budgie care Archives - The Budgie Academy

Keeping Seed Bug-Free

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Imagine this: it’s time to feed your birds, so you go to open your bag of seed mix. But as soon as you open the bag, a handful of moths fly out! Or maybe you look inside and see little black insects crawling around. Even if this has never happened to you, it’s a not-uncommon occurrence that has startled many bird owners.

Why Should I Freeze My Budgie's Seed?

Freezing is one of the most effective ways to combat bug infestations.

But why do seed mixes sometimes become infested with bugs? It’s not necessarily because the seed is unclean or low quality, but instead has to do with the farming and harvesting process. The most likely suspect is the Indian Meal Moth (Plodia Interpunctella). When cereals and grains are grown in the field, the moths lay their eggs on them. When the seeds are harvested from plants, bug eggs and larvae can get caught up in the mix. While the seeds sit in your pantry, these eggs and larvae can develop in the bag into full-grown insects.

Luckily, there’s an easy fix. Simply store your seed in the freezer for a few days (72 hours) as soon as you bring it home. This will kill any bug eggs or larvae so they can’t develop and give you a nasty surprise down the road. Don’t worry–although the idea of eating a few dead bug eggs might seem unappetizing, the seed mix should still be perfectly safe for your birds.

Wrapping Up...

For more budgie feeding tips, check out our articles on introducing pellets and why budgies sometimes won’t eat anything but seed. And don’t forget to connect with us on social media–we’re on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!

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 Keeping Seed Bug-Free 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.

The Basics of Budgie Instincts

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000

In seeking to take proper care of any animal, learning their biology is key to understanding how they see the world and why they engage in certain behaviors. Budgies, like other parrots, are flock animals. Over the course of their evolution, they have developed a collection of flock-related survival and defense mechanisms which enable them to survive in the often-treacherous, semi-arid wilds of Australia.

In this article, we’ll go over some key points of budgie instincts that will help you better understand your bird’s motivations and behaviors.

Birds of a feather flock together

Budgies are flock animals, so their behaviors must be understood in a flock context.

Wild budgies live in small- to medium-sized flocks throughout the year, migrating in search of stable food sources. When food is plentiful in an area, many flocks can converge to form one massive flock with members numbering in the thousands. As a result, a huge part of a budgie’s instincts and characteristics are influenced by this flocking aspect of their biology.

Fly first, think later

Budgies are tiny prey animals. When threatened, their main survival mechanism is to take off and fly away.

If a single bird in a flock senses danger and takes off, the rest of the flock will likely follow suit. This is why new owners might perceive their birds as “randomly” taking off and frantically flying around. It’s not actually a random behavior, but rather a calculated response to a perceived threat!

Bad vibes are real...kinda!

Along the same lines, budgies rely on other flock members to sense danger.

If one budgie is demonstrating fearful behavior, other budgies in the flock will pick up on this and act defensively, fly away, or go on “high-alert” as a means of self-defense. When there are two budgies in a cage, the more fearful budgie’s behavior can seem to “rub off” on the more daring budgie, causing them to pull back. This is part of their survival mechanism. If one budgie senses danger, it’s best not to stand around and look for a potential predator themselves and take off instead and is part of the way these animals evolved to instinctually react.

Social eating

Another major flocking behavior found in budgies is their social eating behavior.

Budgies travel together to search for food and learn to identify new food items by watching others. As a result, we often see budgies come together to eat in the same area or off the same plate. This is why it’s important to offer food on plates or flat surfaces. Offering food from a bowl that is too narrow to accommodate multiple birds can lead to conflict and fighting.

This social eating behavior is among a budgie’s strongest instincts and is also why diet conversions are much easier when a new, incoming budgie gets introduced to an existing flock that already is on a healthy diet. The new budgie watches the others and learns that those items are also food that can be eaten. To learn more about using the social eating instinct in diet conversion (among other techniques), check out our article here.

Flock chatter

Vocalizations are a major means of communication between budgies.

You’ve likely noticed that your budgies are quick to jump into the “conversation” when someone is talking on the phone or playing upbeat, layered music. You may also have noticed that if you suddenly go quiet, they tend to stop vocalizing as well. This is actually a defense mechanism! In the wild, if a predator is suddenly spotted, the flock goes quiet to avoid giving away their location.

How budgies see humans

Without any training, budgies will likely view humans as threatening and display fearful behaviors.

