Should I get my budgie another budgie or bird?

Have you taken your current budgie to the vet for a well birdy check up? You want to make sure he's healthy before you bring on another bird. I'll admit I'm neurotic about vet care. If you get a second bird and they end up disliking each other, do you have the room for and money to get a second adequately sized cage, as well as vet care, food toys etc? Do you have the time to give two birds separate out of cage time (if they don't get along)? Please be sure to read the quarantine article Cody gave you the link to 😊. Is this the first bird you've owned? You refer to your budgie (name?) as he. Are you sure it's a boy and will the breeder know for sure what the gender of the young one is? I'd also avoid playing budgie sounds since that might confuse him as he'll think there's another bird he can't find. I have a radio that I play for my LoVey when I'm at work. Please look at all the stickies and articles FaeryBee will suggest when she responds to your post. You said he puffs up. Does he do that alot? If he's puffed up alot, that would concern me if I saw my baby do that. The staff here will ask you more questions so they can give you the best advice possible. I'm just a regular member like you, but my passion for giving my girl is enormous! It's so awesome that you are looking out for his best interest!

You said he only chirps when you play bird sounds. Have you tried playing music? Just pick something lively and let it play for a few hours and see if he gets into it. Also have you tried singing or whistling to him yourself? When mine was new to me, playing music together and singing with him were basically the only ways he would become active. He didn't necessarily interact with me at first, but as time went on and I found his favorite music, I would play it and sing and talk to him. Not be at his cage side constantly but definitely enough to let him know I was engaged with the music too. Over time he began really coming alive to the music and clearly looking forward to what I might play next.

Another thing I did with him was watch cartoons and disney movies and musicals with him. I would bring the cage over close to me on the couch where he had direct view of the TV and he just loved it. Sings chirps plays flys dances to the songs...whereas if I had no music or visual stimulation for him he would be happy but sitting silent.

I also showed him tiktoks on my phone of other birds, or videos of himself. I don't do this a lot anymore because it is basically like a mirror, but when he was younger it helped him to know that I had these devices which have "birds" inside of them, and he would definitely interact with me because of it. Now he will not take his eyes off my phone if it is in my hand because he hopes I'll show him a video of himself .

Mine also was not interested in toys for a very long time. The only one he finally started to play with had paper fringe stuck out around it for them to nibble and pull off. Also he was afraid of it at first (he is always afraid of new things in his cage) so I hung it on the outside of the cage and the paper fringe would poke through the bars and eventually he got curious about the paper. It took a few months but he finally got really into it and now wants to shred the thing apart. However, if I get a new one I have to go through the stages and put it outside the cage first until he's not afraid of it anymore.

Yusuf Islam said:

I've had my budgie for about 3 months now, and I feel like he's a lonely budgie, as I had got him as a single bird.
I considered buying him another budgie, which might make him feel better, but I originally bought a bird as a single (eventually tame) pet which would be my friend and main focus.
From what I have heard getting another budgie might make him become more untamed, or he might "forget" me.

There's also the chance they fight in the end, so I considered getting a different bird, such as a cockatiel, to at least make him feel like he isn't the only bird in the place.
He makes little to no sound and I don't think he's happy, I have never seen him play with his toys, he only eats and stays in one place in his cage, he is used to me and my hand, and can eat from any hand that offers him food.
Is he actually lonely or is he just quiet, and should I get him another budgie or bird?

I only want the best for him, and I will do anything to make him feel happy.

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It depends how much time and effort you are willing to put in to your bird, really. We have had our Joey-bean for a year band a half now. We bought him for my daughters 11th birthday. She was patient and spent lots of time bonding with him. It took about 8-10 weeks before they were absolutely inseperable. He lives in her room with her, has his own area but is never ever locked in his cage. Luckily while she is at school I'm at home and can keep him company but if i wasn't I know how terribly lonely he would be on his own.
Do you work full time? How often does he see you and interact with you? Budgies love social interaction, they love to sing and chatter - they are not solitary animals at all. If you don't think you can give him all the attention he needs i would get him another bird BUT you will lose him as your best bud. They will eat together, feed each other, fly together, talk to each other. There's no need for human companionship when they have that birdy bond.
I wouldn't dream of getting another bird for Joey because my daughter would lose her best friend. But, not everyone is 12 with time on their hands and the inclination to spend hours teaching him to speak and play peek-a-boo!

karenblodgett3261 said:

