Parrot home care. How to care for a parrot: basic rules

To get rid of sadness and loneliness, the Budgerigar can entertain children. He will sing his simple song and learn to talk. The bird will amusingly travel around the playground, and splash water while swimming. You can watch her for a long time.

Budgerigars from the wild live in large numbers at home, bred in nurseries and amateurs. Hundreds of new species have been bred. Only it is not possible to accustom them to other climatic conditions. Keeping a budgerigar at home so that they live long and are active consists of many factors. Birds need to provide:

  • a complete diet;
  • air temperature and humidity;
  • lighting and sunlight;
  • lack of drafts;
  • proper care of budgerigars;
  • communication;
  • regular classes;
  • bathing;
  • rest, sleep.

If everything is organized correctly, then keeping parrots at home will not become burdensome. But the wavy will cheer you up with his songs and tricks, he will live more than the average age for his species of 8 years.

The question of how to keep a parrot at home is asked not only by beginner poultry farmers, but also by people whose bird is sick, inactive, or vice versa a lot of naughty. If you decide to start a wavy, you should first get a cage. She must be:

  • spacious enough;
  • from stainless mesh or wire;
  • with pull-out tray for cleaning;
  • large door;
  • properly equipped;
  • stand in a comfortable position.

The budgerigar should be comfortable in the cage

Having brought the bird home, it is released into the cage and not disturbed for several days. The pet needs to get used to the new place, because they are very shy. While the parrots get used to it, care and maintenance at home consists of adding food, replacing water with minimal disturbance to the bird.

At first, only one person enters the room, comes close to the cage and pours food. This is the one who has enough time to continue to deal with the parrot. During the adaptation period, he should talk to the bird in a calm, quiet voice, in a singsong voice, stretching out the words, as if in a song, being at a distance from the cage. In this case, the human head should be at the same level with the bird or lower. It is not necessary to look closely at the inhabitant of the cage; this is a sign of hostility in birds and animals.

The parrot must adapt to the cage

The younger the budgerigar, the faster it adapts. Born from manual parents will be enough for 2 - 3 days. In a bird brought from a store, especially an adult female, adaptation can take up to 2 weeks.

The chick will sit ruffled, may even refuse to eat on the first day. The new environment frightens him, brings him to stress. For this period, it is desirable to close the bottom corner of the cage with plywood or completely close one side from the outside. Create an illusion of a secret place not visible to enemies.

If possible, other family members should not enter the room, especially make noise, run, scream and shine on the cage. Budgerigars become attached to people and make friends with animals, but you need to get to know each other gradually, when the bird gets used not only to the new environment, but also to the person who deals with it.

The bird should get used to the new environment - do not scare it

When the budgerigar gets used to it, care and maintenance are simplified. Now, when talking with a pet, you can freely clean up the cage and teach it to sit on your finger or hand first, then take it out of the house.

In the wild, birds are used to traveling several kilometers a day. A sedentary lifestyle is not good for your pet. Before you release the wavy to fly and just walk around the room, you need to create safe conditions:

  • close windows, doors and vents;
  • remove vases, figurines and other items that he can knock over;
  • hide wires;
  • close all the cracks where the bird can fall or climb;
  • cover everything that is poorly washed from traces of the pet's vital activity.

Before releasing a parrot, do not forget to close the window

When you let the parrot out for a walk, someone should be in the room. Even with a full feed, a well-fed pichuga will want to try wallpaper or plaster. A curious parrot can gnaw on the wires and catch a claw on the pile of the carpet and upholstery.

The air conditioner should be turned off. Once in a stream of cold air, the budgerigar will immediately catch a cold. Birds are very sensitive to drafts, cold and heat.

The cage must be spacious. Then the parrots will feel comfortable, care and maintenance will not cause much trouble. For one bird, the minimum dimensions of the cage are 45:45:60 cm. For two more - 60:60:80 cm. If there are several parrots, or you plan to have a couple and chicks, you need to put an aviary for them.

If two parrots live in a cage, they should not be crowded

Inside the bird housing should not contain objects made of plastic, painted and with sharp edges. Utensils should be made of glass, porcelain or stainless steel. Everything else is wooden and made from natural fabrics.

The pichuga housing equipment set includes:

  • perches, crossbars - 2 or more;
  • rocker;
  • pendant with a bell;
  • feeder;
  • drinker;
  • glassware for sepia and mineral additives.

It is advisable to add a mirror and a few toys of pendants and lying on the floor. A tree branch is inserted into a spacious cage. The wavy will travel along it, stretching its paws, pecking, nibbling.

Properly equip a parrot cage

The walls of the cage are made with cells smaller than the size of a parrot's head. Otherwise, a curious pichuga will try to crawl through and get stuck. If she is not removed in time, she may die.

It is necessary to put the aviary near the wall away from drafts. There should be no TV or radio nearby. Loud noises will frighten the bird.

If the wavy is bought for children, then not younger than 5 years old, even better for elementary school students. With them, the bird will find a common language, will be willing to communicate and learn together. Toddlers are more impulsive, they run, scream, they can disturb the pet by putting toys in the cage, knocking on it. According to the intelligence of a budgerigar in development, they are compared with a child of 2 years old, they must be treated accordingly.