This is why budgies that are not used to associating with people are, by default, extremely fearful of humans. Budgies are not unique in this behavior. Most animals view large, unfamiliar items with caution and in the wild, animals who walk away tend to live to reproduce and pass on their genes onto the next generation.

This is also why a budgie acting scared or biting does not automatically mean it was previously abused! Although this is a common fear among budgie owners, it is much more likely they simply have had no or very limited prior human contact that resulted in any positive experiences. These budgies only see something large and unfamiliar that is rapidly approaching or reaching at them with no warning. With training, budgies learn rapidly to associate with humans and coexist with them comfortably.

Fortunately, budgies are very intelligent and learn quickly. With the right training techniques, they learn quickly that humans do not need to be feared and are, in fact, very useful to them!

Wrapping up...

Budgies are uniquely adapted to survive in their harsh Australian homelands. Behaviors like forming flocks, startling easily, and eating in groups have all helped these little birds thrive in the wild. These behaviors persist even in pet budgies, and recognizing them is key to understanding how your bird sees the world.

If you’d just like to learn more about budgie biology, explore our articles here! And don’t forget to connect with us on social media–we’re on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook–so you never miss out on new content.

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post The Basics of Budgie Instincts appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

Why You Should Weigh Your Budgie

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 10 Jan 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.

Weighing your budgie regularly is a quick, easy, stress-free, and non-invasive way to monitor your budgie’s health status at home. When performed properly, there are a couple key health insights you can glean from a simple weigh-in routine.

Why should I weigh my budgie?

Changes in a budgie’s weight can indicate health conditions that may not be visible to the naked eye.

Birds are experts at hiding illnesses. Although this may help wild budgies avoid looking weak to predators, hidden ailments can prove dangerous in our home aviaries. Even with careful obseration, it’s not always possible to tell when a budgie is sick from looks alone.

This is where weighing comes in handy. A bird that is feeling under the weather may experience decreased appetite and subsequent weight loss. If you are weighing your budgie regularly, this weight loss should be a red flag alerting you to contact your avian vet.

A budgie’s weight can also give you insight into their reproductive status. A budgie coming into breeding mode will gain weight in their reproductive tract, along with exhibiting other courting, nesting, and mating behaviors.

Let’s use flock member FitC as an example. She usually weighs 34-35g in the fall and winter, but in the spring and summer breeding season, she weighs 37g. If she’s actively forming an egg, her weight will rapidly increase up to 39-40g. And if she hits 40-41g, we can reliably predict that she will lay an egg within 12-24 hours.

How do I weigh my budgie?

A combination of consistency and positive reinforcement is crucial for developing a weigh-in routine.

Ideally, you should weigh your budgie at a similar time every day (e.g., in the morning before breakfast). This will help reduce minor fluctuations due to food and water weight.

Additionally, with consistent, positive reinforcement, you can teach your budgie to step onto the scale as a trick. This will ensure the weighing process is as quick and stress-free as possible. If you’re new to weighing your budgie, these scales are a great starting point.

Wrapping up...

Weighing your budgie is a simple way to keep an eye on their health. To learn more about the importance of routine veterinary care, check out our article on wellness exams. And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook so you never miss out on new posts!

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post Why You Should Weigh Your Budgie appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

How to Keep a Budgie Warm in Winter

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 16:00:00 +0000

When it comes to safety and comfort, it’s not enough to simply know what temperature range is optimal for your budgie’s environment. There are many other factors to take into consideration, including whether your chosen heat sources are safe for use around birds. Follow along as we answer common questions you might have about keeping your budgie warm!

What temperature range is safe for budgies?

65-75°F is a pretty comfortable temperature for most budgies.

They can, however, still do well in lower temperatures of 55°F+. If the temperature in your home dips below that, it’s definitely time to think about some bird-safe heating. Not all human heating solutions are bird-safe, so read labels carefully and contact companies if necessary to get more information.

Can budgies tolerate sudden temperature changes?

Sudden, large changes in temperature can be dangerous for budgies and should be avoided.

Budgies are nomadic parrots originally hailing from the semi-arid regions of Australia where temperatures fluctuate widely from near-freezing to extremely hot. However, these changes are usually gradual throughout the day and not acute, sharp changes.

Should I add extra insulation to my home to keep my budgies warm?

If they aren’t already, make sure your windows in particular are well insulated.

