Do budgies make good pets?

If you ask me, budgies make awesome pets! They are very active, playful birds, and they are incredibly intelligent. Some (but not all) budgies learn to talk, there are even budgies have a 100+ word vocabulary! Budgies can easily become finger tame while they are young with some diligent training, even if they were not hand fed as babies. Many owners of fully tamed budgies will swear that their budgie thinks it's a human! Even if a budgie is not tamed, they still make enjoyable pets. Their antics and singing will brighten up any room in your home. And budgies who are not finger tame still can become friendly towards you, and even still learn to talk. It's important to keep in mind that if you have (or plan to get) only one budgie, it's imperative that you socialize with him or her every day. Budgies, as with all parrots, are flock birds, and it is important to their mental health to have interaction with others. If you tame your budgie, you can provide him (or her) with the social interaction he needs by spending time with him every day (even if he or she just hangs out with you while you do your homework or clean up around the house). If you don't have the time or inclination to tame your budgie, then you must plan on getting at least two budgies so that they can provide each other the social interaction they need to be happy and healthy. There are some downsides to keeping budgies as pets that you should be aware of. You should know that budgies can be messy. Seeds and feathers tend to scatter around the cage, so you'll have to sweep or vacuum often. A cage skirt (available at pet stores) can help cut down on the mess. You also have to be diligent enough to make sure your budgie always has fresh food and water, and to make sure the cage bottom gets cleaned about once a week. Budgies can also be a bit noisy, although they are not quite as noisy as most parrots. Budgies spend several hours a day, especially mornings and evenings, chirping and singing and sometimes squawking. This is normal behavior, and most people enjoy the singing and chatter of budgies. However, if the noise does not appeal to you or may bother other people that you live with, you may need to consider closely where you put the cage or if a budgie is the right pet for you. Covering the cage at night will keep your budgies quiet from bed time until you wake them up in the morning, but the rest of the day is fair game for budgie banter.