As you’re interested in reasons why budgies make the best pets, odds are that you’re on the fence wondering if getting one is a good idea.
Or perhaps, you’re that prospective pet owner who doesn’t know which pet will suit you better.
Or you’re a budgie parent and just want to read why they’re the best!
Though this choice of a pet will depend on your personality and preferences; it’ll also be subject to your lifestyle, commitment, and budget.
For instance, if you’re an outgoing and energetic person, a dog may suit your taste. But if you’re a reserved and creative person then a cat may be a more fitting pet.
But neither of these furry pets will work for you if you don’t have enough time.
In fact, even if you’re willing to go the extra mile, a certain pet may be improper for you for its exclusive living conditions, hard-to-find or ridiculously expensive food, specialized handling, and the kind of ‘patience’ that only comes with growing old.
Lucky for us, there’s one ‘wonder pet’ out there that’s made for everyone and yes, I am talking about budgies (because that’s literally what the ‘title’ says).
Also, budgies are very ‘culturally sensitive’ so rest assured they won’t discriminate based on your age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or living circumstances.
But I’m aware that a birder saying that budgies make the best pets sounds a bit biased.
Therefore, I have decided to write 7 awesome reasons why anyone who wants a pet should consider getting budgies.
7 Reasons Why Budgies Make The Best Pets
Budgies are an excellent choice as pets because:
1. Budgies are Small and will Make Do with Small Space
For a pet to flourish, it needs enough space to rest comfortably, walk around, and stretch all its muscles.
And so, even a small dog like a chihuahua would require a lot more space than a mere sleeping corner.
But budgies are quite the little birdies that can grow only as large as about 7 inches in length and 40g in weight.
That means they don’t inherently require a lot of space to maintain their health.
And so, even though a large cage is always welcomed, a single budgie can live comfortably in a cage as small as 24” long x 18” wide x 24” high.
That said, budgies are flocking birds that prefer living with other birds.
Also, they aren’t much fussy about their cage location compared to other birds.
For example, a Macaw won’t feel at home unless it has a room-sized aviary all to itself.
In contrast, a budgie won’t mind if you put its cage anywhere as long as it’s properly ventilated, has enough light, and is only moderately loud.
While rearing more budgies will cost more than keeping one budgie, it wouldn’t be as much as you’re thinking.
This brings us to the next reason:
2. Budgies Are Affordable Joy
Though adopting your first-ever budgie can be a bit pricy, over time budgie upkeep becomes pretty reasonable.
Now, initial budgie expenses include birdcage, containers, toys, food, cleansing products as well as the bird and at least one visit to the avian vet.
But later on, budgie maintenance gets confined to its food which normally includes seeds, pellets, fresh fruits, and greens.
Since budgies are pretty common pets, therefore, you can easily find various brands that offer good-quality pellets and seeds at competitive prices.
As for the vegetables and fruits, you can feed your budgie whatever you’re having i.e. cucumbers, carrots, apples, boiled potatoes, etc.
That said, even initial budgie expenses are pretty affordable.
You see, a good birdcage is a ‘one-time investment’ that’ll last for at least a few years.
While it’ll likely not break the bank but if you wish you can make a few cuts by choosing a pre-loved cage.
Also, you don’t need to waste money on a fancy design as budgies don’t actually brag about some ‘elegant premium cage’ so a plain cage will do just fine.
I do, however, recommend choosing a big cage as it’ll not only allow your bird to have more flight space but you’ll always have enough room to bring in more budgies.
As for the budgie toys, you can easily create them at home.
Otherwise, commercially available bird toys don’t cost a lot.
Check out our article – What do budgies need in their cage?
Finally, a single budgie costs around $25-100.
However, you can get one at an even lower rate, say $10 a budgie from a bird shelter.
This contradicts with other pets where a golden retriever may cost over $3500 and a Purebred Persian cat may exceed $1000.
Also, their maintenance includes proportionately over-priced food, toys as well as vet care.
At the same time, if you provide your budgie with adequate care and nutrition, it would remain healthy and you’d not have to see a vet for anything other than regular checks.
Speaking of health and care, this brings us to the next reason on the list:
3. Budgies Provide Feathery Therapy
Well, taking care of any pet has a therapeutic effect.
It’s because animals offer judgment-free affection and distract a person from his recurrent thoughts.