Have you taken your current budgie to the vet for a well birdy check up? You want to make sure he's healthy before you bring on another bird. I'll admit I'm neurotic about vet care. If you get a second bird and they end up disliking each other, do you have the room for and money to get a second adequately sized cage, as well as vet care, food toys etc? Do you have the time to give two birds separate out of cage time (if they don't get along)? Please be sure to read the quarantine article Cody gave you the link to 😊. Is this the first bird you've owned? You refer to your budgie (name?) as he. Are you sure it's a boy and will the breeder know for sure what the gender of the young one is? I'd also avoid playing budgie sounds since that might confuse him as he'll think there's another bird he can't find. I have a radio that I play for my LoVey when I'm at work. Please look at all the stickies and articles FaeryBee will suggest when she responds to your post. You said he puffs up. Does he do that alot? If he's puffed up alot, that would concern me if I saw my baby do that. The staff here will ask you more questions so they can give you the best advice possible. I'm just a regular member like you, but my passion for giving my girl is enormous! It's so awesome that you are looking out for his best interest!

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I wish we could get vet care for our Joey-bean! Where I live there is no veterinary clinic that will take what they call "exotic pets". I live in the countryside so they will happily see a cow or a horse but not a bloody budgie! Its ridiculous that in the year and a half we have had our boy he has never been for a check up. Called every vet in the area but to no avail! Luckily he is very young and appears happy and healthy but i worry if anything were to happen what we would do.

louise.thomasevieann said:

I wish we could get vet care for our Joey-bean! Where I live there is no veterinary clinic that will take what they call "exotic pets". I live in the countryside so they will happily see a cow or a horse but not a bloody budgie! Its ridiculous that in the year and a half we have had our boy he has never been for a check up. Called every vet in the area but to no avail! Luckily he is very young and appears happy and healthy but i worry if anything were to happen what we would do.

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I'm pretty sure there are links to vets that give virtual visits on line. I believe it's under the title about finding an avian vet. The staff here have given links for online vets in several of the posts too. I don't know if you can become a regular patient with on-line vets 🤔. I do feel fortunate that there is a regular vet (he has experience with birds and is willing to confer with an avian vet if needed) in my town and LoVey's avian vet is only a little over an our away. My previous budgie Vern was already established with the avian vet. I got LoVey shortly after my sweet Vern died, and a few days after LoVey came home I got the time for an annual check up reminder card. I called them up absolutely sobbing, telling them about Vern. I then asked if I could put LoVey in the slot. As I mentioned, I'm neurotic about vet care. I took LoVey to the regular vet a few days after she came home then took her to the avian vet a couple weeks later. She was already very people oriented so it wasn't at all stressful for her. They were both impressed with how healthy and friendly she was. She of course left a couple little poops and I asked them if they wanted to keep them lol. They didn't feel a fecal microscopic exam was needed because of her vigor... plus it was a beautiful, perfect little poop 🥰. She's due for her well birdy check up soon and I'm going to ask them to do a fecal smear just to be on the safe side. I'm pretty sure LoVey will remain an only birdy. She is bossy and very territorial about her food dishes. I don't see her taking kindly to another bird being near me either. I also don't have a safe place to quarantine (a step I would never skip) or enough space in my room to put a second large cage should my girl decide to be a bully, which I think she would. I hope you can find an on line vet!

There are many things to take into consideration before getting another bird.
Do you really want another pet

1. 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.
Quarantine your new bird!
Yes - Quarantine IS necessary

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.
If there are no Avian Vets in your area, then finding an Exotic Pet Veterinarian who has experience in dealing with small birds is the next best option.
Locating an Avian Veterinarian

2. Introducing the new bird to the current bird
Introducing Two Budgies

3. Flock Dynamics
Differences and Dynamics in Flocks
Your Harmonious Flock

4. Where do you plan to get the new bird?
If the time comes when you decide to get your budgie a friend, I highly recommend considering getting a bird of the same gender from either a bird rescue organization or a shelter.
These budgies need a good, safe and loving forever home.

Why you should buy from a Reputable/Ethical Breeder rather than a Big Box Pet Store

5. Vet Expense and Housing
Do you have the time, finances, etc to devote to another bird?
Are you ready, willing and able to house the new budgie separately on a permanent basis if it does not get along with your current bird after quarantine?
Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense

You have been given great advice above. However, I wanted to clarify some things to avoid confusion.

louise.thomasevieann said:

It depends how much time and effort you are willing to put in to your bird, really. [...] Budgies love social interaction, they love to sing and chatter - they are not solitary animals at all. If you don't think you can give him all the attention he needs i would get him another bird BUT you will lose him as your best bud. They will eat together, feed each other, fly together, talk to each other. There's no need for human companionship when they have that birdy bond.
I wouldn't dream of getting another bird for Joey because my daughter would lose her best friend. But, not everyone is 12 with time on their hands and the inclination to spend hours teaching him to speak and play peek-a-boo!

