How to make bugdie less scared

[thejimmy]

So I bought a budgie 7 days ago, he is living in this cage, in my room, where i spend most of the time. Today, I started to feed him with honey sticks through the cage wall, but he is so afraid of me. He goes to the other side of the cage. When i put the honey stick very near him, he is just standing stationary until i put the honey stick further from him. Once when i was cleaning the cage, he escaped and was flying in a room. I couldn't get him back to cage, so after 2 hours I had to catch him with a net. I think, that made me even more frightening in his eyes. In the room, I am not shouting, or doing something scary to him, I also sit next to cage and talk to him sometimes. He is vocal when I am not in the room. When I return, he is quiet. Does he need more time? How and when should I start?

[Hezz]

That is a very small cage for any bird, I'm sorry to say. Please try to get him a larger cage so that he has room to flap and flitter from perch to perch.

Catching him with a net will certainly have increased his fear of you. You can only take your time, no sudden movements or noise, nothing loud or banging, and just continue doing what you are doing. Get him millet spray rather than seed sticks and try to find an endless supply of patience. This is not a cat or dog that is going to trust you overnight.

[thejimmy]

Apr 5, 2020 20:45:36 GMT Hezz said:

That is a very small cage for any bird, I'm sorry to say. Please try to get him a larger cage so that he has room to flap and flitter from perch to perch.

Catching him with a net will certainly have increased his fear of you. You can only take your time, no sudden movements or noise, nothing loud or banging, and just continue doing what you are doing. Get him millet spray rather than seed sticks and try to find an endless supply of patience. This is not a cat or dog that is going to trust you overnight.

Thanks for advice. I know the cage isn't big. I just didn't get huge expensive cage right away. My grandpa has lots of birds, and he gave me this budgie. I am just trying taking care of a budgie. If I realize, that I cannot take proper care of a budgie or if he won't like me, I will return him to my grandpa. If he starts to like me, and spend time with me, I will for sure build a custom cage for him from this bookshelf in the picture. It's dimensions will be 50x32x60 in centimeters. Is that size okay?

[Hezz]

Thank you, those dimensions are good.