Wondering why “My budgie is scared of me?”
It’s not a nice feeling seeing your budgie being scared of you
You just want to bond with your birdie but your birdie don’t want to know!
For some reason, he’s scared of you
Not to worry because this can change
How?
You’ll find out in this article because we’re going to talk about the following –
- Possible reasons your budgie is scared of you
- Determining budgie fears
- How you can alleviate these fears and make your budgie love you
Sound good?
Let’s fly right in! (No pun intended)
For any new pet parent, the sight of their newly adopted pet turning away from them can be a painful experience.
For a second, you will feel rebuffed.
But, you have to understand that budgies are intelligent creatures who are very attached to their environment.
Which means the change of place alone can be reason enough for your budgie to feel insecure.
At such times, you have to take control of your emotions.
And, never allow yourself to impose upon your little feathered friend.
Or, you may cause more damage to your relationship with your budgie.
Hence, you may now wonder how to understand what is truly bothering your beloved birdie and how to make it feel loved and relaxed.
Read on to discover what makes your budgie quack with fright.
Reasons For Budgie Fears
There may be other causes for your budgie fearing you.
Yet, it isn’t a problem that has no solution.
But, before you can remedy the situation, you need to check what is bringing fear to your pet’s tiny heart.
So, let’s discuss some of the many reasons your budgie fears you.
Changes In The Environment
As mentioned above, budgies tend to feel safe in familiar surroundings.
When there is a significant change to their environment, they feel out of place, much like humans.
You may have adopted your budgie from another household or even a pet store.
Or, you may have rescued one from the wild.
Either way, the difference in human interaction, the cage, or the cage placement will impact your bird’s attitude towards you.
If your budgie seems to show reserve towards you, that is because it feels threatened in its new space.
There may be no real threat.
But, your budgie will take its own sweet time to judge that premises.
And show signs of ease once it feels safe again.
Predators In The Vicinity
If your budgie has never had to compete for your attention, it will be afraid with a cat or dog sniffing away at its cage.
And, if it’s unsettled in its environment, it is hoping too much for any bonds to develop.
No way is your budgie going to venture out of its cage or show you any signs of love or friendship.
When budgies feel cornered or unsafe, they don’t sing or talk to their heart’s content.
Shiny And Reflective Objects In Its Space
Most birds find shiny or reflective objects frightening.
The reflection from these objects is off-putting for many birds.
So, if your happy budgie has suddenly turned sour on you, it might be that you have ignorantly placed something close to it that it does not appreciate.
Flashy Colors
You may find it hard to believe that your budgie rejects your company for your choice in loud colors, but it is true.
Most small birds naturally avoid the color red.
From the University of Durham, UK, Robert Barton states that the color red represents aggression to animals.
Thus, your budgie may be avoiding your company due to a preference for flashy colors.
It certainly seems very snobbish, but then budgies have a mind of their own in most matters, as do we all.
Hands
If you have a big family with lots of kids, and you’ve brought in a new budgie into the household, then your bird will feel terrorized.
But, even if you are alone and you’ve just adopted a budgie, your bird is going to be afraid for some time.
Consider the fact that you are new to your bird and that you are so many times larger than it, which is reason enough for it to be stressed.
Determining Budgie Fears
Now, it’s easy enough to list down the things that might frighten your fluffball.
But, it’s not quite as simple to determine the particular reason that is making your budgie uneasy.
So, it’s best to keep an eye out for any peculiar gestures that your budgie is exhibiting to guesstimate the cause of your budgie’s unlikely behavior.
Excessive Flapping Or Flying In The Cage
Unless your budgie has been with you since birth or hand raised, your budgie will see your hand inside its safe spot as an invasion of privacy.
Such behavior demonstrates that you are not welcome to put your hand inside.
If your budgie is flapping around in its cage, then you need to investigate the cause of its restlessness.
Everything from new pets to a new wardrobe needs to undergo extensive budgie friendly evaluation.
Watery Excretion
‘Fear poop’ is a phenomenon well-known to animal lovers.
It isn’t related to the diet or the current physical condition of your pet.
If an animal is startled, it is going to poop in fear.
And, these excretions tend to be aqueous.
Panting
If you place your birdie out of its cage and feel nervous, it’s bound to pant.
You have to give your bird time to get acclimatized to its new home.
And, never attempt to push a bird to settle at your pace.
That won’t happen.
You may even further the level of fear in your bird if you do not give it the time it needs to settle in comfortably.
Turning Their Backs
Most budgie parents feel snubbed when their budgies turn their backs on them.
But, so long as the bird does not flap around, it is a sign of encouragement from your bird.
It means that it isn’t happy about your presence.
That is a far cry better than your budgie flapping around, which means get out.
Wide-Eyes Or Slicked Back Feather
Under severe strain, your budgie will stand frozen with its eyes wide and its feather slicked back.
Such extreme reaction can only mean that your budgie fears for its life.
If your presence is causing so much discomfort, then it is best to move away for some time.
Now that we know what could be the possible reasons your budgie is scared of you
Let’s look at how you can change this and make your budgie love you and be comfortable around you
Ways To Alleviate Budgie Fears
Budgies aren’t stupid as many people like to believe.
They are far more sensitive than people give them credit.
And, they make great pets. But, you cannot push the bird to feel comfortable.
So, you have to go slow with developing a bond with it.
Firstly, use your voice to make the budgie feel familiar.
Talking to your bird frequently in a low and calm voice will help alleviate your bird’s fears to some extent.
Also, do not push your presence on the bird.
Thus, it’s best to try feeding your bird from outside the cage before your budgie learns to recognize you.
Even when you do need to clean up the pen, make it a quick job.
Treat your budgie whenever it hears your voice and turns around to acknowledge your being there.
Budgies love treats.
But, do not overfeed it in an attempt to become fast friends in a short period.
Make the vicinity around your budgie calm and relaxing.
Please get rid of mirrors and other shiny objects close to its cage.
Do not have anyone screaming or shouting around.
Have a read of my articles
How to make your parakeet love you?
Conclusion
Lasting friendships need trust and understanding.
So, if you want your budgie to become your new best friend, you have to take the time out to understand its likes and dislikes.
Also, as a pet parent, you have to give it time to respond to your love and care.
Rushing things in a relationship is never healthy.
So, if you provide your budgie with the TLC, it needs, you’ll soon find it singing with joy, whether you want it to or not.
