Monday, January 17, 2011

Budgie bonding

I've really enjoyed reading the various comments left by people telling me how Brian reminds them of a beloved budgie. In my opinion, budgies are completely underrated, probably because of their inexpensive price and small stature. Most people don't know what they are missing.

Brian has an amazing talent of scurrying around the breakfast table and standing exactly at the part of the story you're trying to read.Tonight, we were eating dinner on the couch. Beeps was in his cage to protect Brian and Stella was in her cage to protect Calypso, but everyone else was out. Brian was on my shoulder. This has been the routine since Brian came to stay with us.

Suddenly I realized that he'd been regurgitating up there. I was amazed at how many partially digested seeds he brought up! Neither Thomas nor I could remember any of our budgies regurgitating for us before. After he brought up the seed, he'd shake his head, so I had to clean up the wall, back of the couch, Thomas, me, the air filter, floor, etc. His projectiles really have great range!

I ended up putting him back in his cage as I do not want to encourage mating behavior; also, he needed to refill after losing so much! That being said, it did make me happy in a way that he feels comfortable enough with us after only a few weeks to do this. And that he is healthy enough to. Let's just hope this doesn't become a pattern.

4 comments:

Meg said...

I don't think I could ever tire of reading about Brian, or any of your parrots for that matter!

I really hate to say this, and it is just as a precaution, but your description of Brian's regurgitating sounds worrying to me. Usually regurgitating is more gentle, a head bobbing, and the food coming out onto or into something, very directed. Vomiting is more violent, and often punctuated by a shaking of the head. This is speaking strictly in relation to budgies, although it seems to be nearly the same in all the parrots I have seen, not that that is a massive number. I know he was not the healthiest when you got him, so I would just watch him and make sure his weight doesn't drop, but then I know you already do that. I really hope it was just regurgitation or a one off, anyway.

Mary said...

Meg,

Thanks so much for the warning! I had only ever seen one other bird vomit before (B&G macaw) which is probably quite different in a budgie due to size differences. Will definitely keep an eye on him and start daily weighing.

He was in great form this morning, but if this happens again, he'll probably be going to the vet.

Thanks again!

belovedparrot said...

I hate to say this, but I think Meg is right. I've always heard and been told that partially digested food/seeds is not regurgitation; it's vomit and that means there's a problem.

You might want to give the vet at the rescue center a call, so the vet can tell you how paranoid your fans are. ;-)

D. Richard said...

I have to admit that I am hoping that the love and proper care he will get at your home actually if not cures him ,makes him better . How many humans have contracted a cancer then put themselves on a proper diet , started getting proper exercise ,and love and support from family allong with lower stress level and the cancer just went away.