I have have had my budgies for about a month now, and this forum has really helped me so far But I am beggining to notice something on my female budgie..and I'm not sure if I should be worried or if it is just normal budgie anatomy. So for lack of better phrasing..her bottom area is looking a bit more swollen than it did over the previous weeks.. and even a tad bald I have read this could be diet related?

So far my littlies have had cuttlebone, broccoli, carrot, corn, peas, budgie mix seeds, banana, raspberries and strawberries.

Is it possible she is sick, or do sometimes budgies just look like this? Should I be concerned?

Thanks!

Hello how old is your budgie? Is she in with any other birds and has she been displaying any different behaviours lately? She could be getting ready to lay an egg, has her droppings been larger than normal has she been eating more that usual.
If you are worried a visit to a vet would be the way to go. Of course she could also have a medical problem, if you can post a picture that might be of help.

__________________

Hi, thanks for taking the time to respond

Firstly, I hope shes not having an egg I'd be making a lot more help me threads if that were the case!

Behaviour wise, shes been pretty happy.. at least from what I can tell. Shes singing more, and coming closer to me in general. Shes been trying more food that I offer, so yes, she has been eating more.

It has been really warm here lately, since it is summer and all, so I have been trying to keep both budgies inside with me more often than not. Could it be that inside is too cold for her? I keep the air con on anywhere between 25 to 27. Nice and cool. Better than 35+ outside.. then again they are birds.. could this be is too cold?

I will try and get a picture but she wont let me hold her yet.

Thanks so much for your reply!

EDIT: as for age, they were bought at the markets and given to me as a gift, I'm told they're about a year old, and she is with one other bird I am told is a male. They do tend to groom each other and snuggle a lot. I assume this was probably more friendship behaviour than courtship.

Ok, so you have a male and female budgie in the same cage together, has your female budgie's cere the part at the top of her beak changed colour at all recently? Has it become a deeper brown colour and looking sort of raised and bumpy? If she has she is what we call in condition. This when they will mate and lay.

If she is ready to lay she will be looking for a nesting place, doe she come out of her cage and go to a certain place all the time, or try to hid under the feed dishes?

__________________

Please post pictures of your birds.

This is Iris. I am told she is a girl. This is probably the best picture I have of her beak. I have been trying to get a picture of her lower half, but she keeps jumping and this is the clearest picture I can manage. You can't see clearly, but it seems more 'puffy' that Icarus' and if you can see directly its pinkinsh/red. I'm hoping its just normal budgie things, but it seemed different to my other budgie..which is why I asked here

Her bum looks normal to me and I saw your other photos and she is too young to lay I believe. I am no expert.

Well just reading that you think it looks normal makes me feel better I do tend to worry, and I've never had birds so everything is bound to worry me.

'

its hard to tell from that angle what is normal but my females have very fluffy butts even fluffier than that lol. I saw the other photos from your other thread and looks like she has the black bars to her cere so she appears to be too young to be egg laying. I hope one of the experts will chime in on this