In a house where there are birds, caring for, feeding and keeping parrots become habitual activities. Nutrition should be complete, varied. It consists:

  • corn;
  • vegetables;
  • fruit;
  • sepia;
  • vitamin and mineral supplements;
  • twigs.

Don't give your bird onions and garlic because they have a strong smell.

It is advisable to peel fruits, especially purchased ones. You can not give the budgerigar candied fruit, smoked and candied pieces of fruit, only fresh, sliced ​​\u200b\u200band berries:

  • plum;
  • peach;
  • Apple;
  • pear;
  • banana;
  • grape;
  • cherry;
  • raspberry.

Forest berries are given in winter, dried are steamed:

  • currant;
  • strawberry;
  • sea ​​​​buckthorn;
  • cowberry.

The budgerigar quickly becomes attached to a person

You just need to put your hand in the cage and, repeating in a calm even voice “to me”, hold your finger in front of the perch on which the bird sits. You can hold a treat in front of the parrot, but you should give it away only if he does everything right.

You can lightly touch the bird's chest. She will lose her balance and subconsciously step forward onto her arm. She should be affectionately praised, given a treat.

You can take out a parrot from his native cage after he gets used to a person, he will be sure to switch to his hand and sit calmly on it. The rest of the classes are held outside the cage.

If you want to have a talking budgerigar in your house, you need to buy a young chick at the age of 2 - 3 months. You can determine the age by plumage on the head. Before the first molt, feathers from the cere to the back of the head go in waves. From 4 to 6 months, they fall out and grow even in their place.

If you want a bird to talk, choose a male

The parrot must be kept separately. If he communicates with other birds, even canaries, then he will repeat after them and will not need to communicate with a person.

If budgerigars have settled in the house, their maintenance includes water procedures. Once a week, birds should be placed in a cage or attached next to a special door, a bath for bathing. You can buy it in the store. Plastic bottom and transparent dome on top to prevent splashing.

If the pichuga is afraid to climb into the bath, put a saucer of water next to the cage. The depth should not exceed 2 cm.

Caring for budgerigars at home for offspring

For a long time after the birds were brought to Europe, scientists could not get offspring from them. Then the birds, their habits and characteristics were studied. As a result, I received a budgerigar care at home. Now you can breed wavy in captivity.

Parrots pair forever. The female chooses. If the first time she did not recognize the male that you offered her, do not insist, take him out of the cage. Try running it for a couple of hours the next day. Perhaps they will get used to each other. If one of the parrots sits ruffled, refuses to communicate, it will not work to bring them together. Try to bring another male. It is best if the birds meet in an aviary, where there are many of the same parrots. The existing couple cannot be separated. The wavy will grieve.

A plywood nest is placed in the cage. The bottom is lined with dry grass or sawdust. In captivity, a bird cannot build it, you must create comfortable conditions for them. The hole - the entrance, must be made at such a height that the small chicks do not accidentally fall out, and the fledglings can climb - 5 - 6 cm from the floor of the nest.

The male will feed the female, then the chicks, until they fledge and learn to eat themselves. When the babies leave the nest, it must be removed. The female can sit on the eggs again. This will greatly weaken her. You have to take a break for a year and a half. Then the mother and her children will be able to live long. Scientists have noticed that chicks from a female weakened by gestation and incubation live less than their counterparts born from a strong bird.

Budgerigar care begins long before it appears. The bird should be brought into the house after acquiring everything necessary for your friend to feel as cozy and comfortable as possible in a new family.

If you take into account all the requirements for feathered pets, then the maintenance of budgerigars will not be a burden to the owner.

First you need to purchase a cage, feeders, a drinking bowl, stock up on wooden perches, a ring and make or buy a walking platform.

How to determine the correct place for the cage and what should be the house for the budgerigar you can read

How to choose a healthy wavy you will learn

Adaptation

So, you have in your hands the treasured box with the long-awaited parrot. A cage has already been installed at home, in which they are waiting for the bird: a full feeder, a drinking bowl with clean water and a bell. You can sprinkle a little grains on the bottom of the cage, perhaps at first they will attract the attention of the chick faster than the feeder.

Let the parrot get out of the carrier on its own in the cage, while not allowing the bird to fly into the room.

Such an unexpected flight will not bring anything good, but will only increase the stress and shock of the baby. Such slips can make your attempts to tame a budgerigar much more difficult.

Having released the parrot into the cage, move away from it, let the bird get used to it. He will need time to look around and calm down. It may take more than one day until you notice that the feathered one has begun to eat or drink water.

Do not worry, it is likely that the bird will stealthily approach both the feeder and the drinker, especially trying to do this when you are either absent or turned away.

Also, against the background of stress, the parrot may have a slight indigestion, this is not scary and passes quickly.

Be patient and do not disturb the parrot unnecessarily. For the first few days, approach the cage and speak with a feathered friend in an affectionate, quiet voice.

No need to open the cage and try to stroke or touch the bird!

The budgerigar needs to feel safe and protected here. You can cover one side of the house with a transparent cloth so that the bird has the opportunity to hide if it feels anxious or uncomfortable.

You need to take care of the budgerigar during this period very carefully: do not make sudden movements, do not slam the door and swing objects.