This’s precisely why hospitals and rehabilitation centers often keep tamed pets to interact with patients.
These animals are called “Therapy Pets” and mostly include horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and sometimes birds and fish.
Now, therapy birds usually involve a person sitting next to a cage and drinking water while trying to stay in the present moment.
But a therapy budgie may be trained such that it will perch on anyone’s finger on command from its keeper.
This has a healing effect because if a small and vividly colored bird is ready to interact with ‘You’, then it’s safe enough for you to step out of your worries and feel comfortable in your skin.
However, most budgie owners get to experience this privileged feeling without ever visiting those therapy centers.
That said, some clinics across America have recently started a kind of “take a budgie home” service, especially for senior citizens.
It’s because taking care of a budgie is pretty simple and doesn’t involve extreme exertion. And so,
Taking care of a budgie for a few days incites this feeling of joy that “Even if I no longer have the energy to drive my own car, or fix that radiator, I’m perfectly capable of raising birds and that means I’m old but I’m still worth the life and all its troubles”.
4. Budgies Have Adaptable Interactive Routines
Though budgies are flocking birds that thrive on social interaction, they are so adaptable that they can be trained to fit your social habits and schedule.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you can leave your budgie all alone and it will update its status through Instagram and FB for both of you to feel connected.
Rather,
While you do have to give your budgie exclusive attention but it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable for either of you.
In other words, it’s like a healthy adult relationship where both of you do what you have to do and meet whenever it’s easy for both of you.
How exactly?
Well, if you’re too tired to play with your bird then all you’ve to do is bird-proof the room and lie down in a corner while your budgie enjoys free flight.
Or you can give your budgie some toys and talk to it slowly while it plays.
You can also sometimes make your presence count by simply sitting next to the cage and doing your homework.
Also, if you cannot offer a lot of quality time to your budgie, you can keep it happy by bringing in another bird.
In fact, a large flock of dozens of budgies may thrive with you barely spending more than a few moments near the cage.
This flexibility is exactly what makes budgies one of the most attractive pets.
It’s like a budgie’s love is unconditional even if you do the bare minimum.
Having said that, spending more time with a budgie is always fulfilling.
This brings us to the next reason:
5. Budgies Have Entertaining Quirky Personalities
Most people assume that budgies are birds and they’ll behave in a set pattern.
Spending a little time with these cuties will tell you that each and every single budgie has a unique personality.
So some budgies will be shy, some assertive, some childish, and some a bit too philosophical.
In fact, the idea of fun for one budgie may differ drastically from another.
So, some budgies will be amused by swinging alone but others may get the most kicks by randomly stepping on another budgie’s tail.
Budgies also have a distinct taste in food and music.
So, you may find a few of them to enjoy carrots while others may want fleshy greens like cucumbers. Similarly, some budgies will hum along to various songs while others may love mimicking your speech.
Therefore, spending time with budgies is always an entertaining experience.
6. Budgies Can Be Tamed
Budgies are intelligent enough to recognize and respond to their names.
Also, they can be trained to perform various tricks through positive reinforcement.
These tricks can be as simple as perching on your hand to as complex as faking death on a gun cue.
That said, budgie intelligence goes beyond their ability to follow instructions.
For instance, a budgie can solve complicated puzzles especially if there’s food involved.
So, you can get amused by simply hiding your budgie’s favorite treat inside a toy and see how skillfully your budgie will locate it.
Apart from these, budgies have exceptional vocalization abilities and one can teach them various human phrases.
In fact, a budgie named Puck holds the Guinness World Record for knowing 1728 words – the most words reported for any bird so far.
7. Budgies have a Pleasant Presence and Long Lifespans
Budgies have bright-colored plumage with distinctive black-and-white patterns on their feathers.
Their compact bodies combined with their adorably cheeky attitude make them quite a fine company.
But even for such a small bird, an average budgie can live for about 6-7 years while a well-cared budgie may live up to 15 years.
This means that anyone who keeps budgies will not have to suffer parting from their beloved bird anytime soon.
That said, budgies are so agreeable creatures that it’s commonplace for dog and cat owners to adopt budgies as their second pets rather than bring in another mammal.
So,
Why Are Budgies So Popular?
Because budgies are not just cute but also very adaptable and easy to maintain that they’re kinda everyone’s cup of tea.
