Budgie Balancing Trick

Budgies like companionship and they like to play. I found this video of a cute budgie trying to keep its balance on a tennis ball :) He probably set a world record!

Jigsaw puzzles

If you like budgies, you will enjoy these jigsaw puzzles. It's a relaxing thing to do when you find time :)

Jigsaw puzzle of a young budgie drinking at a pool in Donkey Creek from Ardea

Click here to make a puzzle!

You can choose the level of difficulty. You can also upload a picture of your own budgies and make them into jigsaw puzzles that you can share with others. Go to this website: http://www.jigzone.com/

Save the Budgieman

Poor Budgieman. For most of his life Don Crown, the world famous London busker "Budgieman" has been entertaining tourists and Londoners with his magical budgies that perform tricks and stunts to his songs. Why is the council now labeling him as a criminal and threatening to fine him, confiscate his budgies and send him to prison? All he wants to do is sing his songs, let his budgies perform and bring smiles to peoples faces from all over the world. But now the local council have banned him from performing on London's Southbank, forcing him and his budgies into busking retirement.

Budgieman first started busking in 1969, over 30 years ago. He has always been with his budgies, and for a period of 5 years with his performing dogs.

He has performed in Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Charing Cross Road, Carnaby Street, Oxford Street. Also outside famous landmarks such as The Palace Theatre and The London Paladium.

During the 70's he raised a petition with hundreds of signatures and took it to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street. We still don't know to this day how successful it was, but shortly afterwards they did start to allow buskers in Covent Garden.

Image © theculturevulture.co.uk

Please support this cause and register your views. Join his Facebook page, buy his songs on iTunes, listen to him on MySpace, watch him on YouTube. Allow him to raise money for charity. You can sign an online petition on Facebook here.

Entertaining is not a criminal offence. Making tourists and Londoners laugh and smile is good for everyone. Unfortunately Southwark Council have not been able to comment, but we welcome their views.

Budgieman has been entertaining Londoner's and tourists since 1969. He is now being branded a criminal and being chased away from his busking spot outside The Tate Modern on the Southbank. Save the Budgieman !!!

Information © Budgieman's Official Website

A day in Budgie Kingdom

Thanks to chibudgielvr for uploading this video!

Fun with Budgies

Budgieman performing in London. Image (c) Maelle Morgan.

Remember Budgieman? If you like to watch a budgie circus (and if you can stand the sound of French), you can find some cool tricks in this video as well, like a budgie going down a slide and a budgie driving another budgie in a car.

Have you heard of...

photo: londonist.com

... Budgieman?

Budgieman has "budgie power", he has taught them to fly a helicopter and drive a motorbike, and made a tune that has been number one in the Canary Islands for a long time.
Not to mention a good man, and a good friend to budgies, one that definitely deserves a place in my blog.

People all of the world might have seen the Budgieman performing on the Southbank outside of the Tate Modern in London at the weekens from June - October. He has amazed young and old with his budgies that perform a variety of clever tricks.

Budgieman's beloved dog and budgies

Don Crown (that is his real name) is not just a budgie entertainer, but also a song writer and musician. He has been writing music since the 1970's, plays a number of instruments and composes all of his work in his head. And he's also known for producing very catchy tunes (if you don't believe me, just listen to the Budgieman song!)

Budgieman made a cozy home for the budgies

The budgieman has about 15-20 budgies and keeps them in a very large aviary at his home. Half of them are trained, and the younger budgies learn from the older budgies and Budgieman. He looks very carefully after his birds. He also looks after rescued and disabled budgies. There is even a special hospital aviary in case one of the bugies gets sick. "My first budgie was Fred who I rescued from a pet shop in Ilford. He was tiny, no feathers, not fully developed wings and a bald head. He was given to me."

How Budgieman teaches his budgies, is a special and secret trick. But he can give you a hint: "First of all you have to learn to love and care for your budgies so that they learn and love you. With good training they can master all sorts of tricks within 12 to 18 months. Young budgies, like young humans, play about too much and can't be easily trained. Budgies can start to learn when they're about three years old."
On a good day, his budgies perform 10-15 times. The budgies are given plenty of rest in between the shows. The Budgieman and his budgies can only perform in non-smoking areas.

Budgieman performing with his magical budgies, outside the Tate Modern

Near Christmas, Budgieman works as a window painter, painting reindeers, Fathers Christmas and other scenes. He also does charity painting for hospitals and children's homes. He still looks after his budgies all the time to make sure they're okay. They live in a special aviary with heating control, so it never gets too hot in the Summer and never too cold in the Winter.

His real interest in budgies came when he was still a child. He used to visit pet stores and markets in Newcastle and was fascinated by budgies. He was told they could talk and he loved their pretty colours and shapes.
Budgieman has always felt a connection with budgies that I too can feel. He calls it "budgie power":
"Many people get bitten by budgies or they scare them away. When I come to them they are friendly and relaxed. I think this is because I have "Budgie power". This is not just my budgies, but if I go to a pet shop I can relax them within a few minutes."

Content and images are (c) budgieman.co.uk
Also check out the interview with budgieman by Londonist!