# Do budgies feel lonely?



## derumedice

Hi,

I've owned my budgie Blue since January. It took a long time for him to be tamed and we are still not there in terms of complete trust mostly because we haven't spend enough time to train him. We only spend at most half hour for his training. He eats from my hands but doesn't perch on my finger. He occasionally will jump on my hand to eat his treats. We have a routine, where i feed him his treats every night and talk to him. Other than this interaction he sees my kids running around all day long.

He hasn't come out of his cage since I got him partially because his wings were clipped and I was afraid he will hurt himself and also he seems very afraid to leave his cage when I open up the top of his cage he never comes out. Not sure how to make him come out of his cage now that his wings are all back to normal.

He seems happy in his cage, he plays with his toys. But, I wonder if he ever feels lonely. 

Should I get him a friend or will he be ok being by himself?

I know i have multiple questions here but I am looking forward to your advise.

Thanks!


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## StarlingWings

Hi there :yo:

Yes, budgies can feel lonely. However, many budgies are suited to being alone and do not feel lonely as long as they have plenty of interaction and attention from their human "flock". I have a single budgie girl and she is thriving as a solo budgie! 

You can tell if a budgie is happy being alone based on their behavior, even if they aren't tame. For example, with my girl, she's a very cheerful bird, and chirps happily all the time. She is always active and excited about life, in general. Of course, all birds have different personalities but she definitely shows her happiness through her actions. Birds who are genuinely curious about their surroundings and are vocal and playful are suited to being solo birds. If he seems withdrawn or shows no interest in you or his surroundings, you may consider getting him a friend if he shows no signs of illnesses (budgies may become withdrawn and quiet if they are ill). 

Now that his wings have grown back, you can attach some perches to the outside of the cage and even hang some toys outside, and leave the cage door open every time you're in the room to let him know it's okay. It may take him a while to venture out on his own, but don't force him to do so--his cage is his "safe place". 

Hope that helps  We'd love to see your boy when you get a chance!


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## FaeryBee

*StarlingWings has given you excellent and accurate information. :thumbup:

I second the request for pictures of little Blue. *


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## Brienne

Yes, icturesplease: of 'Blue'...


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## derumedice

Thank you Starlingwings! Blue seems interested in his surroundings and plays with his toys in different sections of his cage. But in general he is not a very cheerful bird. He chirps and bobs his head from time to time but he doesn't chirp all the time. Also, he hasn't started talking yet. Is this normal?

When do budgies start imitating the words they hear? 

I promise to add his picture soon.

He looks very much like your girl.

Thanks!!!!


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## Therm

It differs from bird to bird with how vocal they are. Some are very happy to chat away and others will be a lot more vocal. 
Talking is something that not all birds take too, and it takes a lot of time and effort to get your budgie to talk, so it may not happen. 
If you're only spending half an hour training him, then it's not going to be long enough for mimicking. 
You'd probably need to spend a lot of time throughout the day, repeating a phrase over and over and again, it might just not be something that he ever picks up.


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