Flying Free at Home

Flying Free In The House

Provided that all precautions for their safety have been taken, budgerigars should be allowed to fly free in the house, at least in one room. However, do not let your budgerigar out of its cage until it is thoroughly finger tame and hops on to your finger willingly.

Make sure that all doors and windows are closed when first letting the budgerigar out, that radiators and open fires (including electric and gas fires) are off, that fans and air-conditioners are stopped, and that mirrors and windows are covered. Budgerigars often mistake the latter for open space and injure themselves in trying to fly through them.

In the late afternoon, when the light is fading, put your hand into the cage with the inside of the thumb towards the budgerigar. When the bird perches on this, very gently close your hand around it, leaving its head free. It is a good idea to practise this move, holding and releasing the budgerigar inside the cage for several days before actually bringing the bird out for the first time.

Slowly bring your hand out of the cage, talking quietly to the budgerigar all the time in a soothing tone. Place the other hand, funnel-fashion, on top of the one holding the bird, loosen your hold on it so that it can crawl up through the hand, and repeat hand over hand until the bird becomes really used to being handled.

If and this does happen—its new-found freedom is too much for your budgerigar, it will fly off around the room, eventually settling on a curtain rail or some other inaccessible spot. Do not panic, and do not chase the bird.

First try to entice the budgerigar down on to your finger, holding the finger up towards the bird, and calling it quietly by name. If this does not work, wait until the bird settles. Quietly place a chair or ladder beneath the spot where it has settled, pinpoint its position, turn off the light, and gently take hold of the bird. Budgerigars seldom fly in the dark, and the bird should remain where it is, allowing you to pick it up.

Eventually you will find that you can open the cage door first thing in the morning and your budgerigar will fly in and out at will and return to the cage as the evening light fails.

Care must be taken to prevent budgerigars from flying out of the house. Despite the newsworthy occasions when a talking budgerigar flies into someone's house and gives its name and address, most birds that escape are never seen again. Either the elements or birds of prey will attack them.

Single cage birds, like all living creatures, get the mating urge and even the tamest of them will fly off if they can when this happens. Do, then, be warned and take care of your pet budgerigar or you will find yourself with an empty cage.
 

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