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Scared Budgie!

Hawkward

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Pasted from the Parrotlet pages:

Oh boy. Well... after a lot of discussion we decided not to get another bird. Then we come across this bright yellow budgie that the person was calling, "some kind of parrot". It had one perch in its cage, water, and food. And absolutely nothing else. No toys, no stimulation, nada. Sad empty cage. They had it that way for six months since buying it...

So, we have a new pet bird.

Poor little thing is terrified of everything. How do I go about making this budgie less afraid?

It is currently quarantined in my back bedroom. I keep the back of the cage covered, and try to limit the noise. I talk to it softly, and play it some budgie sounds.....which is the only time it even moves. It does eat millet, and I opened the cage door to change the water, and thought the lump wouldn't move until I walked across the room and set the water bowl down, but it darted out of its cage and flew around the room. Poor baby! I picked it up and put it back in it's cage, it has never been handled before, and bit my fingers the whole way. I am reading about hand taming, but... most of them say move closer as the bird's fear seems less over time, but so far, this poor baby seems as scared as the first day I brought it home.

Tips? Advice? I'm sure this has been asked before, is someone has a link to that question as I can't seem to find anything? It may never be a hands on bird, but I'd like it to at least be able to come out of the cage and hang out on the room perches and such.
 

expressmailtome

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Bump.
 

Hawkward

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Would getting another budgie now help him calm down, or make him more afraid? And do y'all think it is a boy or a girl? It is a year old is my best guess, and a lutino budgie?

 

greys4u

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How long have you had the budgie?
 

Gribouille

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that bird has been kept in prison with no loving interaction and nothing to do all day long. Basically it is a living decoration. It needs to learn trust first.
I would give it some toys, a swing, several natural perches to climb on, and place the cage in your living room, where it can see you and get accustomed to noise, learning that it is not dangerous. Have the cage where you use to sit often so it gets used to you, then when you notice it stops panicking when you change the water or clean the cage you could start holding millet inside the cage, until it is confident enough to climb on your hand.
That should take quite some time already..

As for gender, if it is a lutino I can't help, but you say it is at least one year old, how is it that the eyes are still completely black..? Aren't they supposed to get a ring when they mature?
What is the reddish brown over the nose?
 

Lady Jane

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As we say "start from the beginning" I would not put many toys in with him now. Just a few that he may like such as a swing and one of those little toys they make for budgies. Start slow and go slow. Keep a calm environment. Place the palms of your hands gently on the outside of the cage and keep them there for a little while. He will get used to seeing them. Let him hear a gentle voice from you. Sing to him or play youtube music with birds. Establish a daily routine so he knows what to expect, no surprises. Please give us updates as to how you are doing and don't forget millet.
 

Porter

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Oddly enough some Lutino budgie retain the baby black color all their lives.

I've personally known two who did.
 

Serin

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This is a girl lutino. Males have a bright pink nose. You will see a fast improvement in demeanor if you get her a friend. Budgies thrive with company. An untamed rescue especially shouldn't be kept singly. If you can't handle two I would strongly recommend against keeping her because she needs company.
 

Ripshod

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No iris ring tells me it's a Dark-eyed Clear. Lutino would also have redder eyes. The cere suggests female.
'inos' with no iris rings are usually misidentified dark-eyed clears, or df spangle.

@Hawkward if you can get a friend for your adoptee would be a whole lot better for her. Try and find a more mature friend (would likely be calmer around you). Also, as.already suggested introduce yourself slowly. Be patient, none of this will happen overnight. Give her plenty of toys, and stick a slice of apple between bars where she can easily reach it - just to see what happens. She'll have a favourite spot in the cage, base everything around that area.
 
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Leonora

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Poor little guy! I am new to budgies, so my advice is not worth much...Anyway, that's so kind of you having offered him a so much better house! I wish you all the best with this cutie!
 

Hawkward

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Thank you all for the responses! :grouphug2:

Not going to respond one by one, just put down all the info, hope that is ok!

My fella told me to chill out lol. We haven't had the budgie very long, and s/he is still adjusting. I just feel so bad for how scared it is. No change in it's fear levels yet. It has learned my presence means millet though, which it happily gobbles up, as long as I don't move at all. I tried the apple as suggested, but it wanted nothing to do with it, tried a few other things, and got the same response...fresh fruit and chop will be a slow process I guess.

The spot above its cere is, I believe, where it has rubbed all of its feathers off out of boredom. I will get more pictures at some point, but not while it is so terrified. Its perch is just one of those wooden dowels, and it had chewed it all over, since it was the only thing in the cage, and it rubs it's head against it.

I am trying not to overwhelm it, but I want so desperately to swap out the perches and put all the fun things in there. But, I am really concerned about this poor baby having a heart attack. So far I have only put a small swing and one toy in the cage. Which the bird shook for hours afterward over :sad8: ....and is now accepting but ignoring. :unsure1:

Still mostly just sits scared. I have so many things just waiting to go in. When I turned on budgie sounds it flaps its wings and chirps and comes to life. But otherwise, it sits in one spot all day, and only moves for food/water/millet.

Ok.....so another bird...problem is I only have two rooms for birds. The bird room where my parrotlet lives, and the back room which I am quarantining this new Budgie. I would like to get it a friend, but I'd either have to keep them in the same room (no quarantining) in separate cages, or wait a long time, as by the time budgie's quarantine is up, I have family coming to stay for a few months, so won't have the room. Which would you do? Do you think it will chill out any when it sees my parrotlet? Or will it be an unmoving lump until I get it another budgie friend?

Y'all are really sure it is a girl? So, I should look for another female parakeet to home it with when I do, right? Will two girls get along though?

As far as the type, I am new to budgies, so I didn't know about the eyes, or the color. The people said they got it in summer, so 6ish months ago, add on a few for growing up, and sitting in the store, which is why I am guessing it is a year-ish old.
 

Hawkward

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@Hawkward, did you give her a name?
We have not named her yet, as we were not sure if it was a boy or girl, but we have been trying out a lot. We were considering calling it Jake, and getting another budgie that is blue with a white head and calling in Finn (from Adventure time) lol. But if it is a girl, so...hmm......Cake and Fionna?

The name list includes:
Midas, Goldie, Summer, Princess Buttercup, Woodstock, Big Bird, Mrs. Feather bottom, Ziz, Twinkie, and others we wrote down but I can't remember haha.

We've been trying them out, but since she only sits there looking terrified so far, we have not choosen, so when I talk to her I mostly call her beautiful budge.
 

Hawkward

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PS- feel free to throw some name suggestions out there ;)
When we find the right one I think it will just stick.
 

Fergus Mom

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She's beautiful! I would say look at all the baby names on the internet, and you might find a suitable one. They are so slow to socialize with us, but when they do decide to be friendly, it's such an amazing, gratifying thing. Keep doing what you're doing, and she will get more friendly - especially with millet!! Magic millet, is my name for it!
 

Gribouille

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PS- feel free to throw some name suggestions out there ;)
When we find the right one I think it will just stick.
I'd say Comet or Spark, to both the color and the fact that being terrified she certainly acts like one.. I like Woodstock too but he is a boy.
 

Ripshod

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Lemon(ade) - personal favourite in full
Butter(cup)
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Lady Jane

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I was wondering why you refer to the budgie as "it". This budgie will come alive with a cage mate. I am glad you are thinking in that direction.
I like the name Goldie.
 
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