A poorly insulated window can allow warm air to leak out and cold air to leak in. Most home improvement stores sell pieces of foam specifically for this purpose. Tape the foam to the bottom of the window and shut the window on it, creating a seal. The foam should be hidden by the window so your bird cannot access it. This will help prevent drastic temperature changes and help you save on your utility bills which is good for your wallet and the environment.

Is it dangerous to expose a budgie to drafts?

It’s best to avoid having a draft blowing on or around your budgie.

Cold air in motion carries heat away from the body, so a space that would normally be warm when the air is still can actually become quite cold once the air starts moving. Try not to have your birds right in front of a window, and as mentioned earlier, insulate your windows and doors to prevent drafts of cold air from entering your home.

What heating solutions are not bird safe?

Any heaters that require the burning of gas or fuel are not bird-safe.

Many electric space heaters also cannot be used because a Teflon coating is applied to their internal parts to prevent dust accumulation. These coatings are sometimes burned off gradually over time, but it’s hard to know how long this takes and/or how old your heater is, so it’s wise to avoid these types of heaters altogether.

Are oil radiators safe to use around budgies?

Oil-based heaters are generally considered bird-safe because the heating elements are not exposed and they usually don’t contain Teflon.

However, it is critical that you check with the manufacturer to be sure! Some of these heaters also have a burn-in period, so make sure to read the manual carefully to see if that is the case. It may need to have that burn-in period elsewhere before it can be used safely in your home. They can still become quite hot to the touch depending on the setting so weigh that factor carefully. If it is too hot too touch the back of your hand to for a few seconds, it’s too hot for your bird to land on.

This is the one we have been using in my office where the budgies are for the last two years. I called the company Pelonis and they said there is no Teflon in the heater. When I first got it, I ran it on max settings on the porch for 12 hours before bringing it inside so burn off any other potential coating on it.

1,500-Watt Oil-Filled Radiant Electric Space Heater with Thermostat

Are ceramic heaters safe to use around budgies?

Ceramic heaters can be safe but need to be kept out of reach to prevent burns.

Ceramic heating elements get very hot to the touch, so they must be used in a way where birds cannot physically touch them because landing on them or touching them can result in burns. Some ceramic heaters can also contain Teflon so we would recommend calling the manufacturer to be sure.

Can I use heated panels or perches with my budgies?

Heated panels that can be mounted on the side of a cage are a viable option for providing additional heat.

Before using a panel in your bird’s cage, plug it in for several hours and feel it with your hand–it should be warm but not extremely hot to the touch. Devices should be built with a temperature regulator so that they only heat up to a certain temperature but they can potentially malfunction in rare occurrences. These are safest mounted next to a medium length perch so birds can scoot away if it malfunctions and overheats. On the other hand, heated perches pose more of a risk to your bird and so is less ideal. If the perch overheats when you aren’t around (e.g., the middle of the night), your bird may not be able to get away easily and could sustain burns.

Do budgies need a certain amount of humidity?

Most homes range 40-60% humidity and is ideal but budgies do well even outside of this humidity range.

Budgies are a species from the semi-arid regions of Australia and so their biology prepares them for a much drier environment and higher water loss to their environment than the rainforest species like conures and macaws. As a result, they do well in the typical 40-60% humidity range but continue to do well even outside of this range.

Now that you know how to keep your budgie warm during these chilly months, check out our other articles at The Budgie Academy to learn more about your bird and their care requirements. And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram so you never miss out on new content!

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post How to Keep a Budgie Warm in Winter appeared first on The Budgie Academy.

The Genetics of Budgie Color: Punnett Squares

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Domestic budgies have come a long way from their wild green and yellow relatives. Looking at your own flock, you may wonder how breeders are able to plan and predict such a diverse array of patterns and colors. How is it possible to anticipate the colors of chicks just from looking at their parents?

The answer is the Punnett square: a handy graphic representation tool used to make predictions about the traits of offspring.

You may already be familiar with the term “Mendelian genetics.” German monk Gregor Mendel developed his keystone theory of genetic inheritance in the mid-1800s, working with the humble pea plant in his monastery’s gardens. These findings have stood the test of time–in fact, there’s a good chance you learned about Mendel’s ideas (like heritability and dominant vs. recessive traits) at some point in a science class.

Reginald Crundall Punnett, an early 20th-century scientist at the University of Cambridge, also found inspiration and insight in Mendel’s ideas. Like the monk himself, Punnett was fascinated by the genetics of sweet pea plants–specifically, the way traits like color occurred in predictable ratios among the offspring of breeding pairs. In his efforts to create a simple way to visualize these ratios, the Punnett square was born!

