Housing & Equipment Archives - The Budgie Academy

5 Household Safety Hazards for Budgies

Isabel Frabotta — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:28:33 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links, which means The Budgie Academy may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Candles & Incense

Candles and incense, especially those made from paraffin wax, release soot and other toxins into the air that are dangerous to budgies and other pet birds. This is because birds have highly efficient respiratory systems that evolved to exchange materials rapidly with the air. Combined with their small body size, this makes them extremely sensitive to airborne toxins.

If you are looking to control odors in your home, air purifiers are the ideal addition. Bird feathers produce a dust that circulates in the air and can collect inside human lungs, resulting in a severe allergy or respiratory disease. Even though budgies are not powder down birds like cockatoos, there have been cases of severe disease from owning budgies¹or other single small parrots².

If you want to add some bird-safe scents to your home, “simmer pots” can be a safe option. Gently boil bird-safe spices on a low heat to create a nice, subtle smell in the room. Make sure to turn off the stove before the water is completely gone that the stove has been turned off. There are many creative and wonderful smelling recipes for simmer pots online!

Cigarettes

The dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke to humans are extremely well-documented. These same toxins are also dangerous for our pet parrots. Due to their respiratory systems, toxins from the smoke will be absorbed into their body and can result in severe health issues over time, significantly decreasing their quality of life and drastically shortening their lifespan.

Because smoke is airborne, smoking cannot occur anywhere in the home, even in another room. Human homes are not created to be airtight between rooms and smoke will travel throughout the entire home regardless of where the smoking is occurring, exposing the birds.

Non-stick Cookware/Home Appliances

Teflon (PTFE) coated cookware/appliances release extremely dangerous toxins into the air when heated to high temperatures. These toxins can cause fatal respiratory disease in birds. Onset of symptoms can be rapid and occur within minutes of exposure³.

It is absolutely necessary to remove any and all appliances from the home that contain PTFEs including cookware, space heaters, baking sheets, muffin pans, even some cupcake and muffin paper liners which contain non-stick PTFE coatings. Instead use glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or cast iron cookware and call manufacturers to verify any appliance you are purchasing does not contain PTFEs.

Air Freshener Sprays/Plugins

Air freshener cans, sprays and plugins release aerosols and other chemicals into the air and can be dangerous to pet birds due to their specialized respiratory system.

Aerosol cans spray a fine mist into the air by using compressed gas as a propellant. Once the contents of the cans are released, the chemicals are released into the air. If a bird inhales these chemicals, serious injury or death can occur. Some symptoms of inhalation of these dangerous chemicals can be seizures, paralysis and even death.

For these reasons, it is best to avoid any kind of air fresheners. There are ways to freshen up the smell of our homes without posing a danger to our birds.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans spin rapidly. If a parrot hits it, they can be seriously injured or killed on impact. Because many parrots are naturally attracted to high places, fans can be very tempting to explore.

Never turn on a ceiling fan with birds loose in the home. Instead, look for safer alternatives to cooling and circulating air in the home. Always explain the dangers of ceiling fans with other members of the household. Many parrot owners will even tape the on/off switch to ceiling fans or use light switch covers to prevent guests from turning them on without knowing of the dangers to the birds.

This has been just a short list of possible dangers to look out for in our homes. For lots more information on household and other dangers to look out for when caring for our budgies, visit our social media accounts!

Literature Cited

Ohtani, Y., Inase, N., Miyake, S., Yoshizawa, Y. & Saiki, S. Fatal outcome in chronic bird fancier’s lung. Am J Medicine 112, 588–590 (2002).
(UK), M. C. M., Cornish, K. S., Bajada, S., (UK), C. F. J. M. & FCCP, J. C. F. Rosella Parrot Exposure as a Cause of Bird Fancier’s Lung. Arch Environ Occup H 60, 187–192 (2005).
Davidson, J. L. R. & J. P. Fatalities in Four Psittacines, as a Result of Normal Operation of the Cleaning Cycle in a Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE)-Coated Oven. Journal of the Rachel Carson Council, Inc. 2, 109–111.

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Isabel holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University, where she studied physiology, nutrition, endocrinology and genetics. She is a writer and graphic designer who uses both to improve education around animal welfare and care.

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post 5 Household Safety Hazards for Budgies appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

The Travel Cage Safety Tip You Can’t Forget

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:00:00 +0000

It’s summertime! With warm weather comes travel, trips, and get-togethers. Many owners find themselves needing to transport their budgies during this time of year.

While a good travel cage should simplify the task of transporting your budgie, no cage is 100% foolproof. Unfortunately, many owners lose their birds outdoors when the bottom of their travel cage comes off or the sliding door is knocked open, causing the budgies inside to spook and fly away.

