Good news

Hi!

I had to wait a while to announce this, but we got some good news this week and I would like to share it with all of you! Wishing you and your feathered friends nothing but happiness!

Here is the news...

Why do budgies bob their head?

Budgies look very funny when they're doing it, but why are they doing it? This behaviour is seen mostly in male budgies, but female budgies do it too!

1. Courtship ritual

A male budgie often does this to impress a female budgie. If the female budgie likes him, they will both feed each other and eventually mate. Single budgies sometimes bob their head in front of the cage mirror or another toy they really like.

2. Baby budgies

Baby budgies might bob their head when they're hungry and asking their parents for food. The mother and father will encourage the baby to fly from perch to perch, and the baby might again respond by crying and bobbing its head. It means they're still dependant on their parents.



3. Happiness

Every budgie has its own personality, and some budgies are more outgoing than others. Some budgies dance and bob their head simply because they like it, and they know we like it. They do it when they're happy or excited about something, and they really want to show it.

4. Unusual behaviour

If you think you notice a kind of "weird head bobbing", and other unusual symptoms (like your budgie fluffing up and staying fluffed up for a long time, or vomiting), it's always better to be safe and sorry and take your budgie to the avian vet.

Budgie Nail Art

If you find yourself in Berlin one day, you could stop by Supa Nails and have your nails decorated with this colorful budgie print!

Photo © Supa Nails

Poll Results: Do You Own Any Other Pets In Addition To Budgies?

Photo © Sarah G. on Flickr

First of all, happy 2013! :)

Last year, I wanted to check if the people who visited my blog owned any other pets in addition to budgies, and this is what I found out:

• Most people (38%) only got budgies at home (me included)
• A lot of people (31%) own dogs in addition to budgies.
• A remarkable amount of people own fish (25%), other birds (23%) and even cats (21%) together with budgies.
• Some people got budgies and rodents at home (14%).
• A few people own budgies together with farm animals (9%), lizards and turtles/tortoises (6%), salamanders and other amphibians (5%).
• Last but not least: 3% claims to own budgies together with spiders or exotic animals!

Photo © *Deep* on Flickr

Thank you all for participating, and see you hopefully in the next poll!

Twinzy, the "One of a Kind" Budgerigar

Hello all,

Last week, I was browsing through some budgie pictures, when I suddenly found something amazing. The budgerigar you see below is a striking example (and as far as I know, the only one) of the extremely rare "half sider" mutation.

Photo © Rudy's Pet Supply

As you can see, Twinzy has the characteristics of a blue budgie on one side, and a green budgie on the other. Even his tail feathers are split into two colors! Twinzy currently lives in Rudy's Pet Supply in Oklahoma City.

Photo © Rudy's Pet Supply

There's also a video, in which you can see Twinzy in full action. The narrator reveals a bit more about the origin of the mutation as well. Look at the mirror, it's amazing how you can see both sides of Twinzy at the same time!