Budgies are great birds to keep as pets
They are very social and they build a long lasting relationship with us humans
But this bond and relationship can create certain challenges
Yes, budgies are very social, calm demeanor and are small in size but they can get jealous
Can a Budgie Be Jealous?
They can become jealous of other birds, humans, household pets and toys
That is why it’s important if you decide to make any changes, or you want to adopt another bird or pet, it should be done gradually
This will hopefully make your budgie less likely to become jealous
So – Do budgies get jealous?
Yes they certainly and will get jealous
Not to worry though
Because in this article we are going to talk about the signs to look out for
The possible reasons why your budgie gets jealous
And most importantly how you can stop your budgie getting jealous
Sound good?
Let’s get started!
First we need to look at what are the signs of jealousy in a budgie
How Do I Know If My Budgie Is Jealous? (Signs To Look Out For)
We all get jealous (Although we shouldn’t have jealousy)
It’s natural for a human to get jealous and this even happens in the animal kingdom among birds
Your budgie can become very attached to you, to their friends or even to a toy
It’s in their nature to be very social
Now when they feel their position is being threatened, this bond and attachment can turn sour
It’s natural for a budgie to feel threatened when for example, your attention has turned to something else
Maybe you used spend lots of time with your budgie and now that has become less because you got a new budgie or a new pet
Your budgie may attack the other person or the other pet
One thing to remember, these signs of aggression can also be due to other things such as general aggression, fear, illness
So I want to talk about the signs you need to look out for in a jealous budgie
Unusual Aggression
You would agree with me when I say budgies are usually calm and just chill, relax and pretty much chirp away
Now if your budgie has all of a sudden become aggressive, defensive and confrontational, then this could be a sign of jealousy, especially if it’s directing it’s anger to something new for example a new budgie or a new pet
Here’s what could happen if your budgie is showing unusual aggression
- You’ve decided to bring a new budgie and put the budgie in the cage
- You’re spending more time with a new pet which makes your budgie feel like they’re being ignored or left out
- You just got married! Or a new baby in the house and now your attention is more towards them rather than your budgie
Your budgie would show aggression to the newcomer or if it’s a new budgie, your budgie may start to bite and fight with the new budgie
If this is the case, it would be a good idea to keep them in separate cages and gradually introduce them to each other
Increased In Vocalization
Aggression can also be shown with their vocals
If you have introduced a new budgie to the cage, your budgie may start to scream loud and squawk
This is their way of trying to scare the new arrival
Your budgie may also screech at new pets or friends you have over whenever they come close to your budgie
Not only screaming, but your budgie may even growl, hiss and flap their wings
Restless
Sometimes a jealous budgie won’t know what to do so they’d pace back and forth in their cage
They may just crawl up in your arm or hide in your hair
Another sign is they would throw out their seeds or peck at toys, these are all signs of jealousy
It’s sad because they’re so emotionally unstable they don’t know what to do
This type of behavior may happen if you’ve separated your budgie from whatever caused it’s jealousy, for example you put the new budgie in a different cage
Because it can’t fight or show their aggression to the new budgie or pet, your budgie will stay busy by being restless and displaying the symptoms mentioned above
Staying Alone & Isolated
Your budgie may not openly show they are jealous
Rather they would isolate themselves and act like they’re not bothered (Whereas in reality they are!)
This type of behavior is more noticeable if your budgie is very sociable and lively
If you notice your budgie would at first would always come to you and stay with you but now they don’t want to come out it’s cage, it may be jealous
Self Mutilation
Some budgies show aggression to whatever it is causing jealousy
But other budgies may show aggression to themselves
They may start to pluck their own feathers, over-groom themselves or start to peck at bare skin
If you don’t stop this straight away, your jealous budgie may hurt themselves!
Sometimes feather plucking could be for other reasons too so it might be worth getting them checked out at the vets
Why Your Budgies Get Jealous – Possible Reasons
Your budgie may get jealous because of the following reasons
New Arrival In The House
Budgies would get upset and distressed when their normal routine is disrupted especially if it’s got to do with a new pet or family member
Here’s a list of what it could include
- A new baby has been born! (Congratulations if this is the case with you!)
