Budgie focussed on birds outside

[soraya79]

Hello,

I'm new to caring for a budgie and have a question about Charlie (who is almost three months old) being quite focussed on the birds outside.

Usually for a few hours in the morning she will call to them, and I think she's quite happy as she is animated, wags her tail and appears excited. But I'm also unsure, as sometimes it seems like she is straining to hear them and perhaps tense. Is this all fine?

I also had a worry about this regarding letting her out of her cage. We are just starting to build trust between us with her coming out of her own accord and onto a branch/gym I've set up outside her cage. This seems to be going well, but when she hears the birds outside her focus goes straight to them and she jumps about and it looks like she's starting to look for a way to reach them.

I'm concerned that she may fly towards them and encounter a curtain or a wall, although I have the room set up safely.

I'd appreciate any advise about how likely it is she may want to fly to them or if there is anything I should do? 

Thanks

[mona]

My budgie pair chats to the outside birbs a lot.. I have a bunch of trees just beside the window, which shelters a lot of garden birbs.. When outside the cage, they fly to the window railing and chat with them/look at them. If they are scared they fly away from the window to the fan or curtain rod. The garden birbs often respond back to their contact calls and it might be exciting for them to be able to socialize with other birdies.. I consider that as a happy chatting hour too.. However, I have a pair of budgies and they are accustomed to their environment..

If it seems that your birdie becomes very restless with the garden birb chats, you might try increasing the radio/music player volume..

[soraya79]

Jan 19, 2021 9:57:03 GMT mona said:

My budgie pair chats to the outside birbs a lot.. I have a bunch of trees just beside the window, which shelters a lot of garden birbs.. When outside the cage, they fly to the window railing and chat with them/look at them. If they are scared they fly away from the window to the fan or curtain rod. The garden birbs often respond back to their contact calls and it might be exciting for them to be able to socialize with other birdies.. I consider that as a happy chatting hour too.. However, I have a pair of budgies and they are accustomed to their environment..

If it seems that your birdie becomes very restless with the garden birb chats, you might try increasing the radio/music player volume..

Thank you mona, that's good to know that she may be happy being near enough to them by the window once she's settled in more. It is a happy energy and it is exciting for her when she hear back from them  

Thanks for the idea regarding having music or the radio playing, perhaps just during the times she is outside her cage to start with and until she has found her spots that are familiar. Thank you so much, it sounds like your pair have a good time with their outdoor friends.

Cheers

[Hezz]

She will be both happy, excited and wary, tense to differing degrees depending on what birds are outside. Some birds will simple be there, others will be ones to be wary of, those that my prey on the smaller birds. If she has plenty of time out of the cage she will learn the confines of that room and know where the boundaries are, and get to know that windows are windows and not something to be flown through.

[soraya79]

Jan 20, 2021 1:07:18 GMT Hezz said:

She will be both happy, excited and wary, tense to differing degrees depending on what birds are outside. Some birds will simple be there, others will be ones to be wary of, those that my prey on the smaller birds. If she has plenty of time out of the cage she will learn the confines of that room and know where the boundaries are, and get to know that windows are windows and not something to be flown through.

Thank you Hezz

[soraya79]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the support when I was worried about Charlie's interactions with the birds outside.

I just wanted to share an update that she's been flying near and around windows without any incidents. And here are some pictures of her saying hello to a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets that like to visit, especially when it's raining.

Thank you

[Hezz]

My experience is that budgies seem to know what are native to them and not harmful. Lorries are one of their closest cousins and they do recognise that they aren’t there to harm them, even though their territories are quite different. In contrast I have a sun conure who is still frightened of the cockatoos four years later.

[ariella]

I have to say, you have such beautiful and colourful wild birds in Australia. They are stunning.
Welcome to the forum soraya79 and Charlie.

[Marianne Marlow]

Agreed, they are amazing!

Welcome to you and Charlie.

May 22, 2021 11:56:43 GMT ariella said:

I have to say, you have such beautiful and colourful wild birds in Australia. They are stunning.
Welcome to the forum soraya79 and Charlie.

[tweetiepiesmom]

How amazing it must be live somewhere where exotic birds come to the window to visit! The pictures are adorable. Both my budgies pay attention to the birds outside, chirping and singing with them. The birds outside seem to be most vocal early in the morning and late afternoon. I've learned that is not the time for me to try training them - I can't compete with that for their attention.

[blueelephant]

They are amazing photos!

[Deleted]

May 22, 2021 16:37:57 GMT tweetiepiesmom said:

How amazing it must be live somewhere where exotic birds come to the window to visit! The pictures are adorable. Both my budgies pay attention to the birds outside, chirping and singing with them. The birds outside seem to be most vocal early in the morning and late afternoon. I've learned that is not the time for me to try training them - I can't compete with that for their attention.

I suppose if you live there they're not exotic though.
My housemate and I had a trip to Portugal during uni and we were amazed by these birds outside the place we were staying, but the family who lived there saw them every day so barely batted an eyelid.

[soraya79]

May 22, 2021 11:45:48 GMT Hezz said:

My experience is that budgies seem to know what are native to them and not harmful. Lorries are one of their closest cousins and they do recognise that they aren’t there to harm them, even though their territories are quite different. In contrast I have a sun conure who is still frightened of the cockatoos four years later.

Thanks Hezz, I think I've noticed that too. Although Charlie will imitate several different birds vocally, she's only ever very excited and animated as if she is getting ready to take off when it's the Lorikeets. I think it's not as strong in the Lorikeets responding to her, but I was amazed when on a similar occasion with the same pair of lorikeets one of them looked at the other and then at Charlie. It then attempted to give her food through the window's mosquito screen and Charlie tried to receive it. I thought they may have looked at her as one of their babies. it was very touching  :-)

[soraya79]

May 22, 2021 11:56:43 GMT ariella said:

I have to say, you have such beautiful and colourful wild birds in Australia. They are stunning.
Welcome to the forum soraya79 and Charlie.

thank you ariella, They are amazing I agree. It's uplifting to see them (and hear them!) in the trees, or be taken by surprise when they fly past you quite close and so fast on rare occasions. it wakes you up to life, that's for sure.

[soraya79]

May 22, 2021 16:37:57 GMT tweetiepiesmom said:

How amazing it must be live somewhere where exotic birds come to the window to visit! The pictures are adorable. Both my budgies pay attention to the birds outside, chirping and singing with them. The birds outside seem to be most vocal early in the morning and late afternoon. I've learned that is not the time for me to try training them - I can't compete with that for their attention.

Thank you, I do the same as the outside birds get her full attention when they are nearby! It's lovely to see the birds up close on those days. and this was quite a sight when I was walking home from the train one day. someone's front lawn was just covered with a flock that you could hear one street away, which is not a common thing. I've never seen that many in one place and so close before.