More like, budgies are ‘universal pets’ and so, it’s no wonder that they’re popular.
But then, budgies are also famous because they do indeed make the best pets.
Now, this statement may have offended other pet owners, especially those cat owners who think that their little mushy ‘love of life’ is the sweetest and perfect pet ever.
Or, perhaps, those dog keepers who know how much their pet’s love has changed them.
But it’s not like I don’t agree that cats and dogs make wonderful pets.
It’s just that these pets are not made for everyone as these require a great deal of effort and care.
In fact, even small mammals like guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits need a lot more attention than any budgie.
Of course, these furry animals may seem more affectionate pets.
But that’s mostly because birds express their fondness differently.
How so?
To be honest, there’s no better feeling than knowing you’re a small bird’s property.
That said, budgies are not popular only because they are the easiest pets.
Rather,
Budgies are famous as they offer the most interaction with minimum work.
For instance, reptilian pets require a special set of nutrition, temperature, and lighting conditions within an enclosed setup.
But even with all these efforts you cannot cuddle with leopard geckos, bearded dragons, or corn snakes.
At the same time, fish offer the easiest upkeep but again you cannot interact with them as freely as you do with a budgie.
Similarly, you may find bees, ants, silkworms, and praying mantises fascinating but these cannot socialize as budgies do.
Of course, the choice of a pet is subject to personal choice.
But then, you’re likely to find more people willing to touch a budgie than those who’ll let a tarantula walk over them.
Now, all of this describes why budgies are a popular choice as a pet.
But even people who don’t own a budgie often find them lovely.
So,
Why Do People Love Budgies?
Because budgies are cute bright bundles of affection that don’t need much to be perfect human companions.
Anyways, here’re are a few reasons why people usually love budgies:
1. Cute and Cuddly
Budgies are small enough to fit the palm of a human hand and so, the mere idea that such a tiny creature can host life and is also capable of loving a big creature like humans is kinda cute.
Also, budgies are pretty expressive and you’d be amazed how much cuddly they can get with other flock members as well as their favorite human keepers.
2. Unique Personalities and Companionship
Budgies pack big cheery personalities in their tiny bright bodies.
In fact, they will amuse you by their unique gait of walking around the cage, swinging hanging upside down, playing with toys, and bickering with their fellow birds over cage trivia.
And so, sitting next to a cage will likely lift up your mood as budgies seem very invested in their small lives and cute habits.
Also, budgies tend to see their humans as part of the flock.
That means they may become concerned over their ‘Hooman’ and try to feed it food through regurgitation.
All this makes budgies very adorable and perfect companions.
3. Sincerity and Trust
Since a budgie cannot fake affection so if it tries to be around you, that means it genuinely likes you.
But a budgie is small enough that a little pressure from your hand can crush it.
This indicates that a bird that hops onto you completely trusts you.
This’s also why most people grow feelings of endearment for their budgies.
4. Intelligence and Vocalization
Budgies are intelligent birds that can be trained for not just tricks but also for human speech.
A bird being able to communicate with a human also makes it both interesting and lovable.
5. Easiest Winged Companion
Among birds, budgies are the easiest winged companions.
It’s because larger birds need a lot of space to exercise their flight muscles.
Also, they usually have unique dietary needs.
For instance, Amazon parrots need a room-sized cage and they treasure ‘African Palm Oil fruit’ – something found only in their native environment.
But then, raising common pet birds is also more difficult than keeping budgies.
For instance, cockatiels are good pets but they’re prone to sickness if they don’t get enough attention on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, finches will not even mind your complete absence as long as they have enough food and a large flock.
In contrast, African Grey Parrots like to stay alone but they need a lot of mental stimulation.
Compared to these, Conures do enjoy moderate social contact but they’re prone to biting as they’re quite curious creatures.
But even tame love birds can become overly feisty or assertive over time.
However, budgies usually maintain their temperament and are pretty easy to train.
And so, they do make the best-winged companions and several people find them lovable.
Wrapping up – Are budgies the best pets?
Budgies are pleasant little birdies that only hold joy and love.
They aren’t just small in size but also have limited needs and so, they can fit any household and anyone’s schedule.
And so, they can be a pet for anyone making them the ‘best pets’.
I hope this article helped you find the answers you’re looking for and if you were hoping to get a budgie, I hope this also motivated to get you one.