- A new roommate
- Having friends over
- Getting a new pet like a dog or cat
- Another budgie or if you’ve already got 2 then a third budgie
- Putting in new toys and removing the old toys
Your budgie will feel like these newcomers are a threat to their safety, resources or their favorite person
A bit like if your child is the only child and then you bring home another baby
It can be quite difficult to accept
This leads me to my next point
Not Getting Enough Attention
Budgies are very social and they love attention – especially if you give them all the attention
Now if you had a new pet or another bird, your attention has to shift and your main budgie won’t get the same attention
This will make them jealous
If you do get another budgie, it might be a good idea to put them in different cages and different rooms if possible
Just so your budgie won’t see you playing and giving attention the new budgie
Then you can gradually introduce them
Lack Of Socialization
We all know how social budgies are and how much love and companionship they offer
Now if you’re the only person they spend time with, your budgie may get over-attached to you
This can lead to jealousy and possessiveness
Because they haven’t seen much of the world or other people and animals, they’ll feel scared and may react aggressively
They might even want to protect you from other people or animals
Spending Too Much Time On Your Phone
Come on, let’s admit it, we are all guilty of this
I personally am guilty of this (I’m working on this I promise!)
It’s easy to get distracted on your cell phone and spending too much time on it
Especially YouTube shorts and TikTok
If your budgie notices you spending too much time on your phone, they may get jealous because you’re not giving them the attention and time they want
It’s important to not spend time on your phone too much when you’re around your budgies
Try to put the phone away when you’re with your budgie
Too Much Reading
If you’re not too much on your phone as it’s not your thing
You may love reading and your time is spent reading
Of course this is a good thing but for your budgie it’s not!
They want your attention!
If it’s possible, try to read when they have gone to sleep
Or if they’re not with you
These are some of the common reasons a budgie may get jealous
But only you know your budgie and can understand your budgie better than anyone else
Learn to see what’s affecting your budgie and what is causing them to get jealous, then take appropriate action
I would like to talk about how you can prevent jealousy and see if that helps you and your budgie
How To Stop Jealousy In Budgies
We know the reasons why a budgie may get jealous so we just have to counter those things that get a budgie jealous
Here’s some of the things you can do stop your budgies getting jealous
Let Your Budgie Socialize With Others
If you are the only person looking after your budgie, you’re their only companion and the one who only interacts with your budgie then this will create a strong bond with your budgie
Here’s the thing though
You shouldn’t let this happen. Yes, spend time with your birdie and take care of your bird but you should allow others to do so as well
For example, let your family members feed your budgie, try to get your budgie to meet your friends that come over, interact with other pets
The idea is to get your budgie used to other people and pets (if you have other pets)
This way, your budgie will be used to new people and animals and will make your budgie less defensive
Make Your Budgie Prepared For Change
Look, nobody likes change
To be honest, I hate change as well! But that’s life right?
Your budgie may hate change and if change happens very quickly it can cause problems
For example if you’re getting a new budgie
Don’t put them together in the new cage straight away
Gradually introduce them slowly
Keep your new budgie in a different cage and in another room and let them meet each other slowly
If you want your budgie to be moved into a larger bird cage, don’t do it straight away
Let your budgie explore the new cage first so they get used to it
Do this in advance before you put them in a new cage
It’s all about taking things slowly
Spend Some Quality Time
A great way to make your budgie feel like they’re not forgotten is by spending time with them
Set aside some time during the day and keep that time just with you and your budgie
This could be a play session for like 30 minutes where it’s just you and your birdie
Try to keep this time the same time everyday – a routine
Another way is you can let your budgie sit on your shoulder, or strict feeding times
Your budgie will feel less jealous when it knows it doesn’t feel like it’s losing you
Us humans and budgies can get jealous the same way especially if you feel like you’re losing someone special especially when the attention becomes divided due to some reason
It’s the same for budgies
You just have to make sure they know they are loved and not forgotten
Before You Go…
Before you close the browser or hit back, I think you’d find this article interesting
How to make a parakeet like you
Why do my male and female budgies fight?
Getting a second budgie (Everything you need to know)