When you bring a new pet home it is quite normal to feel anxious- like a proud new parent- as both you and your new budgie have to get to know each other.
The trouble is that your beautiful new budgie is very quiet and standing still.
Why is my new budgie not moving?
You wonder as his new human parent.
Thankfully, there is nothing badly wrong, just that your new budgie is feeling really scared of his new surroundings and under threat – but this will quickly be resolved.
Is It Normal For a New Budgie To Not Move?
It is totally normal for a budgie to feel shocked and apprehensive in new surroundings and it can take several weeks for him to feel confident and more relaxed.
If your budgie is really young – about 4-5 weeks his feelings are going to be even stronger.
He will have been used to the company and protection of his parents and the safe feeling of his nesting box.
When a budgie moves into a new cage in a new place, he is very much on the defensive.
He will not want to make any movement or any noise that could draw attention, because he feels unsafe and feels that there could be predators around.
Why Is My Budgie Not Active?
It can be quite a shock to you as a proud new budgie owner, that the happy chirping budgie that you spotted in the shop is now sitting in his new cage absolutely silently and not moving at all.
Luckily, there is a very straight forward explanation.
Your new budgie is part of the parakeet family and is by nature a prey animal and knows that to keep completely still and silent is the way to avoid detection by his predators.
Of course, you do not have predators in your house, but your budgie doesn’t know this!
He knows that he has to check out his new environment and be confident that it is safe.
You may also suspect that he is not eating or drinking and this could continue for a few days.
He may well be eating and drinking but certainly not when you are around- he is not convinced that you are not a predator.
To eat in front of you would make him feel vulnerable.
Move very gently around your bird’s cage and speak to him in a soft, soothing way.
Do not try and put your fingers in his cage, but do try and see if you can spot any seed husks on the floor of the cage as these will show that he is eating.
Also see if you can spot any faeces which should be white, green or brown – if they are a different color, this could be an indication of stress
What Can I Do To Help My Budgie Settle?
Try and keep your home tranquil with just soft sounds and no loud voices or television.
Spend time close to your budgie’s cage and talk to him in hushed soothing tones.
Spend time on your laptop or reading close to the cage so that your budgie gets used to you being around.
Make the cage feel secure for your budgie by moving it next to a wall and covering the top, back and sides with a towel or dark sheet as this will make the cage feel cozier like the breeding box your budgie probably remembers.
Feed your budgie the seed you were recommended by his breeder.
It is not the time to start experimenting with new foods.
How Long Does It Take For a Budgie To Get Used To a New Home?
It could well take a few weeks for your new budgie to settle in to his new surroundings – in fact two weeks seems to be the average length of time, but each bird is individual.
There will be several indicators that he has as he will start to sit on a perch in his cage and he will start eating in front of you.
As he matures a little, he will begin to chirp happily too.
It is important to remember that really young budgies do not chirp and that male budgies chirp more than female ones.
Related article you’ll find useful – How long does it take a bird to adjust to a new home?
What Do You Do If Your Bird Doesn’t Move?
Give your bird time to feel settled and do not try to hurry him.
If you think he could still be feeling unsure, do you have a pet dog or cat that is looking at him and agitating him?
Some budgie owners try to remedy the problem by playing the sound of chirping budgies to their new budgie.
If your budgie is on his own, it could be worth considering getting him some company.
If a few weeks pass and your budgie is still not moving confidently around his cage and is displaying any of the following signs (See below), it could indicate that your budgie is depressed and it is advisable that you get the advice of your avian Vet
- Fluffed-up feathers.
- Irritability.
- Feather-plucking.
- Aggression.
- Constant head bobbing.