Budgies can be taught to do things like play with toys, sit on shoulders, and even mimic
human speech.
First, however, you need to build your budgie’s trust in you.
Bonding with your budgie will take time and patience, but can also be lots of fun.
Consider whether you want to clip your budgie’s wings.
This can be a difficult decision to make once you get your bird.
If you have questions about clipping the bird’s wings, talk to your veterinarian.
Trimming your bird’s wings does not cause it any pain, when done properly by a professional.
With its wings trimmed, your budgie will not be able to fly for a few months, until its
feathers grow back.
That way, you can leave its cage door open, and the budgie can explore more with less
chance of it escaping.
This can make it easier to train.
On the other hand, not everyone likes the idea of altering a bird.
There are also concerns that the inability to fly can be distressing to a bird.
Keep your budgie comfortable.
Make sure that your budgie has an appropriate cage and easy access to food and water.
All the necessary supplies can be found at pet supply stores.
Don’t try to tame your bird right away.
When you first get a budgie, give it a few weeks to get used to its surroundings.
Then you can start to tame and train it.
If possible, keep your budgie’s cage in a room where you spend a lot of time in.
This will help it get used to the sight of you.
Play music around your bird.
This will get your budgie used to the volume level of your home, and it may enjoy hearing
the music.
Talk softly to your budgie when you give it water and food, so that it will create positive
associations with you.
You can also make a point to leave treats on or just inside its cage.
Open the door of your budgie’s cage and carefully insert your hand in.
Talk softly to the budgie.
Try to coax it into eating a treat, such as a sunflower seed or millet, from the palm
of your hand.
This may take several tries so be patient.
Do not try to grab your budgie at this early stage.
Let it come to your hand instead.
If your budgie moves around in the cage when you insert your hand, leave it there until
the bird calms down.
Each training session should last about 10 minutes.
Train your budgie to hop onto a stick.
After your budgie trusts you enough to eat treats from your hand, you can try getting
it to hop onto a perch or stick.
Open its cage door and carefully insert the perch.
Very gently press the perch against your bird.
With some time, it will learn to move onto the perch.
For now, just let your budgie stay on the perch in its cage.
Don’t try to move it out of the cage yet.
Your budgie needs more time to develop trust in you.
Train your budgie to hop onto your finger.
Once your budgie is used to hopping onto a perch or stick, you can place your finger
next to the bird to see if it will hop onto it.
When your budgie is on the perch or stick, you can also try placing your finger next
to the perch to if the bird will hop onto it.
Move your budgie very slowly and carefully as you are taking it out of its cage, especially
for the first time.
You do not want to startle the bird.
Do not try to move your budgie around very much when you are trying to get it used to
coming out of the cage.
Keep the training sessions short.
Let your budgie spend time outside of its cage.
Once tamed and trained, your budgie will need at least an hour per day outside of its cage
for exercise and play.
Make sure all windows and doors are closed for safety.
Let your budgie sit on your shoulder.
Once your budgie is comfortable being moved around outside of your cage, you can try to
set it gently on your shoulder.
Keep your budgie healthy and happy with toys.
Budgies will enjoy having a number of toys to choose from.
You can use these toys as an opportunity to bond with your budgie.
You want your budgie to be used to the sound of your voice, so continue to talk to it as
it bonds with you.