Home care may differ from what the bird saw before, especially if the parrot did not live alone.

Hands in the cage can only be for the reason of replacing the feed with fresh and to clean the pan. When cleaning, talk to the bird, affectionately call it by name and gradually the parrot will feel calm in your presence.

Do not turn on loud music, rattle, knock or shout in the room where the cage is located. Let the bird first get used to you and the objects and sounds around it. Later - turn on her radio or TV quietly.

When you see that the wavy has begun to actively eat, be interested in toys in the cage and chirp, you can begin the process of taming.

How to care for a budgerigar

It is best if you set a daily routine for the bird. In this way, the wavy will adjust to your schedule and his rest hours will not be suddenly interrupted.

Also, if the cage of the budgerigar is in a room where some movement and noise occur until late, cover it with a dense cloth that does not let light through. So the parrot will feel calmer and will be able to fall asleep.

If the condition of the room allows you not to cover the parrot's house at night, then the best option for a good wavy sleep is a dim, muffled light.

Hygiene of the cage and accessories should be carried out weekly, and as for the tray, feeders and drinkers, they should be washed daily.

Thanks to these actions, the parrot will be in a clean environment without the threat of disease, and the amount of husks and feathers around the cage will be much less.

Sunlight is very important for the immune system of parrots, but the rays that pass through window panes lose the desired ultraviolet spectrum. In urban conditions, not everyone can afford to arrange sunbathing for birds, they use it for these purposes.

A lamp and a timer are essential attributes for a full-fledged life of a bird in an apartment. They will help keep the length of daylight hours normal and maintain undulation, especially in the autumn-winter period.

Wild budgerigars spend most of their time looking for food, their flights over long distances are fraught with danger and there is practically no time to relax. What, what, but there is more than enough time for home wavy ones. And the task of the owner is to provide the fidget with an interesting activity and fun games.

Therefore, toys and a walking platform play a big role in the life of a parrot. These items facilitate the communication of the bird with the owner, and also develop the communication skills and ingenuity of the wavy.

Try to spend as much time as possible with the bird, show him options on how to use this or that toy, throw balls from the table together or build and destroy a tower of blocks.

Budgerigars are in great need of communication, especially if you have one bird, it will reach out to you and strive to keep you close to it for as long as possible. Let the baby become your friend, because for him - you will be the only one with whom the feathered one can chat and have fun to the fullest.

When you have several birds, then, having come home from work, your conscience will not torment you that you left the merry fellow alone and you can calmly participate in their games in the evenings and watch the continuous pranks of birds.

A first-aid kit for a wavy should be present even before the appearance of a mischievous person in your house!

Buy the necessary drugs that you may need to provide first aid to your budgerigar. For a more detailed list of medicines, see

Let there, in the first aid kit, be the phone numbers of ornithologists and the addresses of veterinary clinics, so that in the event of an emergency situation, you do not waste precious time looking for contacts.

If you want to do it in the future, you should foresee a separate place for the second cage in advance (you may have to quarantine someone or for a number of other reasons).

You will also need to purchase or make, think about how you will mount it: inside the cage and outside. You will need a lot more knowledge about budgerigars if you decide to take the step of breeding.

Video showing the normal behavior of a budgerigar in the first minutes of his stay in a new place:

Fun with toys:

Hand budgie:

Read in this article

Of all the birds in apartments, budgerigars are most often kept. These funny birds have won the hearts of many people with their liveliness and talkativeness. After all, it's great when a bright active lump lives at home, from the chirping of which the mood rises. Where did the budgerigar come from? What are the features of its content at home? How to make sure that this amazing bird is always healthy and pleases the eye and ear for as long as possible?

The life of budgerigars in nature

The name of this bird in Latin sounds like Melopsittacus undulatus. Melos - "sing", psittacus - "parrot", undulatus - "wavy". The parrot received its definition for the characteristic pattern on the wings - it resembles waves. In English, "budgerigar" will be Budgerigar. The abbreviated word Budgies can be seen on food packages.

Survival

Wavy have not always been pets. These are free birds, whose homeland is Australia. They live in colonies and move in flocks, so on the plains you can often see huge dazzling green "clouds" quickly flying from place to place. Collectivity allows parrots to survive because they easily notify each other of danger. Yes, and it is more difficult for a predator to catch a specific individual when a colored carousel constantly flickers before his eyes.

Budgerigars have a bright grassy color for a reason. This allows you to see each other from afar, and males use their saturation to conquer females. The wings, on the contrary, are faded gray. This allows them to camouflage themselves from predators while feeding. After all, budgerigars are looking for the main part of the food on the ground.

"Curious! All wild budgerigars are green in color. Other colors (blue, white, yellow, lilac) are the result of many years of selection of domesticated birds.

But the protective coloration of the back does not always save budgerigars, and many of them still die from the paws of birds of prey, animals or snakes. Dry weather is also detrimental to wavy ones, so birds often die in unfavorable seasons. To minimize losses, the flock is forced to constantly roam from place to place, following the clouds. Where it's more likely to rain.

reproduction

Despite many risks, budgerigars maintain a population. In this they are helped by a short breeding cycle and rather large litters for such small birds. Once in a favorable environment with enough food and water, the wavy immediately begin to engage in procreation.