The Punnett square is a grid that helps us visualize the possible distribution of genotypes among the offspring of any two parents. Here, genotype refers to a specific version of a gene. In pea plants, for example, if leaf color is controlled by a certain gene, then some genotypes (i.e, some versions of this gene) may result in green leaf color, while others result in yellow leaf color. The outward, physical manifestation of a genotype (in this case, green or yellow leaf color) is referred to as phenotype.

Most animals (like budgies and humans) and some plants (like pea plants) are diploid, meaning they have two complete sets of chromosomes in their cells– one set from each parent. This also means they have two copies of each gene and each copy could be one of several versions of that gene.

Certain versions of the gene are dominant, meaning just one copy of the gene will result in the organism having that phenotype. Other versions of the gene are recessive, meaning they will be overridden by the dominant allele so we will only see the recessive phenotype when no dominant allele is present.

Because of this, each genotype in a Punnett square is represented by two letters, with one “letter” being inherited from each parent. The letters represent alleles, the versions of a gene that make up the specific genotype. Having two of the same alleles for a gene is called homozygotic, while having two different alleles is called heterozygotic.

Don’t worry if you’re not completely comfortable with these terms yet. Punnett squares are very visual, and you don’t need advanced genetic knowledge to understand them. Let’s set up a classic Punnett square to illustrate the pea plant color example we mentioned above.

You’ll see that we’ve drawn our grid and added the genotypes of both parent plants: one along the vertical edge of the square and one along the horizontal edge. The capital G allele encodes for dominant green color, while the lowercase g allele encodes for recessive yellow color.

Parent one has gg (homozygous) genotype, meaning it has two copies of the recessive yellow allele. Because it does not have a copy of the dominant green allele (G), parent one appears yellow (i.e., it has a yellow phenotype).

Parent two has a Gg (heterozygous) genotype, so it has one copy of the dominant green allele (G) and one copy of the recessive yellow allele (g). Although this isn’t a hard and fast rule, it can be helpful to imagine dominant alleles as “muting” recessive alleles. So in parent two, the dominant green allele (G) “mutes” the recessive yellow allele (g), resulting in a green phenotype. Now let’s fill out the rest of our Punnett square.

In our completed Punnett square, each inner section of the grid represents a possible offspring genotype. You can see that we’ve ended up with two possible Gg genotypes and two possible gg genotypes. In this pairing between plants one and two, we can estimate that 50% of offspring will have a Gg genotype and appear green, while 50% will have a gg genotype and appear yellow.

Although budgie genetics are more complicated than the pea plant example above, we can still use this basic concept to understand how certain colors and patterns are passed from parent to chick. We’ll use the example of yellow base vs. white base to illustrate. Below, we’ve included a crash course explaining what the terms yellow and white base mean, but feel free to skip ahead if you’re already familiar.

Example 1: Will offspring be yellow or white?

For our Punnett square example, we should know that the yellow base allele–we’ll represent it with a capital Y– is dominant, and the white base allele–lowercase y–is recessive.

Let’s say that we’d like to breed two budgies. We know our female is yellow base with a YY genotype, and our male is white base and must have a yy genotype. After we fill out our square, it should look something like this:

From this square, we can see that the only possible genotype for our chicks is Yy, so all of the offspring from this pairing will have the yellow base phenotype!

Example 2: Homozygous or Heterozygous?

The Punnett square can also be used to figure out the genotype of a parent. Let’s say you have a white base (yy) male and a yellow base female, but don’t know whether she has a heterozygous Yy or homozygous YY genotype. If she has a YY genotype, your Punnett square would look exactly like the example above, with the odds of having white base offspring being zero percent. If she has a Yy genotype, it would look like this:

This pairing would result in 50% white base, 50% yellow base. If these birds mate and have any white base offspring, you could confidently say that your female has a heterozygous Yy genotype.

Example 3: Yellow x Yellow = White???

The Punnett Square can also help us map out less likely genetic outcomes. For example, if two heterozygous yellow base budgies mate, there is a chance they would produce a white base budgie. How? Because each heterozygous budgie has two copies of the yellow gene, one dominant (Y) and one recessive (y), they could produce three different combinations–homozygous dominant yellow base (YY), heterozygous yellow base (Yy), or homozygous recessive white base (yy).