A quick and easy solution is to zip tie your travel cage together. Make sure the caging is securely attached to the base, and zip tie the door shut once your budgie is inside. And remember to bring extra zip ties in case one breaks or comes loose.

Escaped budgies fare very poorly in the wild, so it’s critical to prevent escapes before they happen. For more tips on making your home as escape-proof as possible, check out our article here.

Don’t forget: The Budgie Academy is on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook! Join our social media flock so you don’t miss out when we post new content.

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post The Travel Cage Safety Tip You Can’t Forget appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

Preventing Budgie Escapes

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links, which means The Budgie Academy may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

By nature, budgies are quick and curious animals that love to explore their environment. Although this makes for endearing personalities, it can also spell disaster if your home isn’t properly birdproofed. Escapes can happen in the blink of an eye.

No owner should have to deal with the heartbreak of losing a bird to a simple safety oversight. In this article, we’ll go over the basics of birdproofing so you can make your home as safe as possible for its winged inhabitants.

Can Escaped Budgies Survive in the Wild?

Budgies that have been raised in captivity typically fare very poorly in the wild.

Our pet budgies are completely dependent upon us for care. We regulate the temperature of their environment, give them nutritious food at regular intervals, and try to keep them out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, this means that a budgie that escapes through an open window (and isn’t quickly recovered) has an extremely slim chance of survival. This is why it’s so important to prevent escapes in the first place.

What is Birdproofing, and Why Is It Important?

Birdproofing is the process of eliminating or mitigating risks in your home that could put your bird in harm’s way.

Essentially, birdproofing is how we, as owners, must adapt our homes and lives to ensure the safety of our feathered friends. Just like feeding and cleaning, birdproofing is an essential step in caring for your pet. As you’ll see in our list below, a lot of birdproofing deals with securing entries and exits to prevent escapes. But some birdproofing, like double-checking that your birds are in their cage before you leave the house, is more behavioral than environmental!

How Do I Birdproof My Home?

1.) Basic Prevention

As bird owners, mistakes happen. Even the most diligent owner will slip up at some point. The key to preventing accidents isn’t about being perfect at every turn, but rather about creating systems that will catch you when (not if!) you make a mistake, or at the very least, make mistakes less likely. Additionally, unless you live alone, a careful system of birdproofing will help prevent your roommates and/or family members from making mistakes as well.

A major part of birdproofing is basic diligence, practiced consistently by every member of your household. For example, the people in your home should double-check that all budgies are accounted for and in their cage before heading outside, stepping onto the patio, or opening windows. Doors to bathrooms should stay closed, and lids on toilets should be down whenever possible to minimize the risk of drowning.

If every member of the household maintains these basic safety habits, opportunities for accidents and escapes decrease greatly.

2.) Zip Ties for Cage Security

Anytime you take a bird outside in a travel cage, use zip ties to hold the cage together and secure its doors shut. Place a zip tie at each of the cage joints (i.e., where the top piece meets the bottom plastic foundation) and at every door.

Why? Extra insurance. By zip tying your travel cage together, the cage will not open easily even if it is tipped, dropped, or jostled, and nobody (human or bird!) can accidentally open any doors.

One of the most frequent reasons for fly aways are travel cage accidents. Because many cages are locked together with metal hinges meeting metal, a travel cage carried from the top can come apart and the plastic base fall open, scaring the bird and causing them to fly away very quickly.

3.) Secondary Containment

Have you ever been to the butterfly exhibit at a zoo? To enter, you have to go through a door into a small room, then shut the door behind you. Only after shutting this first door can you open the second door, giving you access to the exhibit. When you exit, you repeat the process, double checking in the small room that no butterflies have followed you or are hanging onto your clothes.

Many houses and apartments have spaces like this, and you can easily create this type of two-door separation by carefully choosing where you place your birds. For example, some houses have a front screened-in patio that can function as the “safety zone.” In many apartments, front doors don’t open directly to the outside world, instead leading to hallways or stairwells. Or you can simply place your birds in a room away from your front door, and make sure that the room to this door is shut before you leave the house.

This airlock-type, two-door system gives you time and space to ensure none of your birds are at risk of escaping to the outside world.

4.) Window Locks

You can add locks to your windows and stash the keys in a separate location. This way, you can control who opens your windows and when. This could be especially helpful if you’re sharing a space with children or visitors who might open a window without thinking.

You can also establish house rules regarding windows. For example, windows without screens might stay permanently shut and locked, while windows with screens can only be opened if all birds are in their cage.