Already 10 days after mating, the female lays from 1 to 6 eggs, from which chicks hatch after 20 days. The mother feeds them for up to 2 months, after which the chicks leave the nest and begin to feed on their own. At 3 months old, they are already able to mate and give birth to their offspring.

Food

Wild budgerigars are not tempted to eat. They are happy to eat the seeds of land plants and grass. Occasionally they feast on young shoots and berries. Small insects are included in the diet of wavy only in times of famine. Sometimes flocks of budgerigars attack the wheat fields cultivated by man.

Content at home

The domestication of budgerigars began in the middle of the 19th century, when they began to be massively caught in Australia and exported to Europe. It was considered fashionable to own such an outlandish bird, so the demand was very high. The Australian authorities were afraid that the population might disappear, and ordered ornithologists to start breeding parrots in captivity. And since these birds willingly give birth in favorable conditions, wavy soon ceased to be a rarity.

A modern person, having a budgerigar, must necessarily get acquainted with the information about their content. This will improve the quality of life of the bird in captivity so that it is always cheerful and active. At home, a parrot can live up to 15 years, or even more with appropriate care.

Convenient bird cage

The larger the cage, the more comfortable the budgerigar. Its minimum dimensions for one bird should be 40 * 30 * 30 (length, width, height). If you are holding a pair, then 60*45*60. The cage must have:

  • wooden perches (2 or more, located at different heights so that the birds can flutter from one to another);
  • 2 feeders (one for grains and cereals, the other for wet food);
  • drinking bowl with clean water;
  • toys (mirrors, ladders, bells).

It is not necessary to completely fill the cage with toys and rocking chairs. The budgerigar should have enough space to move freely. And it is better if the cage is not round, but rectangular or square, because parrots need corners where they feel safe.

"Curious! The wavy ones have one feature: when they are awake, they do not sit in one place, but constantly run around the perch. This is due to the instinct of self-preservation: in captivity, budgerigars are forced to move so as not to be captured by predators.

It is important to choose the right place for the cage. It is optimal that the place be well lit, because the activity of the wavy depends on the length of the daylight hours. But you should not put a cage near the window, because the birds catch cold easily. Well, if it is a separate bedside table approximately in the middle of the room. Also, the cage can be hung from the ceiling.

What to feed

The cage is set, the birds are inhabited. What to feed them? The diet of domestic budgerigars does not differ from the diet of wild parrots: seeds, fruits, twigs. In order for the bird to receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, you should buy ready-made feeds (the daily rate is prescribed on the package), which include oats, millet, flaxseed, meadow grasses, sunflower seeds. Additionally, a piece of mineral stone can be fixed in the cage, which the wavy will peck, replenishing the calcium reserves in the body.

In addition to food, you can feed budgerigars with various delicacies:

  • fruits (apples, pears, kiwi, peaches) and vegetables (carrots, cucumber, beets);
  • greens (lettuce, dandelion leaves, wood lice, dill);
  • twigs (willow, birch, maple, alder);
  • boiled eggs (protein), fat-free cottage cheese;
  • porridge on the water (buckwheat, millet, rice, barley);
  • unsalted crackers, crackers.

Everything else should not be given to parrots. Human food can harm the bird's digestion, and it will get sick.

"Attention! All grasses and twigs collected on the street should first be doused with boiling water or washed with soda, and only then given to the bird. And make sure that the parrot does not eat houseplants: they can be poisonous.

There should always be water in the budgerigar's cage. It should be changed every 1-2 days. For drinking wavy, tap water, settled or filtered, is best suited. In boiled there are no minerals necessary for a bird. Water should be clean, cool and fresh, without gas. As a treat, you can sometimes give a budgerigar natural freshly squeezed juices, slightly diluted with water.

Lifestyle

Budgerigar Day begins at dawn. The cage should be covered at night, because as soon as light enters it in the morning, the bird will chirp and run. One side of the cage must be left open so that the wavy does not suffocate.

During the day, the parrot is usually alert: he runs around the cage, jumps from perch to perch, plays with a bell, communicates with himself in the mirror. If this is a couple, then they are passionate about each other: they clean their feathers, kiss, flirt.

In the wild, budgerigars fly a lot, so they need to be released more often at home. The bird should stretch its wings regularly and maintain its physical shape. This will allow her to stay healthy longer. When releasing a bird, you need to ensure its safety: close the windows, turn off the gas on the stove, warn your family to watch where they sit.

"By the way! At home, budgerigars often die because of accidents, and not from old age or disease.”

If you have time, you can play with the wavy. These birds quickly get carried away with a variety of games, and any object can become a toy for them: a pencil, an elastic band for hair, a spoon, etc.

Hand taming

You can absolutely any budgerigar. And if someone has a wild or aggressive bird, then the owners themselves are to blame. It is necessary to engage in domestication from a very young age - from 3-4 months. By this time they are already quite independent birds that can live without a mother.

