I found a Budgie

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Budgies are amazing birds. I knew nothing about these until I was out and about and I stumbled across a budgie on the ground yesterday so I picked it up luckily I wasn't too far from home and I was able to get it home ok. The budgie was very scared and stressed and I have no cage for it so it flew into my bathroom and perched itself on a pole I left the light on for it and put out some water and bought some budgie feed for it. I then went into google to learn about basic budgie care. I had to leave it alone for several hours so it can get used to its new environment. I had my doubts that the budgie was going to get so stressed that it would never settle. It wouldn't eat or drink and kept pecking its fevers out.

This afternoon I sat with the budgie keeping my distance and it flew into the food bowl and began eating and not only that it flew onto my shoulder and also flew onto my head a few times. I bought it into the kitchen where it flew about and seemed to be quite happy. I couldn't leave it in the kitchen as there are to many hazards so as soon as it flew onto my shoulder and I walked back into the bathroom with it where there are no hazards but there is no natural sunlight in there so it may get a bit depressed. I might have to re-arrange the kitchen for it.

I did try to see if I could find the owner or if anybody lost a budgie in that area but it could have been deliberately released and it has mites which I didn't find out until today so I have ordered some spray for it.

 

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The kitchen is fairly big and I have plants in there with lots of natural light coming through the windows so I think it would like it better in there. I really must buy a cage for it and get another budgie to go with it. There better in pairs.

 

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It's probably someone's escaped pet. You should check if it's been chipped. Does it have a leg ring?

Nope no leg ring. Its a very young budgie. Its probably better to call the RSPCA and just let them know I found a budgie. I will print off some papers to put around the local area where I found it. Judging by the mites it has it makes me think it was abandoned.

 

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are you sure it's a budgie? there's wild parakeets in the UK

some parks up north have them, not even a rare sight.

Bird flu is knocking around BTW

No its a budgie native to Australia. There are lots of Ring necked Parakeets over here. My budgie is much smaller and is blue and white with a hint of yellow.

 

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Here it is perching on a chain.

 

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They are lovely birds, very noisy. If you can't dedicate a lot of time to it, it's not good to keep them alone, they are flock birds and will be very unhappy alone.

Also, if it's in the kitchen, don't use any non-stick pans, apparently they are very sensitive and can drop dead. Never had a problem with mine, but I don't keep them in the kitchen.

If I don't find the owner then I'll be keeping it. I will buy a cage for it as well as a couple more budgies so that its not alone. For now it will have to be and I will interact with it as much as I can until then

 

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it's got mites and you've been letting it land on your head? :-/

They'll be bird mites or fleas they aren't going to affect humans so it doesn't matter if the bird has been on my head besides fleas and mites are easily treated.

 

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Just an update. I have got some papers printed off and have been put up around the local area where the budgie was found. I also asked in the local pet shops. I gave the pet shop a paper to put in there window the other pet shop didn't seem interested.

The budgie is very tamed but it definitely has an underlying health condition which needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. I don't like the way it has been plucking its feathers.

 

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He doesn't look like a young budgie.
Mites are bad but you can treat them.
Plucking feathers is probably stress related.
Vets aren't usually able to deal with budgies you'll need an avian/exotics one, they're not the cheapest.

Yeah sod that. There isn't a lot I can do. Its lonely, there not supposed to be on there own. The pet shop is asking 150 quid for a budgie plus I need a cage another 100 odd quid for that. I remember when you could buy a budgie for less than 20 quid not that long ago. Its probably a London thing people charge more in London. The longer I wait the more its going to pluck and I'll probably wont have it for long.

150 quid for a budgie?? No thanks.

I know I can get one for 15 - 25 quid online locally if I can find some for sale.

Even with the spray treatment its going to be stressed and bored. Birds turn to feather plucking because of lifestyle conditions like boredom, lack of exercise or activity, sexual frustration, isolation or a lack of playtime with their pet parent. Nutrition. Malnutrition can also lead to feather plucking.

 

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I forgot to add that I found out there has been an outbreak of bird flu and its probably been released as a result of that. It looks I'll be keeping it. I've not had any replies from anyone yet missing a budgie and I don't expect I will at this point.

