Help bonding with my budgies

[sarah29]

I’ve had my budgies for about 3 weeks now. They STILL jump and fly away from me every single time i get near or open their cage. My first bird would step up on my finger just fine at first, but ever since getting the second bird she now flys away from me as well. I’ve tried all the tips and tricks, such as leaving my finger in the cage for 5 mins and then removing it. Or placing my hand in with food. I even sit and talk to them everyday for a few minutes.

please someone help me!! I just want to grow a bond with my two budgies! here’s a picture of my babies. My boy LOVES to sleep on his tummy.

 

[Sparkles99]

Welcome! Your girls are gorgeous!

I’m not sure about that stomach lying posture; I’ve never seen that before.

You can try reading aloud to them & not staring. Some birds are always flighty around hands.

 

[Vittror]

Hello and welcome to AA!

3 weeks is still a very short time to have had them and expect full bonding.
So no worries there!
I'm not sure but I think it's also said when you've got more than 1 bird it's harder to bond with them because they're probably going to bond more with each other, but it shouldn't be impossible!

You could hang a bowl in their cage (preferably next to a perch for easy acces) which you can also easilly access without entering the cage and everytime you spend time with them, even if it's for a few minutes, put a treat (like a very small piece of millet) inside the bowl.
The idea is that they get curious, check it out, and associate you with good things like treats.
If they don't run away when you're near or even go to the bowl when you put a treat inside, they are getting less frightened by you.

The next thing I did with my budgie (he was a solo bird so that might be different) was open his cage, put a spring/stalk of millet inside and just held it there.
Note: I took the whole sprig/stalk of millet, so not just a little bit, and just hold it there and let him come to me and eat from the millet.
My budgie was deathly afraid of hands so he knew (because he saw) that I was holding the millet but because my hand was far away from him, he was okay with it and eating happily.
Try not to make sudden movements while doing this.
I did this for quite a while with him to keep associating me with good things and also kept working with him on his pace.

After a while (maybe 1-2 month-ish?) I could offer him more smaller pieces of millet, with my hands each time a bit closer to him, and after a while he was sitting on my hand(s) while eating from the millet.

It's important to let your birds set the pace while bonding/training with them.

My budgie was also a loafer but I've only seen him doing while sitting on perches

Your budgies are beautiful, very nice colours!

 

[Scorpi0]

Millets are the best training snacks for budgies.

Try offering them millet by hand through the cage bars. Once they get used to nibbling on the millet that way, then u can tey offering it to them with your hand inside the cage.

 

[Wannabirb?]

Is the cage in the room where you are mainly at? It will help a lot if you are always around them and they can always inspect you and see that you are not a threat.

 

[GreenThing]

All budgies are different, and as others have said three weeks is barely any time to them!

Just keep doing what you do-- you can push them to show courage a tiny bit (otherwise they might learn it is okay to never interact with you) with food enticement. They have to be hungry (NOT starving, just normal hunger) to be really millet-motivated. Limiting their access to seed really helps with this. It also makes the morning the best time to work with them, as they have fasted all night while sleeping.

This is a good time to sing, chat with them, and offer some millet. Vocally interacting with them is a really big deal. You can start just through the bars, if that makes them feel safer. Budgies don't always show you that they are enjoying attention! My second rescue, Margo, acts completely indifferent to me unless it is to grab a snack. But lately, when I start praising and kissing and singing at her, she has started to sing with me! I've had her for more than a year. They are learning you are a safe creature, even if it doesn't feel like it : )