  1. Having brought the bird home, it is necessary to give it a couple of days for development. Let it be quiet in the apartment all this time, and you, passing by the cage, stop and talk to the wavy in a calm tone.
  2. On the third day, you can open the cage, step aside and watch the parrot. If the bird becomes interested and starts to go out, it means that she is used to it. If it's still sitting in a corner, give it a couple more days.
  3. As soon as the wavy has left the cage, quietly approach him and hold out a treat (seed, apple). Did the parrot take food from your hands? Wonderful! Not? Then wait some more. Let him get used to it, fly around the apartment.
  4. Gradually, you can put your hand on the bird so that it sits on it. If you do everything calmly and measuredly, without sudden movements, then after 1-2 weeks the parrot will begin to fly to you on the sofa or at the computer desk.

It should only be after he gets used to you. Choose one word containing the sound "r" as well as hissing (for example, "good") and say its wavy daily, sitting next to the cage. The bird should respond to communication: touch with its beak and look at you. If she sleeps or cleans her feathers, try another time.

Breeding

One budgerigar is still bored, even if people constantly play with it. And if you are rarely at home, then your pet definitely needs a friend. Some owners don't get a second budgerigar because they don't want to take care of the chicks. But you can have two same-sex birds! If you intentionally start a couple of wavy ones in order to, pay attention to the bird's wax. This is a small growth above the beak. Simply put, "nose". If the cere is brown, you have a female in front of you, and if blue or blue - a male.

Budgerigars are monogamous. But breeders recommend immediately buying two birds that have grown up in the same flock so that they definitely do not give up on each other. Although domestic wavy rarely behave obstinately towards a new friend or girlfriend, therefore the risks of being left without bird offspring are small.

nesting house

In captivity, budgerigars breed quite actively. But in addition to heat, light, food and water, one more condition is needed - a house. The female will not let the male near her until she equips the nest in a place hidden from prying eyes. Nesting houses for wavy are sold in pet stores and resemble birdhouses: a wooden or plastic box with a hole.

A female budgerigar can lay up to 6 eggs. All this time she will sit in the house and get out only occasionally - for feeding. Although some particularly caring males fly into the house and feed the hen. You can’t get eggs, otherwise the female may refuse to hatch. You need to check the offspring through the removed top cover of the house. If the eggs lie for more than 3 weeks, they are empty.

A small bird cannot always cope with warming a large number of eggs, so it is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature. If the room is cool, you need to heat the house outside with a lamp. And no drafts.

A nursing female and grown chicks should be fed with cereals on the water: millet, wheat, barley. When the babies are 1.5 months old, they will begin to crawl out of the house. As soon as the last chick leaves the nest, the house must be removed. Otherwise, parents can immediately move on to the next brood. The female needs to gain strength for at least six months.

It is impossible not to love wavy parrots. If these charming birds once appear in the apartment, then people start them all the time. Cheerful chirping, perky disposition and friendliness perfectly brighten up loneliness and cheer up. You just need to properly feed the wavy and ensure their safety.

A mobile, noisy, loud and cheerful decorative bird is a budgerigar. Such pets live in almost every third Russian family. Bird feathers usually have a greenish or blue wavy hue. For home keeping, such exotic birds are ideal.

Description, characteristics, appearance

Bright overseas birds were brought to Europe from Australia. The number of birds spread quite quickly, they actively breed at home, and not only in the wild. Pets bred by people are perfectly adapted to life and the microclimate of apartments.

Chatty and noisy parrots can even pronounce short phrases. They imitate some sounds and words without understanding the meaning. The slender bird has a long tail. They participate in exhibitions of decorative birds and win first places.

The length of the bird's wing reaches 10.5 cm. They are used for sitting, flying, and walking support. In flight, decorative parrots look like swallows. In search of food in nature, parrots fly fast enough, especially if they are very hungry and need to find food.

The birds of this family have tenacious and developed paws with long fingers of a pinkish, reddish or gray-blue hue. They are able to capture dense parts of food, small food, walk on the ground or even move through trees. The eye color of wild parrots in the wild is almost white, yellowish, dark blue. They even distinguish the color palette.

Cheerful pets have a strong beak. It is covered by a dense stratum corneum. In shape, such a nose of a bird resembles those that birds of prey have.

With the help of a powerful beak, parrots quickly gnaw through seeds, shoots, and can crush large food. It is also a reliable way to protect against small predators and snakes.

The tongue of budgerigars is thick and short with a keratinized cover, which helps to grind down the surface of the beak, break fruits, and clean grains. In the natural landscape, due to the shade of plumage, parrots remain almost invisible.

The head and crop of birds usually have a yellow tint. He moves to the back area. In the sun, the plumage of budgerigars fluoresces. So males quickly attract females for nesting. Birds notice the glow during the day, and people only at night.

I suggest that you familiarize yourself with another type of very beautiful and smart parrots in the article: how to keep and care for at home

Where do wild parrots live in nature

Australia is considered the birthplace of wavy pets. This is the main habitat of wild birds. They mainly live on the east and southwest coasts, where there are the least dense forests. Nesting is carried out by birds in semi-desert areas and steppe zones with rare trees and shrubs.

They breed in the wild, regardless of the time of year. Parrots live in packs. On the plains they look for grass seeds, on the green plains they look for water and other food. Birds move quickly and can fly long distances. Today, the importation of wild parrots from Australia is prohibited, as the bird population is declining.

