Tail shaking?

[zoethebudgie]

My baby budgie that I've had for a week and a half now, sits on the perch shaking her tail a lot. Just wondering if this is a normal budgie thing or is it because she's scared?
She still just sits on the same perch most of the day, she only moves to eat seed or have a drink then it's back to the same perch again. She still hasn't eaten vegies, nibbled on her cuttlefish or played with her toys. Does it usually take this long for them to settle in?

[rachelle83]

The tail shaking is very normal and a good sign that she is beginning to settle in to her new home. How long it takes depends on the specific bird, some are more shy then others and need a little extra time ;)

[Squeak_Crumble]

That is a good sign :)
I hope she settles in and you get a lovely budgie :D

[BuBu&Chik]

My baby budgie that I've had for a week and a half now, sits on the perch shaking her tail a lot. Just wondering if this is a normal budgie thing or is it because she's scared?
She still just sits on the same perch most of the day, she only moves to eat seed or have a drink then it's back to the same perch again. She still hasn't eaten vegies, nibbled on her cuttlefish or played with her toys. Does it usually take this long for them to settle in?

when you say "shaking" are you sure she's not "tail bobbing"?? because tail shaking and bobbing would be two completely different things.... if her tail is panting up and down constantly then she could be sick... is she opening and closing her beak like shes breathing heavily too? sometimes budgies do that when they are scared... but if she's just fluffing up her tail feathers and then shaking them like she's fixing them then thats what the others above are referring to as happy behavior...

just wanted to clarify as sometimes we describe things with a different choice of words that can mean something the opposite...

[Budgieloveee]

Yes. I agree with Bubu&Chik. Is your budgie ruffling her tail feathers and then spreading them out repeatedly? Is she also preening them? That's a great sign and means she's getting more comfortable with you and her new environment. :)

But, if she's bobbing her tail, like steady, repeated movements, that's not a good sign. :( It could mean she's sick or has a little cold.

Please keep us posted!

[zoethebudgie]

She was bobbing it up and down. I don't think she's sick because she's actually been doing lots of "budgie things" now, I think she's finally settled in. She's been doing lots of cleaning, playing with her toys, making budgie noises, playing with little stumpy things on her perches and she was eating grassy seed stuff that I planted in her cage. She still hasn't touched any food other than seed though, I think this is going to take a while!

[Budgieloveee]

It sounds like she's okay, then. My budgies will sometimes have moments where they bob their tail for a while.

But if Zoe's acting fine, I'm sure she is. For getting Zoe more comfortable with other food than seeds, remember to keep on offering pellets and vegetables/fruits as much as you can. Most budgies take MONTHS to finally accept them (ask any member on here ;)) and all budgies have their different preferences. I would recommend checking out some of the threads in the "Budgie Diet" forum for different suggestions of how to offer your fruits/veggies. :)

I hope this can help! Keep an eye on Zoe, but I'm sure she's fine. ;)