Why Does My Budgie Hide In My Hair?

Budgies have many quirks that, at first glance, may seem odd.

One of these quirks is that budgies like to hide in their owners’ hair.

Now you must be wondering – Why does my budgie hide in my hair?

Some budgies do this because they are comfortable with their owner but something outside is scaring them.

Others might do this as it is a comfy blanket to cover their feathers with.

Whatever the reason, budgies will only interact with your hair in this manner if it is bonded to you, so it is quite flattering to think about your hair being the chosen tool for your little budgie.

Pretty cute right?

In this article you’re going to discover the following

  • Why your bird likes your hair?
  • Why does your budgie hide?
  • Why your budgie lands on your head?
  • How to tell if your budgie has bonded with you

So if you’re interested in learning about this curious behavior then you’re going to love this article

Sound good?

Let’s get started!

Why Does My Bird Like My Hair?

Why Does My Budgie Hide In My Hair?

It’s a bit of an odd thing for your budgie to like to play with, but it’s actually not at all unusual for budgies to play with their humans’ hair.

If you’ve spent hours straightening your hair and your budgie flies to your head and starts to nibble it, it might be the last thing you want.

However, the reason your budgie wants to nibble your hair is to groom you.

Basically, to your little bird, your hair is the human version of feathers!

Budgies don’t groom everyone, so if your bird is nibbling your hair, it is its way of showing affection through this act of “preening”.

This is their way of saying that they consider you to be a part of their flock and they want to make sure your feathers are nice and clean.

Besides preening, budgies also like to play with hair as they can be pretty neat tools while they play around.

When it comes to long hair in particular, budgies love to play and use it as a climbing tool to get to the top of your head for great views.

Your lovely long hair can also act as a great blanket for your budgie too.

One thing to keep in mind if you have a budgie that likes to play with your hair is to make sure you don’t have any harmful hair products.

You wouldn’t want your budgie to accidentally ingest something poisonous or vaporous.

Why Does My Budgie Hide?

Budgies hide for many different reasons, and as its owner, you need to understand why.

Generally, budgies will hide because they are afraid.

If your budgie is new to you and your environment, being hidden away will make it feel safer.

Over time, once the budgie learns that you are not a threat, it will start to hide less and will eventually interact with you as well. 

Budgies are also likely to hide if they are young.

This is a survival instinct to protect itself from predators as at a young age, they don’t have the skills and experience to defend themselves.

When a young budgie acts in this manner, try to make the bird feel secure by holding it in your hands.

Once it no longer feels scared, it will come out of its shell and begin to explore its environment.

A female budgie even if it’s tamed or older may sometimes hide for hormonal reasons.

It is common behavior seen in female budgies that are getting ready to nest and are re-productively active.

You will see the female budgie hide and also try to find a place to lay its eggs.

Why Do Budgies Land On Your Head?

Of all the places your budgie could land, why would it choose the top of your head?

All birds like high places, so the top of your head is a pretty attractive spot to rest for your budgie.

One theory is that your budgie is trying to show its dominance over you.

A second theory is that your budgie lands on your head because it wants to show affection.

Your head is a great place to have access to all of your hair (AKA feathers).

It’s a prime spot to preen you and to play with your hair.

The final theory is that they like to land on your head because that’s where they feel they won’t be ignored.

And they’re quite right: landing on someone’s head is bound to get attention.

The three theories are very different, so it’s really up to you to decide whether you like it or not.

Check out my article where I go into more detail why your budgie lands on your head

Why does my budgie land on my head?

How Do You Tell If Your Budgie Is Bonded To You?

There are a myriad of different ways budgies can show affection to the humans they have bonded to.

If a budgie isn’t bonded to you, it will either ignore you or be scared of you.

It’s quite easy to tell if your budgie is bonded to you or not by its behavior.

It’s no secret that many birds like to cuddle.

If your budgie wants to be near you all the time and to have some cuddle time, this means that your budgie is bonded to you.

A bonded budgie will want to snuggle up against your neck or even use your hair and clothes to tuck itself in.

Additionally, your budgie might even “preen” you to make sure you’re tidy.

When you come home after a long day’s work, is your budgie ecstatic to see you?

It might dance around in its cage, give little chirps, flap its wings, or even wag its tail feathers to show how happy it is.

A bonded budgie will always be happy to give its owner a warm welcome home much like a dog or cat.

Want to learn how you can bond with your budgie? Check out my article – How do I bond with my budgie?

So tell me, what does your budgie do that shows they are bonded with you?

Let me know in the comments below!

Wrapping Up

Budgies are adorable little creatures that may sometimes be hard to understand.

However, as its owner, it is important that you know why your bird acts in certain ways.

Hair is just like human feathers and budgies treat it this way.

In fact, they’ll even preen it if they consider you a part of their flock.

Preening in this manner is behavior that you will only find in bonded birds.

But even if your budgie doesn’t preen you, don’t worry, as there’s many more ways your budgie will show affection as mentioned in this article 

Related articles you may be interested in

Why does my budgie fly low?

Why does my budgie nibble my finger?

Are budgies cuddly?

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