How to determine the sex of a poultry

Determining the gender of a future pet is not difficult. At the base of the beak there is a certain zone - the cere:

  • in young males it is purple, and in the female it is blue with a border around the nostril zone;
  • mature male birds have cere lilac or dark blue, and females - brown or beige-blue. She gets this shade during nesting.

How long will a budgerigar live

On average, a bird of this type lives 10-15 years. Rare specimens in the wild live up to 8 years, mostly half that. Under natural conditions, they are killed by predators, natural disasters, and hunger. With good care at home, a pet can live up to 20 years.

Colors of wavy parrots

The decorative bird beloved by many has a variety of plumage colors:

  1. Cobalt birds first appeared in London at the parrot show in 1910.
  2. Olive green bred in France.
  3. Yellow parrots are crossed in Belgium.
  4. Light green - natural natural color.
  5. Dark green appeared in France.
  6. Sky blue brought Belgian ornithologists.
  7. Grey-green parrots live in Australia.
  8. Gray individuals were brought from England and Australia.
  9. Purple appeared in German breeders.
  10. Bright yellow parrots (Lutinos).
  11. Albinos with red eyes were bred in Germany in the 40s.

By plumage, you can distinguish a domestic pet from a wild one. Highlighted curly parrots with plumage in the form of curly stems. Spangles have a waviness with a mirror reflection, Czechs are distinguished by a fluffy hat and larger sizes.

Chuby or crested birds have tufts on their heads of various shapes. According to the degree of color, single-color and multi-color birds are distinguished. Among them are penguins, harlequins and birds with a chaotic arrangement of spots.

What do budgerigars eat

Basically, all feathered breeders buy special mixtures for feeding them. They include sunflower seeds, onion herbs, canary grass, millet, oats. The product should not contain any chemicals, dyes and expired.

Sometimes it is useful to give sprouted oats to the bird, only fresh each time. The remaining residues are immediately thrown out of the feeder. Ready-made mixtures are given without fail during hatching of chicks, molting, and if the bird is sick.

For good health of wavy birds, they are introduced into the diet:


With care give special cereal sticks for birds or honey crackers. Fruits and vegetables are given fresh and clean. Vitamins are administered only during the feeding of offspring, illness, severe stress or molting.

It is forbidden to give the bird alcohol and chocolate, sweet candies, rhubarb and potatoes, milk and kefir. Parrots are often poisoned by home ornamental plants. In order for them to digest normally, it is necessary to pour clean sand into the cage.

It is useful to give birds at home flaxseed, rice porridge, buckwheat, wheat or rye. They are boiled without adding salt. Fresh corn, grapes, banana, clover grass, dandelion, wood lice are suitable as top dressing.

How budgerigars breed

In captivity, birds of this family live 10-15 years. Before nesting in nature, the female chooses the male. She is usually attracted by the color features of the male representative, the ability of his feathers to fluoresce under the influence of sunlight.

In Australia, the female incubates the chicks twice during the year. Pets should have long rest periods before nesting. Under natural conditions, wavy live in rock crevices or tree hollows.

For pets, they equip a house with straw bedding. At one time, the female on average lays 3-5 eggs. Sometimes 10-12 pcs. She incubates them for 20 days. The male at this time produces and brings food. Chicks are born blind and naked.

After a few weeks, their body is covered with dense fluff. A month later, feathers appear. Normal plumage is formed not earlier than 3 months of age. It is not worth buying a younger bird. Genetic diseases will appear after the first molt.

Arrangement of a cage for a budgerigar

A feathered pet should live in a spacious and clean cage. The norm for one parrot is 30 cm wide, 35 cm high and 40 cm long. It is better to take a large aviary or a cage twice as large so that the bird can fly a little inside.

Inside should be different perches made of wood, not plastic. This is important for grinding claws on the paws. Too thick or thin plastic perches can cause deformation of the fingers and claws of birds, calluses and corns.

Without fail, there must be fresh water in the nest of the wavy, it is poured daily into a special fixed drinking bowl. The grain mixture is poured into the feeder. Separately, there is a container for mineral dressings and soft food. On one side, a stone is attached to grind the beak. Parrots love toys - ropes, swings, bells. To make it quicker and easier to clean up after your pet, the cage is equipped with a deep pull-out tray.

Wash the feathered cage with soda and warm water. No cleaning agents are used. It is better to let a feathered friend out of the cage daily, fly around the room. It is pre-ventilated, but then the vents and windows are closed.

They are pulled with curtains so that the bird does not hit the glass. All indoor plants are also removed so that the budgerigar does not get poisoned by them. Feathered pets are very fond of water procedures. They are regularly provided with a bathing suit with water, sprayed during the heat of the birds in a cage from a spray bottle.

How to choose a wavy pet

Experts recommend buying a pet for 3-4 months. An adult parrot will adapt for a long time and may even get sick. It is better to give preference to parrot breeders who keep pets in the right conditions. In the markets you can stumble upon an unhealthy bird.

A healthy bird has dense feathers that are clean and shiny. The paws have even scales. A sick individual is inactive, indifferent to others, often ruffled, with dull and disheveled feathers.

It is important to remember before buying that birds love to sing and can do this very early in the morning. They litter a lot - with paper scraps, feathers, droppings, husks from food. Every day, they will have to clean and clean the cage so that the unpleasant smell of feces does not appear.