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This is true, however, it is very important to take into account the temperament of the bird. Budgies are social animals and have a "flock" mentality. For some birds, this can extend to their "human" flock, and they get the same type of fulfillment being with humans as with birds. This is the case with my bird and with several members' birds; they identify with their human family and in some cases may respond with aggression when introduced to new birds. However, some budgies especially are not suited to being solo birds even with extensive human interaction and devotion. Some just do not have an extroverted enough personality to extend their "flock" mentality outwards to humans, or, even if they do recognize their humans as part of their flock or family, they still feel isolated without a bird friend. It is, of course, more likely that budgies have a familial bond with humans if their owners spend considerable time interacting with them, as mentioned above. However, this alone doesn't guarantee that they will be well-suited to being solo birds. As you get to know your bird (3 months is a very short period of time) you will be able to identify his personality a bit better.

vrabec said:

For your original question: only get another bird if you want another bird. In the event the two birds don't get along, of which is a 50% chance (though there may be ways to mitigate this), you'll need a separate cage.

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Along these same lines, this poster is also correct, since having two birds does not guarantee they will have compatible personalities. However, you also should not get a bird just because you want another bird and should first consider if you are prepared to get another bird and if you have the space and resources to care for an additional bird including, as Vrabec mentioned, in a separate cage. In the situation that you do not want another bird and do not have space or resources to care for a new bird, but your budgie appears to have difficulty bonding with humans and would prefer another budgies' company, in this case, it may be best to find a home for your little one where they can live with other budgies. This doesn't seem to be the case here yet so that's why it most likely wasn't mentioned, but in case other members with similar issues are reading this.


As asked above, how much time do you spend with him? What kinds of activities do you include him in?

StarlingWings said:

You have been given great advice above. However, I wanted to clarify some things to avoid confusion.



This is true, however, it is very important to take into account the temperament of the bird. Budgies are social animals and have a "flock" mentality. For some birds, this can extend to their "human" flock, and they get the same type of fulfillment being with humans as with birds. This is the case with my bird and with several members' birds; they identify with their human family and in some cases may respond with aggression when introduced to new birds.

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I feel that people in general don't always recognize the intellegence, and in this case, the wide spectrum of temperament. My LoVey was extremely extroverted from the moment I met her. She was never put into the community flock of budgies they have for sale. When I got her she was in a separate cage with her clutch mates. But over the year I've had her, even though she has continued to be super friendly and strongly bonded to me, I've seen territorial behavior regarding her cage and especially her food dishes. My sweet little girl though, has exhibited some bully behavior. A budgie with a less strong personality would probably be dominated. A bird with an equally strong personality, I'd envision fights ensuing. When she tries to bully me, I very firmly correct her. In addition to that, the strong bond she's formed with me might cause a birdy riot if she feels my attention is diverted away from her. If I hug a friend when she's out, she flies in between us and isn't nice to the other person. But these are all traits I observed over a full year through molts and hormones etc. It's important to observe this behavior through the perspective of the budgie. More importantly, you need to be unbiased and painfully honest when it comes to "reading" those behavior traits. I mean, I don't like to admit she's a bully. I think if she was a human in high-school. I'd be talking often with the principal. These are things I've personally experienced with LoVey who is an entirely unique personality, as is every other bird.

Hi Yusuf

I recently decided to get a second budgie for the same reason - I thought my single budgie, who I’d had for six months, should have a budgie friend. My budgie, Gumnut, sounds like a very different personality to yours though - he is extremely extroverted and bold, and immediately loves every human he meets.

I think StarlingWings’s advice above about temperament is very true. In hindsight, I think my budgie did/does get the same fulfilment from human company and doesn’t actually need a budgie friend. Even though he wasn’t a hand raised baby, he seems to regard himself as a human and the new budgie as some kind of alien creature. He’s slowly starting to warm up to him a bit, perhaps because the new budgie so clearly idolises him!

I agree with the advice about considering vet expenses and taking budgies to an avian vet. When I went to buy the new budgie I came home with an injured one, which I hadn’t planned for. When I saw him though I couldn’t leave him there because he was obviously in pain and unwell and he wasn’t going to be taken to a vet. I was lucky to be able to get him seen by a great avian vet quickly and to have been able to afford the treatment he needed. Even though I now realise my first budgie didn’t really need the budgie companionship, I’m glad I’ve got the new one. I’ve fallen in love with the little guy fast! And I’m no longer worried about losing my bond with the first one - if anything he’s become even more attached to me since the new one came along.

Good luck with your decision!