Mirrors?

[1charlie]

Hmm so, I have had mixed reviews with mirrors, some say they will get too atatched while some say its good to start out, and good for 1 to enjoy themseleves. Cans some 1 help? thanks :o

[sammy2850]

i dont know but im going too put a mirror in heidis cage for a few days and see if she changes.

[Nancy]

I started with a mirror. Then everyone said no mirror so I took it out. But Sugar was so lonely and I put it back in. I have no idea what is best but he seems happier with a mirror. Either way he wasn't really bonding to me.

[tweetsnsylv]

I'm actually putting a mirror in Sylvia's cage tonight. It's more of a toy/perch and has a mirror attatched. She has seemed a little depressed with Tweety's death, so I'm hoping that the mirror will give her something to look at. I think that if you have a single bird, it will keep them company during the day or while you can't interact with them. But if you have a pair of birds or more, they pretty much keep eachother company and keep eachother busy.

[Bea]

I voted no. They will bond to it but that's not the problem. They'll look and they'll see another budgie. They'll try to preen it and feed it, want it to play with them. They'll get confused and frustrated when it doesn't return the gestures of friendship. It's more of a pyschological thing than a behavioural thing. When i only had Blinkie and no other birds inside i would sometimes give him his mirror if i was going out for the day or something. Mostly, then and now, i used his mirror as a bribe to lure him into the cage when he was being cheeky and other than that it stayed on the play gym for an out of cage toy. :)

[misslinda]

I voted no. They will bond to it but that's not the problem. They'll look and they'll see another budgie. They'll try to preen it and feed it, want it to play with them. They'll get confused and frustrated when it doesn't return the gestures of friendship. It's more of a pyschological thing than a behavioural thing.
I agree with Bea .....I vote a big NO!
If you feel that your budgie is lonely, and want to do something about it, then get him a "real" friend. Some say a human can't replace another budgie for a friend, but nor can a mirror.:)

[Keet1976]

I said yes because both birds I have ever had have had mirrors in their cages and both still bonded with me.

I have been around all kinds of animals my whole life and evey animal if different and has a different personality and what one might do the other won't. I think a statment like saying don't ever use mirrors cuz you bird will become obsessed with it and ignore you is too strong of a statement. It is better to say something like be carefull with mirror obsession. I think if you put a mirror in right away and start trying to train your bird and getting your bird to like you right away you will notice if the bird is spending too much mirror time and then you can take it away before obsession hits.

I would like to add that I never put a mirror in the cage as a way to give my bird a friend cuz I planned on being its friend. I put the mirror in their to be a toy, I have always used the ones with the beads on it and I never put it near the food dish. My birds never tried to feed the mirror bird or anything like that. I never realized that birds would feed each other.

[1charlie]

OMG idk now, its a tie :/

[ChickenGirl]

I don't really know, but I voted no based on the simple fact that my bird bonded to a Yoda doll. While not exactly the same thing, but he likes Yoda better than me. So try it without the mirror first.

[PIZU]

MINE PIZU IS CRAZY ABOUT MIRRORS AND HE FEED THE MIRROR THAT IS IN HIS PLAY GYM ,BUT HE STILL PLAY WITH US ,STILL I VOTE NO FOR A MIRROR COUSE FOR PIZU IS TO LATE TO TAKE ALL THE MIRROR NOW .HERE ARE SOME PICS OF HOW HE SPEND HIS DAYS IN FRONT OF MIRRORS
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q89/pizu_2006/buildingaplaygymforpizu022_edited.jpg
IN THIS ONE HE IS FEEDING HIS FRIEND IN THE MIRROR
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q89/pizu_2006/tnt025.jpg
IN MY BEDROOM MIRROR ON MY SEANIE COMPUTER(TOY ONE)
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q89/pizu_2006/camping2006408.jpg

[Mark85]

I dunno. I didn't vote, but I'd say that the negatives listed in this thread far outweigh the positives. I don't want my bird loving a mirror more than me.

[Vanny]

I voted no. They will bond to it but that's not the problem. They'll look and they'll see another budgie. They'll try to preen it and feed it, want it to play with them. They'll get confused and frustrated when it doesn't return the gestures of friendship. It's more of a pyschological thing than a behavioural thing. When i only had Blinkie and no other birds inside i would sometimes give him his mirror if i was going out for the day or something. Mostly, then and now, i used his mirror as a bribe to lure him into the cage when he was being cheeky and other than that it stayed on the play gym for an out of cage toy. :)

I couldn't agree more!
Karma for you! :)