Fans of indoor flowers should rearrange their plants in another room. The bird can taste the ground, gnaw the leaves, and then pick up helminths.

Near the parrot and in this room where he lives, you can not smoke, spray perfume, air fresheners, paint your nails, cook food. The delicate respiratory system of the wavy can be seriously affected by this.

What causes budgerigars to get sick

Very often, decorative parrots get sick with a cold. They start sneezing and snoring. Their feathers are often affected by lice and ticks. This causes feather loss and itching. If the bird has lost its appetite and looks lethargic, it is quite possible that it has picked up worms. The budgerigar's cloaca should be checked periodically, especially during the breeding season.

Sick birds are treated with antihelminthics, chamomile decoction, vitamin preparations, tick sprays, and a lamp is sent to disinfect the cage.

How best to care for a budgerigar

Stress for a bird is moving to a new habitat. At this time, it is better not to turn on the TV loudly, remove other pets that will excite the feathered friend. At night, some breeders cover the cage with a thin sheet, making several slits for air to enter.

On warm days, you can expose the bird cage to the sun to produce vitamin D. Parrots usually molt twice a year. They feed her with vitamins and try not to disturb her. Ascorbic acid or lemon juice can occasionally be added to the water.

It doesn't need to be boiled. Regular filtered or bottled water will do. Once a month, a general cleaning is carried out in the house of a feathered pet, wiping it with water, a decoction of wormwood or chamomile.

Temperature and suitable lighting

In the room where the wavy friend lives, it is important to maintain a favorable temperature, microclimate and lighting. You can not put a cage with pets in a draft and direct sunlight, near hot batteries. Suitable temperature for poultry is 20-22 degrees. Humidity - 60%.

The light regime is also very important so that the bird can sleep and rest peacefully. A parrot is taken out to the balcony in spring and summer on cool days. In this case, you can throw a light tulle on the cage or make a zone with a shadow.

How to teach a parrot to speak

Little parrots with wavy plumage are distinguished by their memory, inquisitive and intellectual disposition. They are trained, playful and sociable, very observant. They know how to open and close the cage if it has a simple latch.

It is better for them to live in small flocks or in pairs, as the birds are very sociable.

They love all kinds of toys that can be rocked, taken in their beak. Such devices are sold at any pet store. To teach a pet to speak, it is better to buy a young active individual 3-5 months old, prone to loud chirping.

Parrots enliven our home, filling it with melodious and joyful sounds. According to Darwin, by their presence, birds improve the mood and well-being of a person, give emotional pleasure. Budgerigars are less demanding on the conditions of care and feeding than their large counterparts (zhako, cockatoo).

The undoubted advantage is the lack of smell in the apartment from the pet, which cannot be said about a dog or a cat. Birds live long (15-20 years) and rarely get sick, have a tenacious mind and a pronounced personality. How to care for a parrot: tips for caring for a new family member and interesting everyday activities.

The diversity and colorful plumage make it possible to classify the budgerigar as one of the most beautiful parrots, and there are more than 300 species of them. In nature, a wild parrot is grassy green - for high-quality disguise from numerous enemies. The domestication of parrots has led to the successful breeding of birds of various colors. Bright yellow, all shades of blue, rich green, ash gray, pale pink - all this beauty against the background of transverse wavy lines.

Joke: The sparrow ended up in a cage with a parrot. “No, I can’t do that,” said the parrot. Give her a light makeover!

In a new house


We will guide you on how to care for a parrot in the first days of adaptation to a new home, after a purchase or a move. In a pre-prepared and equipped cage, with food and fresh water, bring a shipping box (often transported in jars, cut plastic bottles). Open the door and wait for the parrot to cross on its own.

Attention! You can not get a fragile bird by hand, you can seriously injure it.

The first few days the parrot will get used to the new environment. Provide him with decent living conditions, safety, silence. It is not necessary to show interest violently and rush to him to teach him to talk, so you will scare an already frightened bird. Care for your budgerigar with compassion and a willingness to help. Any move is a stressful situation for him, he may not eat, be sad about his former numerous feathered friends, sit in a corner, ruffled. The adaptation period largely depends on the owner, his powers of observation and desire.

During daily cleaning and feeding procedures, talk to the parrot calmly and affectionately. Usually in the evening, when family members calm down, the wavy begins to slowly look around, explore his home, toys. You should not turn on the light abruptly, come close and closely monitor it. Let, at such moments, the calmed bird be alone, make it easier for her to get used to your orders and regime. Soon, the accustomed parrot will make contact and amuse you with cheerful chirping.

To create and maintain an eternal spring in your home, read the following sections of the Budgerigar Owner's ABC.

