12 Signs of a Happy Budgie

Most of the parakeet owners find their parakeet budgie as a friend of loneliness which brings smile on their face, pills of stress relief and medication of mental health. Indeed, budgies as pets are a good friend and a great companion.

I am sure your budgies too are easing your life in one or the other way. When these tiny little creatures put so much smile on our face, isn’t it our responsibility to keep them happy and healthy. With these 12 signs of a happy budgie, let’s find out if your budgies are happy with you or not.

An unhappy parakeet budgie may also be sick. Therefore it’s always important to be cautious, keep a watchful eye and take him to an avian vet if necessary.

Signs of a happy budgie

Lets find out most common behavior of a happy healthy budgie. This list is not a complete list of signs. Few more can be added depending on budgie as each individual budgie have different personality.

Playing

Budgies are usually active, acrobatic little creatures with less active periods. Happy budgies are always alert, responsive and restless. They love to discover challenging toys, climb ladders, chew ropes, play with bell and even chatter in-front of mirror.

If your budgie isn’t flying, climbing, chewing or playing with his toys, give him something of his interest. Provide him with fun and challenging toys to make him happy and content. Hide his favorite treat within the toys. Rotate his toys or try playing with him outside of his cage. Schedule at least few minutes of together time each day.

Chirping

Happy budgies always chirp, whistle, sing perhaps mimic some sounds and chatters almost all day long. Chirping, singing, whistling and mimicking sounds are signs of a happy budgie. Tamed, talking budgies may utter words while other chatters on their own. Still vocalization is an important part of their day.

The other way they express happiness is by clicking their tongue against the beak. If one of your budgies is clicking its tongue around you. It is usually a sign that the budgie is happy, likes to be picked up or petted and wants you to interact with him more.

Eating and drinking

When you bring a budgie home from pet shop, it takes hours to analyze and adjust with environment, then he quickly jumps to the food and water bowl, eats and drinks in a rush and flies back to the upper perch of the cage. This is because he is scared and unhappy in the environment. Every other scared, unhealthy, unhappy budgies perch silently, eats and drinks less frequently.

Happy budgie nibbles throughout the day, often in between playtimes. If you have observed your budgie eating again, right after eating or just nibbling food. This behavior shows that your budgie is happy and satisfied with you in the environment.

Make sure your budgie has access to enough clean drinking water and fresh food. Seed mix, veggies, occasional fruits avoiding chocolate, avocado, salty foods, garlic, onion makes great treats for your budgie.

Most people also read: Can parakeets eat cabbage?

Preening

Budgies rub their head against the preen gland (uropygial gland) which is located just above the tail. Preen glands perform many functions in birds (budgies) including water proofing, and keeping the skin, feathers and bill supple; the oil is said to have an antibacterial function.

Most birds including budgies use to distribute the gland’s oil through the plumage by means of preening which keeps them nice and clean. At times happy budgies preen their individual body and tail feathers to clean and keep themselves tidy and tiptop.

Happy budgies also preen and scratch each other’s head feathers too. There is difference between preening and being itchy. So, make sure you know the difference that helps you decide whether your budgie is happy or feeling itchy.

Body posture

Budgie’s body posture, the way your budgie carries himself can tell if he is happy or not. Budgie’s relaxed, non-rigid posture indicates he is happy with you and the environment. Happy and friendly budgie bows his head, requesting a head scratching or petting.

Just like humans, budgies also release their muscle stress by stretching. They stretch a leg and an opposite wing at once on one side and then do the same to the other as well. This is normal behavior indicating the budgie’s relaxing mood. Relaxation only comes with happiness. So, technically you can say your budgie is happy.

Beak grinding

Budgie not only uses its beak for chewing and holding things, he also uses it to convey some messages. Grinding the beak, like the way people grind their teeth, is one of the ways to express the happiness of a budgie. Usually budgies make this grinding sound before they go to sleep. It indicates that your budgie is happily relaxed and content.

Mouthing with the beak, without biting, is one way budgies play with one another. If your budgie is mouthing you, be sure he loves to play with you. While mouthing, your budgie may regurgitate food at you, which is another great sign of happy budgie and tremendous affection.

Cuddling

Even some of the most loving budgies aren’t comfortable enough to be handled by their human companion. So when your budgie is climbing on your shoulder or head, grooms you, loves to cuddle, rubs against your neck, it means he likes you and is having good time bonding with you. This actually means your parakeet budgie is happy. Happy budgie always loves to play and have some enjoyable time.

Head bobbing

Head bobbing can mean a lot of things. Happy healthy adult male budgies bob their head as part of a courtship ritual – male trying to impress female budgies for mating. A single budgie, even without a mate around, bobs its head, chirps means he’s happy.

Head bobbing in young budgies indicates hunger and asking for food from parents.

Eye flashing and pinning

Flashing – the widening of the pupils and pinning – the narrowing of the pupils. As like human eye react to light and darkness, parakeet budgies change the pupils size as a physical reaction to their mood and environment. When budgies like new toys, treats, human companions or if they get excited to mate, they start flashing and pinning their eyes.

Wings flapping

Birds not only use their wings for flying. Including budgie, birds use wings as a sort of body language. They flap wings to stretch their body and also to tell you something. When budgies do this, they are either seeking your attention or showing off how happy they are.

If you notice a budgie flipping – not flapping – his wings, it might be anything from a quick adjustment to a serious irritation. If the wings are dropping, he may be feeling tired or sick. Pay attention and call the avian vet if necessary.

Budgie standing on one leg

Standing on one leg seems to be quite strange, but it’s normal behavior of budgies. Budgies often stand on one leg when they’re in a comfortable situation. They also seem with slightly ruffled feathers as they rest, which is also a sign of comfort and happiness. Most parakeet budgies will exhibit this behavior before they are sleepy as it’s relaxing to them.

Hanging upside down

Have you ever seen your budgie hanging upside down? Though this is a normal behavior of parakeet budgies, you may have been scared at first. Budgies usually do this when they are happy and feel safe. They even go round and round on a perch. It is an indication that your budgies are happy. This position leaves the bird vulnerable, so they hang upside down if they trust you and feel safe.

These are the most common signs of a happy budgie. Do your budgies shows some of the above mentioned signs? Besides these, budgies can show other behavior too. Add other signs of a happy budgie in comment box.

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How to make your budgie happy?

We already knew “A happy budgie is a healthy budgie”. So how can we keep our budgie happy and healthy? Taking care of budgies is not just providing them food and water. He won’t be happy just for getting enough food and water.

Here’s a checklist to keep your parakeet budgie happy and healthy.

• Provide fresh food and clean water each day
• Keep the cage clean and tidy
• Clean food bowls everyday
• Arrange “together time” every day
• Keep full attention
• Get him enough toys, rotate them occasionally
• Get big flight cage as much as possible
• Never keep single budgie if you can’t manage together time, get a partner

Why do you pet budgies? How are they helping you in life? Please comment down below.

No doubt they are making you smile in some way. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to love and make them healthy and happy. <3