This means that in this type of pairing, we would expect to see 75% of the offspring with a yellow base phenotype. Of that 75%, 25% is homozygous dominant (YY) and 50% is heterozygous dominant (Yy). The remaining 25% of the offspring would be have a white base and be homozygous recessive (yy). So, if you ever see a white base budgie from two yellow base parents, you can know that both of those parents are heterozygous for the yellow base gene!

Wrapping Up

Budgies can have so many variations in color and pattern beyond just a yellow or white base. The genetic science behind some of these variations is more complex than the simple dominant vs. recessive inheritance patterns we’ve illustrated here, but with a good grasp on the basics, you should have an easier time tackling more complex Punnett squares when the need arises.

Has this intro to budgie color genetics piqued your interest? Stay tuned for our upcoming deep dive on color variations and their underlying genetics. In the meantime, check out our other articles at The Budgie Academy and connect with us on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram to stay in the loop!

Literature Cited

Harveson, B. (2016, June 14). Gregor Mendel and His Peas – the Origin of Modern Genetics. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2016/gregor-mendel-and-his-peas-%E2%80%93-origin-modern-genetics

Reginald Crundall Punnett: DNA from the Beginning. http://www.dnaftb.org/5/bio.html#:~:text=Reginald%20Punnett%20and%20William%20Bateson

Martin, T. A Guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots. 2002.

Cooke, T. F. et al. Genetic Mapping and Biochemical Basis of Yellow Feather Pigmentation in Budgerigars. Cell 171, 427-439.e21 (2017).

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post The Genetics of Budgie Color: Punnett Squares 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

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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.

Are Budgies Parrots, Parakeets, or Both?

Isabel Frabotta — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:00:00 +0000

A Common Point of Confusion

You may have heard people refer to budgies as parrots, parakeets, or both. Is one term better or more accurate than the other? To answer this question, we first have to understand what “parrot” really means.

Parrot: A scientific definition

Scientists classify animals according to a system called Linnaean taxonomy, named after the zoologist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). In this taxonomy, there is a seven-tiered hierarchy of classification. From largest to smallest, these tiers are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Animals are grouped in these categories according to their evolutionary relationships and physical characteristics.

All birds are grouped together in the class Aves. This class is broken down into multiple orders, one of which is Psittaciformes. All birds within order Psittaciformes are parrots! They have several defining characteristics, like curved beaks and zygodactyl feet (two toes pointing backwards, two pointing forward).

Where Do Budgies Come In?

The order Psittaciforme is broken down even further into three superfamilies. These are:

1.) Strigopoidea (the New Zealand parrots, including the kakapo and kea),

2.) Cacatuoidea (including the cockatoos and cockatiels),

3.) and Psittacoidea (macaws, conures, budgerigars, and many more).

Psittacoidea is by far the largest superfamily within order Psittaciforme. Of the roughly 400 species of parrots, over 350 fall within this superfamily.

Because budgerigars (A.K.A. budgies) fall within the order Psittaciforme, and so you can confidently tell your friends that your beloved pet budgies are parrots. To get even more specific, budgies are classified as having the genus Melopsittacus and species Undulatus. “Melo” is from the word “melodious”. “Psittacus” refers to their status as part of the parrot or “psittacine” classification. “Undulatus” is from the word “undulating”.

Parrot vs Parakeet

Finally, what does parakeet mean? It’s actually not a taxonomic term, but rather an umbrella term that refers to a subset of parrots with the same general features: small, slender bodies and long tails. Besides budgies, other types of parakeets include conures and Indian ring-necked parakeets. So budgies are a type of parakeet and parakeets are a subtype of parrot.

To sum it all up, budgies are a type of parakeet and all parakeets are parrots. Although parakeet is a slightly less formal, more specific term. To remember how everything relates, it may help to use this drink metaphor: if “parrot” is equivalent to “beverage” (a broad, inclusive term), then “parakeet” is like “soda” (more specific) and “budgie” is like “Coca-Cola” (the most specific).

Now you know how budgies, parrots, and parakeets are all related. But there’s so much more to learn! Be sure to check out our other articles on The Budgie Academy website, and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on everything budgie.

Literature Cited

Joseph, Leo, et al. “A Revised Nomenclature and Classification for Family-Group Taxa of Parrots (Psittaciformes).” Zootaxa, vol. 3205, no. 1, 2012, p. 26., https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3205.1.2.

Written by Isabel Frabotta

Edited by Dr. Amy Zhao, PhD.

The post Are Budgies Parrots, Parakeets, or Both? appeared first on The Budgie Academy.