Instructions - how to care for a parrot


  1. It is necessary to choose a cage for parrots with all responsibility and knowledge of the matter. It should be spacious enough, and the shape (semicircular, rectangular, square) does not matter. It must have a door with a secure latch so that the parrot cannot open it on its own and fly away. Avoid guillotine doors. The pallet should be easy to slide out and slide in - it will facilitate everyday cleaning. A drinker without sharp edges, preferably made of porcelain, plexiglass. Because plastic drinkers contain dyes, processing aids that get into drinking water and poison your parrot.
  2. Place the cage in a bright room, not far from the window, but not on the windowsill (due to drafts), approximately at eye level. It simplifies caring for him at home and the superiority of the owner, in the eyes of the daddy, is undeniable. Place the parrot's apartment away from the TV, speakers, computer - in order to avoid the influence of electromagnetic radiation.
  3. Add toys to the house - swings, ladders, mirrors (great lovers, they really think that the reflection in the mirror is a specific parrot), bells.
  4. We recommend fixing mineral stones, chalk, sepia (part of the cuttlefish skeleton) between the rods - sources of calcium and trace elements necessary for the formation of a strong skeleton and bones, also help to sharpen the beak.
  5. Provide regular water treatments for daddy - especially in summer, every day, because the body temperature is from 40 ° C to 43.
  6. Take care of the nails of the mischievous - there should be wooden perches in the cage (thicker than a pencil), and not plastic ones, then they will grind off on their own. If the regrown claws are very long, cut them with wire cutters, after looking at the light where the blood vessels end
  7. Let him go for a walk and play with him - an excellent companion in noisy games, and sometimes an interlocutor.
  8. Clean the cage constantly - fleas can start in fallen feathers.
  9. Keep the water in the drinker clean - change it daily.
  10. For a good rest, the parrot needs at least 10 hours - at night it is advisable to cover the cage with a dense cloth, but not the frontal part, so that it can breathe normally. He will rest himself and will not wake you up with the first ray of the sun.

If you follow all the points of the instructions, then you definitely properly care for the parrot.

World of fun and carelessness


Parrot lovers willingly give birth to not one bird, but several, they try to buy young ones. This is true because young animals are easier to tame and instill good manners and your lifestyle. Bringing home chicks that have recently left the nest, the owners are faced with the problem of determining the sex of the parrot. Up to 3 months, the cere has the same pinkish color. As the parrot matures, the cere either turns blue (male) or brown (female).

Wanted a couple, but became the owners of two boys? It doesn't matter, caring for a boy's budgerigar is easier and more joyful than a couple of lovers. Nobody manages in a cage, but it's in the girls' blood - they throw out twigs, sweets, toys. The parrot boy will put on a real water splash show when he bathes. He is more talented in onomatopoeia than the female and learns human speech faster.

Keshka is a golden bird, take care of the parrot! - insert the name of your priest and you get an easy phrase to replenish your vocabulary.

But how to care for a talking parrot? - Yes, just talk with him purposefully, repeat the words that you want to teach the smart wavy. Perseverance and patience will achieve a funny result and earn a lot of positive emotions.

The bird-talker takes the mirror image for a representative of the opposite sex and begins to show sexual interest in her, gets excited, chirps nervously. He does not remember that this is just a picture, he is angry that he is being ignored. Okay, give a budgie a girlfriend, you can’t replace a real relationship with a surrogate and you will witness a fascinating story of how a budgerigar takes care of a female.

Your wavy has a cheerful disposition, then it will not be difficult to let him into a playful dance. How to care for a parrot at home to teach him to dance. First of all, pick up music - rhythmic, but not loud (deafening will scare the bird, since the hearing of parrots is very sharp). Watch, suddenly he began to move his head to the beat of the music, luck is on your side.

If the parrot does not understand what they want from him, take the initiative in your own hands. Put it on your finger, turn on the music and move it in strict accordance with the rhythm, not forgetting to shake your head and convey a cheerful mood to the bird. Handsome may start biting, it's okay, pull him back and continue moving again. If he flew away, let him take a walk, return later (the curiosity of parrots knows no bounds) and resume training. Do not forget to treat your pet with something tasty (apple, bread) at the end of the lesson, and a grateful student will soon please you with a kind of hip-hop.

Freedom for parrots!


Flying for a bird is vital, and losing the ability to soar upwards radically changes the nature of a parrot. If you do not let him out of the cage, you will get a dull bird with an extinct look and a dystrophic appearance. Please! Release the parrot into the wild, despite the scattered husks from food and feathers, do not keep the bird in prison.

Safety measures during flights and during the warm-up of the wings:

  • Windows - it may not notice the glass and crash from all overclocking, a tragic ending is possible. During the first walks, curtain the windows so that you get used to it. Mosquito nets are a must. It flies out and doesn't come back.
  • Doors - likes to sit on top of an open door (interior, closet). Check for the presence of a mischievous person when you close the doors. The front door is dangerous because it can slip into the entrance or into the street.
  • The kitchen - a hot stove, open pans with borscht - are insidious components of a serious threat to the life of your parrot.
  • Bathroom - a raised toilet lid, air fresheners (contain aromatic oils that are deadly to a bird), household chemicals - close, hide, to avoid trouble.
  • Living room - bookshelves, books, decorative figurines, photo frames - it's great if it has glass doors, and suddenly a book falls on a spoiler, which has a low weight (about 50 grams) and you won't get grief.
  • Wires - an inquisitive bird, armed with a beak, begins to bite them, play with them. Your task is to follow the careless actions of the parrot.
  • Air conditioning, fan - can catch a cold or fall into the blades.

With endless love and care, take care of your budgerigar and you will find a true friend and fan, because he considers you the leader of the pack.