12 SIGNS YOUR BUDGIE IS CRYING FOR HELP!

This article discuss twelve signs that indicate your budgie is crying for your help. May save your Birds life!

Budgies are among the best pets a person can keep. They are beautiful, lovely, and playful, especially if you click well with them. And like any other pet, budgies may need help for one reason or another. This is normally a challenge to the owner, especially because birds cannot talk like human beings to express their feelings.

That’s why it is critical for any avian keeper to know signs that show a budgie needs help. If you know these signs and master them, you can save your bird’s life, especially if the underlying problem is something within your reach. Knowing the signs also helps you know when to take the bird for medical attention when need be and salvage the situation. In this article, we will see twelve major signs that when you notice, you will know that your budgie is crying for help, after which you can help him as required.

Struggling to breathe

Like other animals that can suffer from breathing difficulties, birds (including budgies) can also experience breathing difficulties, leading to struggles as the bird breathes. While the budgie cannot say it outright, some signs can help you reach this conclusion. For instance, you will observe that the budgie bobs its tail up and down while it’s breathing. If you notice this, it’s a clear indication that the bird is having breathing difficulties. Another sign that shows your budgie is struggling to breathe is if the bird stretches its neck repeated and with a lot of strain. While it’s normal for a bird to stretch their necks, doing so repeatedly and with difficulty could mean that the bird is reaching out for more oxygen to make up for the breathing difficulty.

Budgie Biting

Budgies, like other parrots, bite a lot. And that’s why many people who tame budgies may misinterpret biting for a normal thing. However, biting may be a sign that your budgie needs your help. Often, budgies may bite when something causes them fear. In this case, it would be appropriate for you to be there for the bird so that whatever fear and insecurities the bird has can go away.

There are times when biting calls for vet attention. This happens when a usually quiet budgie bites aggressively and without stopping. This may be a sign of an underlying problem that may need a vet visit to be solved.

Unusual feathers

Budgies go through the molting process when their old wings fall out and are replaced with new ones. At one year, the molting process is usually complete, and the bird is considered an adult, never to molt again. It’s ok to see the feather a little freckled during molting. However, if this continues beyond one year, this could be a problem. For such cases, it would be wise to take the bird to the vet. In many cases, the freckled feathers could mean an underlying issue.

Screaming

Although budgies are generally loud birds who scream a lot, sudden screaming may indicate that the bird needs your help. Just like increased biting shows that there could be an underlying issue, so does screaming. A bird that screams suddenly could be experiencing pain and discomfort, and your help comes in when you understand what the issue is. When you notice that your budgie’s screams have suddenly increased, you must take the bird to a veterinarian to ensure that the increased screaming is not related to the bird’s health.

If that’s the case, the doctor will help you out if possible. So watch out for your bird and gauge its normal rate of screaming to better place yourself to understand unusual screams.

Vomiting

Budgies are loving animals and regurgitate food as a mating ritual to portray affection. Of course, this is a natural process that is completely harmless for the bird. However, when the bird vomits, it is not a harmless process. So then, you need to know how to differentiate regurgitating from vomiting. A bird regurgitates by moving the head up voluntarily to fetch food, and that’s harmless. However, if you notice that the process is rather rough, it means the bird is vomiting. This is characterized by the bird bobbing its head up and down and shaking violently.

You could also observe what happens to the food after it comes out to tell the difference between vomiting and regurgitating. If the food remains sticking on the budgie’s front, it definitely means the bird was vomiting and that the process was involuntary.

Reduced vocalization

Just like increased screaming may be a sign that your budgie needs help, so can reduced vocalization. When a budgie is happy and energetic, it will move about, scream, and advance toward you when it notices you. When you realize that this has changed, it could be a sign that the bird needs your help. For example, the bird could be stressed or unhappy with the food or the size of the cage. It could also be feeling tired after a training session. Besides, the bird could be sick. If your budgie’s vocalization decreases, give it time to relax.

If it keeps happening, take the bird to a veterinarian to ensure that this is not related to the bird’s health in any way.

Sudden change in the excreta

A healthy budgie’s excreta will consist of clear urine, dark-colored feces, and white urates. If you change the diet, the excreta can change depending on what you feed the bird on. However, sudden changes in the excreta could mean that something is amiss somewhere and your budgie needs help. If the droppings are white or grey, making it hard to differentiate urinate from feces, it could be a sign that the bird has a pancreatic infection and needs to be taken to the vet for a health checkup.

Red feces indicate blood and internal bleeding, which can claim the bird’s life if not treated immediately.

Feather picking

It is normal for big parrots like macaws to pick their feathers when they are bored. However, there are times when feather picking becomes too much and calls for your help. For instance, the bird may pick on its feathers way too much to the extent that the feathers fall off on themselves. This could mean that there is something amiss. Could it be the noise in the surrounding that is initiating the discomfort?

You need to find out and solve the issue. Often, extreme feather picking can be related to a problem in the blood. That’s why you need to take your budgie to the vet when you realize that it’s extremely picking on its feathers.

The budgie seems less active or off the balance

Budgies are active parrots who play a lot. If you get them the right toys and a spacious cage that accommodates their playful nature well, the bird plays a lot. However, there are times when you will notice reduced activity rates in the bird and off-balance. While this may happen when the bird is tired, it might be a sign that your budgie is crying for help if it goes on for a long time.

If the reduced movement has something to do with balance, it could be that the bird is suffering from severe sickness. Also, if the bird trembles constantly, is unable to move, or sleeps during the day, it could mean that your bird is in trouble.

Self-mutation

Sometimes you may notice that your budgie has graduated from picking its feathers and now focuses on its skinning, picking on it severely. This could be dangerous and quite traumatizing, and you need to figure out what the actual problem is. As part of helping the budgie, you could take it to the vet for examinations. Besides, you will need to start the bird on anti-psychotic medication that involves fitting the beak with Elizabeth’s collar to prevent further damage.

Reduced appetite

Because you have lived with the budgie for some time, you must have learned its eating habits, what it likes, what it does not like, and what its particular treats are. Therefore, a sudden decrease in the bird’s appetite will mean that the bird needs attention. It could be that the bird has a certain infection that is claiming its appetite or any other thing. Take the bird to the vet for examination.

Stereotypical acts

The normal things that a budgie does may turn out to be signs that the bird needs your help. Alternatively, you may realize that the bird has started manifesting stereotypical behaviors. These, too, indicate that the bird needs help. For example, the bird could be swinging its head or whole body uncontrollably, pacing, or tipping its toes. If you do not attend to these problems, you will notice self-destructive behaviors like feather picking and self-mutilation.

Establish the cause

As an avian pet keeper, it is crucial for you to understand your bird. The birds do not talk to communicate their problems, and so it takes your efforts to observe your bird know that it needs your help. This article has discussed twelve signs that indicate your budgie is crying for your help. For any of these signs, establish the cause and take the bird to the veterinarian when need be.