How to Tame a Budgerigar or Budgie ?

Budgie or Budgerigar is a small bird which resembles a parrot or parakeet except for its size. It comes in variety of colors and species. It is one of the most beautiful and social bird that can be kept as a pet. Most of the beginners can try with budgerigar.

This bird is of shy nature but can be tamed, even though this needs lot of patience and time. Some birds learn within a week and some may even take months to learn. You can start your taming by just inserting your hands inside the birds cage with some millet spray in your hands. Its normal that the birds will get scared and will not eat it at the very first time, just imagine a thing that is almost 50-60 times bigger than you offering you food, how will you behave then? Its same with the bird, for it you are a big monster. So try this hand feeding the birds daily once or twice. Place your hands inside the cage for around 15-20 minutes without much movement. This makes sure for the bird that your hands are harmless. Once the bird comes to know that your hands are harmless it might try to eat the millet spray from your hands.

While it eats from your hands don't move your hands, keep it still as much as possible. Once the bird is acquainted with your hands it will not hesitate to eat anything from your hand. You can also try hand feeding with small green vegetable pieces etc. Even sprouts are good for budgies.

Now you can try the next trick, where you will train the bird to climb on to your palms and eat food, this can be done when the bird starts eating food from your hands. When it is eating from your hands just press its belly with your fingers very slowly and gently, it should not disturb the bird, try pressing its belly slightly harder. Your action should be like you are trying to lift the bird using your fingers. The bird will then climb on to your palms and will continue eating. But do not try this until the bird is very familiar with your hands and its fear for your hands have gone completely. Do not force the bird, this is very important because once the bird feels its being forced it will never come close to your hands.

If you found success in making the bird climb your palms then continue it for around 1-2 months, once its very comfortable with eating food from your palms, take the bird out of the cage, but before that make sure that the fan in your room is switched off or the windows are closed or any dogs or cats are not inside the room. You can take out the bird and feed it with food. It my fly from your hands once taken out, do not panic or shout, put some food onto your hands and it will come back onto your hands. If it doesn't come back then put a very light cloth over it and catch it, see to it that you do not throw very heavy turkey bath towels or gunny bags etc. Your handkerchiefs would be very good to catch.

What ever you do with the budgies, patience is very important, it depends from bird to bird so do not expect all your birds to learn together or learn at a time.