Budgies and Mirrors

[Kylie1969]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone can tell me if they have had a positive experience with their budgies having a mirror?

We had a budgie years ago and she got so obsessed with her mirror she didn't mix with us anymore.

We have a new baby budgie now and we are unsure whether to get him a mirror or not. I would like him to have one so it seems like company for him when we are not here, but at the same time, I would still like him to mix with us too.

Any help would be great, thanks!

[Loz]

My advice to you would be no mirror, but plenty of toys. Particularly things that are shreddable, they can keep a singleton budgie very happy and busy.

For shreddables, find out what is safe for budgies and construct them yourself, or search for them on www.naturalbirdco.co.uk/ if you're UK-based. (I have no financial link with that company, I just really rate them).

Others may give you different advice and I know many folks use and swear by mirrors. My feeling is they can make budgies, especially singletons, aggressive and/or obsessive.

[Kylie1969]

Thank you Lozhinge 

I do agree with you that I think budgies do get obsessed with a mirror. He does have a hanging toy in his cage now, we have had him for 4 days and he has pecked at it once or twice...he doesn't seem to be showing any real interest in it yet....but he is still quite young.

I will have a look at the site you suggested, thanks 

[ffiscool]

It depends on the budgie. I had Bailey who loved mirrors, but when he was out the cage, he played with other toys and me. He was an amazing talker.

I had Max, albeit not for long, but he didn’t care about his mirror, his thing was bells outside of the cage plus totally interacted with me, playing ball

[Kylie1969]

Hi ffiscool, thanks for your input

Yes, I agree, it would depend on the budgie. I think at this point, we wont get one for him and as we both work from home so we are with him a lot and will keep him company.

He has lots of toys too, so that will help. Although he doesn't seem too interested in them at present, but he is quite young, he may start playing with them as he grows

[ffiscool]

😊 as you’re both home, I think you’ll be fine. A lot of them don’t seem to play with toys straight away. Bailey wouldn’t even come out the cage for a long time. Max was out quite quickly and his toys were mostly on window ledges, table.

They’re all so individual with quirks, just like us

[Hezz]

Mirrors are fine as long as you are aware that they can become a problem and be ready to step in if you notice any possessive behaviour or over-interaction such as trying to feed or mate with it. Have enough toys to mix them around every week or two and the mirror can be considered as just another of the toys, so not necessarily there in the cage all the time.

If you want to look at getting more toys or making your own, My Parrot Shop is probably one of my favourites:
myparrotshop.com/

They have good quality stuff and some of their liberty bells (stainless steel) I’ve had for over 15 years. Good quality stainless steel bells are hard to come by the world over, so well worth the investment.

[Kylie1969]

Hi guys

I have been and had a look at my parrotshop, that all looks good for toys. I have been having a hard time finding toys in any shops here in Adelaide, so I thought an online shop is the way to go, thanks Hezz

Ffiscool, I am glad to hear that a lot of budgies dont play with their toys for a while, I dont feel so bad now with our Loki not being that interested.

[ffiscool]

you can also play with his toys in front of. him, so that will hopefully make him curious. It also all depends on where he came from, handling, out of cage time etc etc as it is so new when they go to a new home.

[Kylie1969]

That is a good idea The toys are certainly all new to him, he was only 2 or 3 weeks old when we got him, so he is probably thinking, what are all these items hanging in my cage LOL!