5.) Appropriate Equipment

Thinking of taking your birds out in a travel cage? It would be wise to invest in a carrier with the proper measurements. Budgies require 0.375″-0.5″ bar spacing. Anything bigger (even a 0.6” wide space!) and your birds will almost certainly be able to squeeze some or all of their body through. Proper travel cages also have special heavy duty locks rather than simple sliding doors, and other adaptations made specifically for outdoor use. Check out some recommendations here.

6.) Magnetic curtains

These self-closing curtains are a must-have for every bird owner’s home. They attach to any standard doorway and automatically close behind you as you go in and out. This makes it more difficult for a bird to follow you out of the room if you want them to stay inside. For example, a magnetic curtain could be ideal in a kitchen entryway to prevent birds from entering while someone is cooking or the stove is hot.

Wrapping Up...

Mistakes happen. But if we take steps to safeguard our homes by locking windows, creating boundaries with magnetic curtains and two-door systems, and reinforcing travel carriers, we can minimize the frequency and severity of these mistakes.

Looking for more budgie safety tips? Check out our guide to parrot-safe cleaning. Or, if you’re thinking about taking your budgies out on the town, see our article on travel carriers here. And don’t forget–we’re on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Connect with us on social media to stay in the loop.

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post Preventing Budgie Escapes appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

Should I Add a Nest Box for my Budgies?

Dr. Amy Zhao — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 15:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links, which means The Budgie Academy may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

What is a nest box?

Budgies are cavity nesters so rather than building nests from sticks and other debris, they find existing tree hollows which they scrape out to nest in. In captivity, nest boxes are wood or plastic boxes with a small hole that resembles a nesting cavity and is used for breeding budgies. Remember, budgies are highly nomadic seasonal breeders, meaning that they are constantly on the move in search of food and only settle down to breed during the short period when rain is abundant and food is plentiful. This is typically a short window of a few weeks and once the food and water is gone, the budgies move on.

Do Budgies Need a Nestbox?

Generally, no.

Do you need to add a nest box for your budgies? In general, the answer is no. This rule also applies to all enclosed spaces like snuggle huts, fuzzy tents, coconut huts, and any toys that can be hollowed out to form a nest-like cavity. Budgies only use nest boxes during the breeding season and sleep out on perches at all other times. In fact, improperly adding nest boxes can actually lead health dangers for your female budgies.

Nest Boxes Can Hurt Your Budgies!

Several different factors determine whether or not a female budgie decides to be receptive to mating with a male partner or to lay eggs. Length of daylight, presence of a mate, stable availability of food and water, vocalization by neighboring mating pairs, presence of “rain” and availability of a nesting site all play major roles.

Because of this, a typical pet budgie should not have a nest box or any other enclosed space (snuggle huts, fuzzy tents, coconut huts) installed in their cage year round because it can trigger the unwanted activation of their reproduction pathways and hormonal behaviors. In female budgies, this means it could trigger their bodies to start producing and laying eggs which have many health implications. Females can also fight over these nesting sites vigorously if there is only one and multiple individuals are interested in the box.

When should I add a nest box?

There are only two reasons to add a nest box for budgies–(1) Breeding by professionals or (2) intentional reproductive management (allowing females to sit on infertile eggs/dummy eggs to stop her further laying). In both cases, boxes are added strategically for only a few weeks at specific times of the year and withdrawn outside of breeding season.

The post Should I Add a Nest Box for my Budgies? appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

Choosing the Perfect Travel Carrier for Your Budgie

Dr. Amy Zhao — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 15:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links, which means The Budgie Academy may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Aside from their main cage, budgies also need a separate travel cage that is reliable, sturdy, and safe so that we can transport them outside for sunlight, take them to the vet, transport them in the car if necessary. Travel cages and carriers are very different from normal cages. They have specific mechanisms built in so that the cage cannot come apart under its own weight and cannot accidentally slide open. Here is how to choose a great travel cage for your budgies with all of the necessary safety features.

What To Look For First

For budgies, it is CRUCIAL to find a carrier of the right bar spacing of 3/8″-0.5″ and no larger. Incorrect bar spacings could result in a bird squeezing out and flying away.
Travel cages and carriers will have zippers or special locks that hold the door securely in place and cannot be reached from the inside of the cage.
Avoid any cage that has sliding doors with no locking mechanism.
Travel cages should be made of a safe material such as powder-coated wrought iron or plastic/sturdy fabric.

Two Kinds of Travel Cages/Carriers

Once you’ve found some carriers that fit all of the above safety criteria, then think about how you plan to use your travel carrier. Is it for a short trip to the vet or for taking your budgie out for some sun?

There are different ways to classify carriers but one of the easiest way to classify them is by function into filtered and unfiltered travel cages.

