How can you tell that budgies get along? (10 tips for everyday life)

When budgies like each other, they show it.

However, it may not always be so obvious to humans when the birds’ body language is just being learned.

But don’t worry, after this post you will be well informed and also know the subtle clues for affection among your budgies and how you can further encourage it.

Budgies do not get along – signs

Before we show you how to recognize affection among birds, we first deal with the exact opposite. This will make it easier for you to better distinguish affection from dislike, so that you can recognize the need for action.

Typical signs of strong dislike among two or more animals are, for example:

biting, hacking, pinching
pulling the tail
one-sided or mutual chasing
disputes over resources, such as food, nibbles, water and toys
birds scream, flee and are obviously stressed

Such behaviors can not only be psychologically stressful, but can also cause health problems. In addition to an increased susceptibility to disease due to permanent stress, the animals can also injure themselves easily to severely.

Due to the plumage, these injuries are not always immediately noticeable and can become infected.

When chasing during free flight, the budgies can fly blindly from panic against windows or walls and get fractures.

Because of the numerous dangers, you should therefore act quickly and separate the animals if necessary.
Signs of affection among budgies

When two or more budgies like each other, it’s beautiful to watch. Here are the points you should watch out for:

Food is taken together
one bird can feed the other
flying together
playing together
mutual preening
cuddling
sleeping next to each other
beaking
chirping and singing to each other

All aggression is absent and you can observe that the animals themselves and with each other are comfortable and relaxed. Disputes or even a fight does not exist even for food or special treats. Instead, the budgies often even eat together or sitting next to each other from the same bowl.
What indicates that budgies are comfortable with each other?

For the animals to get along well with each other, each individual must be comfortable. This is an important condition for a relaxed group.

Again, there are typical behaviors that you will simply notice.

slightly fluffed plumage
singing
interested tilting of the head
playing
hanging upside down on branches

The birds participate in their environment, are lively and playful. But how can you make them all feel comfortable and get along with each other? Find out with our tips in the next section.
10 tips for well-being and compatible budgies

How you can practically ensure the well-being and affection among the budgies, we have described here step by step. So you can easily implement it at least prevent minor conflicts.

Tip 1: Give enough space

Commercial room cages are usually much too small!

Even if you want to keep only two budgies, they can hardly stretch their wings properly – flying is out of the question. This means that the animals can hardly get out of each other’s way and are underutilized. After all, in nature they fly up to 100 kilometers without interruption.

Doing two or three laps around the room every now and then is no substitute for that by a long shot. Not to mention that free flight is not possible every day. Sometimes you come home late, sometimes something comes up or your attention is on something else. For these cases, it is good if your animals can already have a large amount of movement in their accommodation.

Better than a cramped cage is therefore an indoor aviary, which in the summer, for example, can be moved to the balcony or placed in the garden. Models with wheels are particularly practical.

Tip 2: Offer occupations

Busy birds are happier and more content. Well suited for this are, among other things, climbing opportunities. These include branches and twigs, ropes and ladders. They are a wonderful workout and exercise not only the mind, but also the body.

To do this, they can be made literally palatable. Bark and leaves, herbs, fruits and vegetables or seeds can be placed in such a way that they encourage climbing and at the same time serve as a reward.

A bird bath should be part of the basic equipment, especially in summer, as well as toys. Make sure, however, that there is still enough room for them to fly.

Tip 3: Set up several sources of food and water

Disputes often revolve around resources, such as water and food. Therefore, offer several sources. Nibble sticks and fresh food should also be positioned in more than one place. This allows your animals to spread out and eliminates a potential stressor from the start.

The distribution is also useful precisely because there is still a reserve in case of contamination.

Tip 4: Think about variety

Different sized perches made of natural wood, with and without bark, twigs with leaves, different green food – alternate the furnishings and the diet. In the wild, animals don’t sit on the same branch every day either, and that shouldn’t be the case in a cage or aviary either.

By occasionally rearranging your budgies always have something to discover, which prevents boredom and frustration.

Tip 5: Regular free flight

Even if it is a large aviary, it can not replace the free flight in a secured room.

Of course, it would be optimal if this is made possible every day!

The free flight belongs to the species-appropriate attitude of budgies and also loads brain and body. Thus the animals become more relaxed and more compatible.

Tip 6: Slowly get used to each other

Probably you would also not like it if you are separated from your familiar environment and spent in a completely new environment with strangers.

Your budgies will feel the same way!

Therefore, keep them in two separate cages at first and place them so that they can have visual contact with each other. You can move the cages a little closer together each day.

If the animals show mutual interest, a first attempt at free flight can now be made. It is not uncommon for the animals to explore each other’s cage or, at best, settle directly in it.

Tip 7: Avoid stress

Stress is not only for humans for several reasons in the long run a very negative influence. The psyche suffers, the mood deteriorates and also the body is affected.

Constantly stressed animals may develop aggression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Incompatibility with conspecifics is then just another sign of the ongoing stress. Therefore, check the housing conditions. The following questions can help you:

Is the cage or aviary in a quiet place?
Are the birds continually disturbed or frightened by cats or dogs trying to get into the cage or chasing them?
Is there enough water and food available?
Are there enough retreats available for your birds to hide in and have their peace and quiet?
Can the budgies move around enough and regularly?

Tip 8: Observe behavior

Did your budgies get along without any problems until now and now one quarrel follows the other?

Such sudden changes in behavior you should urgently get to the bottom.

Have there been changes in the environment? Is the care different? Are there any other abnormalities in behavior?

In the case of hens, for example, there is the possibility that they begin to lay eggs. In this phase, they show increased defensive behavior.

Tip 9: Consider health

If there are no problems with the husbandry, you should consider health problems. These are not always immediately apparent. However, possible signs are:

Fatigue to apathy
Loss of appetite
weight changes despite the same food
bald spots
itching

If you notice any of these changes, or if your pet is noticeable in any other way, see a veterinarian

Tip 10: Separate if necessary

Unfortunately, there are individuals who, despite all your efforts, simply will not get along with each other and will tolerate each other at most but not like each other. Tolerating without open aggression and quarrels is usually unproblematic. However, if it gets out of hand again and again, you will have to separate the animals. This is difficult, but it is the only solution. Otherwise you have to reckon with sometimes considerable injuries.