[AwesomeOwl]

As some of you may know, my budgie Olive passed away about two and a half weeks ago. His friend (I won’t call her his mate because she never really took to him) is still in mourning as far as I know. She does chirp but she barely eats her vegetables that she used to devour, and never plays with any of her toys. I’m worried that her beak is getting too long beside she isn’t shredding her chew toy. She also doesn’t move around that much, and doesn’t nap in the middle of the day (maybe because she used isn’t tired because of her lack of exercise?) Her droppings look pretty normal to me.

Do you think I should get another budgie? Greenleaf isn’t tame, but I’m working on it and I’ve made great progress. She doesn’t have someone with her all the time though and I don’t want her to be lonely.

 

[Cody]

Some birds do fine as an only bird, others don't. When she is alone try leaving a radio on for her, that may help her not feel so alone. It is my personal opinion that any species is happier when they have another of their own kind around. If you decide to get another bird remember it will need to be quarantined for at least 30 days and there is no guarantee that the two will become best friends so you have to be prepared for that as well, worst case, you would need to have 2 separate cages.

 

[AwesomeOwl]

I think I’m eventually going to get another budgie, but I don’t know when.

I was wondering what budgie I should get. I’ve read that two females sometimes fight but can also get along pretty well, while a male and a female will almost always get along. There is the problem of eggs though.

Also, what age would be best? I read that sometimes the older bird will sort of adopt a younger bird. I could also get an older bird from the shelter.

I don’t need to decide now though because I’m going to wait to see how Greenleaf does on her own. Who knows, she might end up a happy single bird!

Oh, I was also wondering, does her beak look a little long to you? I don’t want to stress her out and being her to the vet to get it trimmed, but if it’s interfering with her wellbeing...

 

[FaeryBee]

Greenleaf's beak looks just fine to me.

You need to give Greenleaf time on her own to adjust to being a solo bird. Spend time with her each day. You may find she is just fine being on her own.

There is no guarantee two budgies will get along no matter what sex they are which is why you should always be prepared to house them separately on a permanent basis IF necessary.
I would get another female in your situation.
You don't need the worry of ensuring you discourage breeding.

Checking the shelter for another bird and rescuing one in need of a home would definitely be my recommendation.

If you decide to get another budgie in the future, please be sure to observe quarantine for the new budgie.

Quarantine means housing the new bird in a different cage in a different room than the current bird (as far away from the room the current bird is in as possible) for a period of 35-45 days.

Budgies mask symptoms when they are ill. Symptoms may not show up for over two weeks.
Often you will not even realize your bird is not well. Many budgie illnesses are airborne which is why you need to quarantine your new bird in a completely different room.

It is also a good idea to always take a new budgie in to see an Avian Vet for a "well-birdie" check-up. This allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet and the vet can establish a baseline for your bird in case of any future illnesses or injuries.

 

[AwesomeOwl]

So, it’s been about three weeks since Olive left us and Greenleaf hasn’t returned to her old self. We did move her cage to a different spot but that was weeks ago. She isn’t normally this anxious about change, so I think that she’s still grieving. She hasn’t touched her vegetables even though I offer them to her almost every day. She hasn’t played with her chew toy once either. Her droppings look normal and she’s eating and drinking, so I don’t think that she’s sick.

Another thing I noticed is that she doesn’t seem to nap during the afternoon like she used to. Is it because she isn’t moving around that much and she just isn’t tired? She used to be such an exploratory little girl, climbing all over the cage walls and ceiling, trying to dump her food bowl on the ground and attacking her chew toy. Is it time for another budgie? I don’t want her to be lonely. Also, is it normal for budgies to grieve this long?

 

[FaeryBee]

Budgies are like people and each one will grieve to a different amount of time.

If you get another budgie, PLEASE make sure you follow the quarantine procedures as outlined in the previous post.

That means you won't be introducing the two budgies for at least 45 days after bringing it home. Therefore, if you are super concerned about Olive's changes in behavior, you may want to go ahead and start looking for a suitable potential friend for her.