Have you noticed your budgie clinging to the side of the cage?
Is this something normal or should you be concerned?
What should you do in this situation?
Why is your budgie doing this?
You’ll discover everything in this article
Sound good?
Let’s get started!
Why Does My Budgie Cling To The Side Of The Cage?
Your budgie is clinging to the side of the cage because they may be scared
Especially if it’s a new budgie this is normal for them
It’s a new environment for them so they’re going to be scared
Your budgie is also feeling insecure which is why they’re clinging to the side of the cage
The good news is
This behavior will stop
How?
Well with your help
Let’s find out what you can do to help your budgie
What To Do If Your Bird Is Clinging To The Cage?
According to August Abbott who is a Certified Avian Specialist and a animal behavior consultant this is what you should do
First you should let your budgie be in the cage for a day but with a sheet or a blanket draped over both sides and the top of the cage
Make sure there is no designs or any pictures on the sheet because this can frighten your birdie
What you do is every now and then approach the cage slowly and talk to your budgie in a very soft tone
Tell your budgie how good they are and reassure them
This is what they need
The important thing here is the sound of your voice and the tone
What we doing here is establishing the bond between the two of you
Make sure there is food and water in the bird cage of course
Once you’ve seen they have tried some food or drank some water this is an indication they are feeling a bit relaxed
Offer your budgie a treat from your finger near their food bowl by holding it over their food bowl from outside the cage
If your budgie comes over and takes it – that’s awesome!
Otherwise you might just need to drop it inside their food bowl
Don’t expect too much right now – Patience is the key
It might be a good idea to have a separate bird cage for nigh time
Bird mental health relies strongly on regulated day and night hours
When they are in their night time cage cover all sides of the cage with a bird cage cover leaving about just a quarter of the front open so your budgie can see out and feel safe and secure – go up to the cage and start to whisper nice and reassuring comments
If your see your budgie stretch out their wings you stretch your arm
Do this for only a few minutes at a time and then back away
By letting your budgie sleep in a dark quiet room will give them a good nights sleep and this makes a huge difference!
Otherwise a budgie without much sleep can become grumpy
In the morning, everyday, at the same time slowly pull the cover away while talking in a soft tone voice telling your budgie what you’re going to do
Open the door of the bird cage slowly and gently put your hand in a smooth motion, with a firm step up instruction
Take your birdie out without any hesitation. Don’t withdraw your hand.
Feed your budgie breakfast – Maybe some oatmeal and some fruits like watermelon or some banana
Give your budgie a couple of hours to enjoy their toys in the cage and to enjoy the view outside by putting the bird cage near the window
In the afternoon you should let your budgie come out of the bird cage and be with the human flock (you and your family)
Interact with your bird when they are out of the cage
Do make sure to secure everything in the house such as the windows, doors
Make sure there are no open lid hot cooking pots
Your birdie should have some good flying time for around 2 hours
This is a way to get your bird to feel more relaxed and hopefully stop this clinging to the side of the cage business!
You’re establishing a bond and trust between you two
I actually have written an article about this which you can check out by clicking the link below
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Wrapping Up
If your budgie is clinging to the side of the cage it’s nothing to be too concerned about
It’s usual for a budgie to do this especially if they are new
I mean everything is new to them – a whole new environment
Even the biggest Macaw would freeze if they were in a new situation
To help your budgie you need to take things slowly
Communicate in the right manner with the right tone of voice
And having patience is very important too!
Don’t expect your budgie to be comfortable with you straight away
It is a process but trust me, it will be worth it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Signs of a stressed budgie
According to thesprucepets here’s signs you should look out for
- Stress bars
- Feather picking
- Aggression
- Loss of apetite
- Change in their vocalization
- Repetitive behavior
- Fear
- Boredom
If you think your budgie is stressed you should take him to the avian vets to make sure everything is okay medically
Your birdie needs your love and attention when they are stressed