Filtered carriers block ultraviolet B (UVB) light from reaching your budgie, meaning they will not be able to receive any of the vitamin D3 benefits from being taken outside in that carrier. These are ideal for colder temperatures because they restrict the air flow more so they will likely make more sense for a short trip to the vet. This also means that they can heat up quickly in warmer temperatures so use with caution!

Unfiltered carriers allow for the light to pass directly through the cage bars and reach the bird, giving them access to UVB for vitamin D3 synthesis. These are ideal for taking your budgie outside to get some wind and sunlight and better to use in warmer temperatures to allow for better airflow.

My Favorite Travel Carriers

Looking for a new carrier for your budgie? Here are a few of my favorites to help you choose!

This is my go-to carrier for taking my budgies on short car trips to the vet. It’s light-weight, easy to carry, and easy to clean. The perch it comes with is a little large for budgies to hang onto while being carried so I recommend wrapping it to give it a bit more grip.

Link: Prevue Pet Products Soft Sided Bird Travel Carrier with Perch Small, Multicolor

This soft-sided parrot carrier is super spacious when used with our smaller parrots like budgies but provides good airflow from the two mesh sides. It might be worth it to change out the perch to a smaller one that is easier to grip. It also has flaps to darken the space to help reduce the stress of transport.

Link: Bird Carrier with Shade Cover

This is my favorite budgie carrier for taking the birds out for some sun. It is pretty heavy duty and therefore it’s not very light but it does have all of the security features I’m looking for in a travel carrier including solid door locks, stainless steel bowls, and a sturdy build that won’t accidentally come apart when you pick it up. It also is one of the few with 1/2″ bar spacing that is safe for budgies.

Link: Prevue Pet Products Travel Carrier for Birds, Black

The post Choosing the Perfect Travel Carrier for Your Budgie appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

How to Pick the Perfect Perches for Your Budgies

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 15:00:00 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links, which means The Budgie Academy may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Perches are an essential part of every budgie cage and playstand. Choosing the right perch collection impacts more than just your budgie’s foot health–it plays a crucial role in their overall wellbeing! Here are five of our tried-and-true tips for choosing the best perches.

Choose Natural Wood

Natural, non-toxic woods (i.e., not treated with pesticides or other chemicals) are preferred. Some good, easily-accessible choices include manzanita, grapewood, and java wood. Here are a few of our favorites, including enrichment-added options.

Offer a variety of sizes.

In the wild, budgies perch on branches of countless shapes and sizes, allowing their feet to flex in many ways. Offering a variety of differently-sized perches in your budgie’s cage is the best way to imitate a natural environment and ensure your bird is exercising their foot and leg muscles.

Avoid frayed rope

Frayed rope is often marketed as a “preening” item, but cotton or synthetic fiber rope can be ingested and cause impactions in your bird’s digestive tract. If you’d like to learn more about the often-overlooked dangers of ropes and other cage items, check out our article here.

Rotate Your Perches

Budgies tend to sleep on the highest perches for safety and can end up sleeping on the same perch night after night. Rotate and rearrange perches every few weeks so they’re not always sleeping on the same perch. In addition to providing a variety of perches, this will help ensure your bird’s feet don’t become habituated to just one type of surface.

Avoid dowel perches (or use wisely)!

Dowel perches are the round, smooth, simple wood perches that come with almost any cage. The important thing to recognize about these perches is that they have no variation in shape, thickness, or texture. Consequently, a budgie that uses a dowel perch long-term is continuously putting pressure on the same part of their foot for many hours a day, every day. This can lead to pressure sores, foot pain, and other health issues down the road.

But you don’t necessarily need to swear off dowel rods altogether! The key to safe use is exposure time. While your bird shouldn’t be spending hours standing or sleeping on this kind of perch, some limited use for short periods of time will not cause issues. In fact, placing a dowel perpendicularly in the cage (running from back-to-front, rather than side-to-side) may be a helpful, temporary way of assisting a fearful budgie to approach the front of their cage.

If you’d like to learn more about how short-term dowel use may be beneficial during training, check out this video to hear how Amy used dowel perches to increase TritC’s mobility and confidence.

To sum it all up...

Variety is the spice of life, and a variety of perches can help keep your budgie’s feet in good condition. Providing different types of perches made from safe materials (e.g., natural wood that hasn’t been chemically-treated) is key in preventing pressure sores and foot pain. And while dowel perches shouldn’t be a long-term choice, careful short-term use may be helpful in increasing mobility and reducing fear.

Perches are just the beginning. There’s so much more to learn about your budgie! From toys to basic biology, check out our other posts on The Budgie Academy, and don’t forget to connect with us on social media!

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post How to Pick the Perfect Perches for Your Budgies appeared first on The Budgie Academy.