 

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'ing how much??!?!
holy crap, am i out of touch. getting so you can make more dealing in budgies than drugs.

stress could be a factor but is the plucking not due to the mites?

Yeah I know... its ridiculous but thats London for you. They probably have high rents to pay. Another pet shop wanted 75 quid so cheaper but still over priced. I'm sure budgies should be about 35 quid tops. I found a budgie breeder locally online who sells them for 15 pounds. I'm just waiting to hear back from him.

I don't think its the mites as it only happens when I go into the room its in, it starts pecking its feathers. I thought it was used to me the way it was flying about and landing on my shoulder and head etc the other day but now it wants to be left alone.

 

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Christ on a bike. I used to work in a pet shop selling budgies for £10 each and cages for £15. Admittedly it was 25 years ago, but that's shocking. Was the shop called GoldPlatedPetsRUs?

The normal asking price is around 15 to 35 quid tops for a budgie, at least that is what they are online on various selling sites. I think businesses especially in London are trying to charge the maximum they can. Lots of wealthy people in London willing to pay higher prices for things. That is my theory anyway plus I expect they have high rents to pay on there shops.

 

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Just get it a cage & some bird related toys to play with, you don't need to get another bird if you provide it with enrichment from toys & your own attention, it may also be female so there's nesting to consider for it as well, also don't forget to allow it a bird bath to keep clean and some cuttlefish for its calcium needs (double important if its female as it needs the calcium for eggs)

From my research my budgie is an adult male. At first I thought it was a young budgie but that just shows how clueless I was about them. I always remembered budgies being a bit bigger. Mine has a blue Cere which indicates its a male budgie and its forehead has no lines which means its at least 2 years old at the youngest. Budgies at 2 years old are good for breeding. The budgies in the pet stores will likely be a few months old and its best to wait until the the budgie is at least 2 years old before it can start breeding.

 

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I finally found a pet shop charging reasonable prices. 25 pounds for a female budgie and 20 pounds for the cage. Sorted. I have put the female in the cage with food and water the other budgie is in the same room so they can slowly get acquainted before they share the cage. I'll give it a day or two.

 

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I got my budgies from a local breeder for £20 each.

They will bicker a bit when introduced (it's called "the pecking order" for a reason) but unless one is being badly beaten it isn't anything to worry about. Mine hate each other one minute and literally the next they are grooming eachother.

Edit: just had a look at your foundling... You have a male/female pare now

Females are generally less gregarious so don't be surprised if the new one doesn't take to you as quickly (or at all) as your boy

Yep 20 is about average from looking around.

Its why I'm slowly introducing them. The female is in her cage and the male budgie has been sitting on top of the cage for some hours now I'll give it until Friday before I put the male in with the female.. The female is only 7 months old and the male is a lot older so probably not the best pair to match for breeding Ideally I'd need a female who is at least two years of age for breeding according to my research for best results. Its still early days yet and I may get a few more budgies along the way.

Its interesting about the female not bonding as quickly. Rabbits are a bit like that. I used to breed rabbits years ago and it was always the males that were most sociable.

 

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Cute! New pics of the wee lady?

Here she is.

 

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To be fair wild budgies aren’t a rare sight in London parks either, no idea on other areas but I’ve seen many wild ones in / near London

The wild ones are not budgies they are ring-neck parakeets and a lot larger than budgies and are mostly green.

 

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I have lost a budgie in the stevenage area an am still looking for it. Lost it on the 21st of MArch

Unfortunately budgies are lucky to survive anymore than a couple of days in the wild because there are so many predators out there and a budgie will stand out like a sore thumb to them. Some are found and rescued by other people so it might be worth asking around, put some flyers up etc you never know somebody might have it.

How did it escape?

 

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A crested caracara has escaped and is on the loose around Richmond, now, that would look spectacular in the kitchen

That would do alright in the wild I reckon. This isn't the same crested caracara that escaped London zoo? that one has been seen in parks around South London.

 

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The budgie is doing well. No sign of the owner so its now mine. I got a couple more budgies now so 4 in total. I was planing to build a large aviary for them in the back of my livingroom but I can't use chicken wire because its toxic to birds so I have to use stainless steal, aviary wire which is expensive. I'll probably just end up building a large cage for them instead.