Downsizing

In this economy, most of us have had to cut back in some way or another, some of us, in significant ways.  This is also true for the budgies.  As you can see, their large palace is gone, and the smaller cage is back.  Why?  We have to move, our landlords won't extend our lease to month to month, (so evil!) while we shop for a house to buy, so, we have to prepare for K to move to corporate housing and J has a job in another state.  Where does this leave the budgies? It's not clear; but K is going to try to bring them to corporate housing with her.  If they won't allow four then, she'll bring two to work and try to have two stay at corporate housing.  In the meantime, it is pretty clear we can't move the whole palace to corporate housing, so, its time to downsize and get rid of the larger birdcage in preparation for the next steps.  The budgies seem perfectly happy, actually, in the smaller cage.  They really mostly used the upper half of the large cage, anyway, so it was probably more space then they needed.   They aren't fighting any more than before, and they seem able to maintain their 1 and 1/2 budgie length distance or greater from each other, which seems to be important.  They are happily eating, including greens.  The only major loss is that their favorite toy doesn't really fit in the cage anymore.  Still, it seems a bit sad to me that they have had to downsize.  Perhaps I am projecting my own sadness at the inconvenience of having to move and my concerns and fears regarding how it is all going to work out during this period for the budgies, and for us.

Budging a Budgerigar

Budgies don't like new things, or at least, while they are still "new".  In early days, I would often introduce greens, or strawberries, or a new toy, and the budgies would ignore, or more likely, avoid then new item.  I would conclude they didn't like it and remove it.  Now I realize that it can take days, weeks, or even months for budgies to warm up to something novel.  Once they do, though, they can go wild with their enjoyment.  Budgies are step functions, when it comes to acceptance of something.  For example, I had to put strawberries in the cage for several days (after a day in the cage, they would be replaced with new ones) until the budgies would nibble on them.  Now, they will often simply devour them (and make a bit of a mess flinging them, as well).  Ditto with various types of greens, and treats.  Magoo is by far the most adventurous, followed by Sutcliffe.  This may be another "flock leader" behavior of males.  If you have budgies, I recommend being patient in introducing new foods.  Put the food in every day, and remove it when it wilts/gets old, and just do it regularly.  It could take a week, or more, but the budgies will try it eventually and if it is greens or strawberries, probably like it.  And if it is a toy, they will enjoy banging on it, when they don't get their way, after a few months. At least, this latter was true for Mary ann.

Magoo Update

Magoo is a very wonderful bird.  He is energetic, playful, and very brave, sometimes even foolhardy.  He has always been like this--after all, his first flight ended in near disaster as many of our gentle readers well recall!  He has no fear of wandering outside of the cage, he is perfectly happy flying back to the cage from a finger--even if he lands on the floor, he will climb right up the cage from any angle and get right back in.  He has found his role in the flock, and he is no longer courting Mary ann nor challenging Sutcliffe, but he is by no means subdued.  He is tame but "bratty", he likes being the "decider" about what he is going to do, and finger sitting isn't always on his agenda!  He was the first to play with the bell toy, while the others observed the toy with distrust for several more days.  How much of this is his being young? How much is just testosterone? How much is Magoo's special unique personality independent of these other factors (I am convinced that personality diversity is just one more genetic trait that promotes survival of the flock).  While it was stressful and not easy to organize, it really is nice to have Magoo in the flock, as he is clearly very happy and integrated well.

Singers and Song Preferences

A person I once knew said to me that bird songs are not actually expressions of joy, but expressions of stress (he was really sort of a negative person anyway, in retrospect).  I told him that I didn't think that could be true, because the bird's glee is so clear in their songs.  I now also realize that when stressed out (by having the cage cleaned, or when Nikko the cat was nearby during the budgies trip through KY), the budgies are very, very quiet.   However, in addition to being complex beings when it comes to food or perch choices, as noted in the prior post, budgie vocalization choices are also more complex than simply expressing either "joy" (or stress).   Budgies have at least the following repertoire of song types:

• Singing for singing's sake ("Grooming song"):  This consists of rather long, varied songs, usually executed by the males (Sutcliffe or Magoo) or less often, Boo, and least often, if ever, by Mary ann.  When one of the birds is singing in this way, the three other birds tend to groom.
• Chirping to mate/flock: This vocalization is a loud "chHHIIIRRRPPP! chhuuuirrPPPPP" which is executed when any gender of budgie is separated from the cage/flock.  When Sutcliffe or Mary ann are the isolated budgie and one of them makes this sound, their mate replies in kind.  However, this reply may or may not happen if one of the other budgies is in the isolated circumstance (brought away from the cage and into a different room).  The non-mated budgies are also less likely to make this noise when in isolation.
• Singing after trying new food: This is largely Sutcliffe's realm.
• Singing along to the radio or when one of us is on the phone: All participate.  the favorite songs are Toby Keith songs.  They seem to like K's calls to Oma.
• Greeting the day and the night: Budgies (all) sing with vigor, varied songs, all at once, first thing in the morning and when the sun goes down (or the lights in the house are dimmed as we all wind down).  It is a joyous sound!