Puberty can be a very difficult time for the people experiencing it and it can also be a difficult time for those who live with someone, or something, going through puberty.
If your budgie is going through puberty this article will help you navigate this
Table of Contents
Budgie puberty:
A budgie changes from the time that it first hatches to the time that the bird becomes a full-grown adult bird. Here is what you need to know about it:
When this happens:
Small birds like budgies will usually go through puberty when the bird is between 6 months and 1 year old.
The males will reach puberty later than the females will, this is similar to humans in that the males reach puberty slightly later on in life compared to females.
Changes in your birds:
As the birds age and reach puberty they start to undergo hormonal behavioral changes which can sometimes be negative.
However some birds will become more affectionate during puberty, and some birds will not show any changes at all.
This is what to expect from a budgie going through puberty:
Feather picking and sexual frustration:
Your bird will become sexually frustrated if it does not have a mate to reproduce with.
One of the primary objectives of birds, and animals, is to find a mate to reproduce and produce offspring with.
If a bird doesn’t have access to another bird of the same species and of the opposite gender to mate with then the bird will become sexually frustrated and start pecking at its feathers or chewing on its own skin and soft tissue.
These sexually frustrated birds will also try to mate with a human but this will not satisfy them and they will become even more sexually frustrated
Aggression:
This also has to do with sexual frustration but it is also brought on as a result of the bird starting to want to exert its dominance more.
Your once very sweet bird may start to be grouchy, nippy, and aggressive towards you and others, you can blame the bird’s behavior on the changing of the bird’s hormones.
Biting your finger is another sign of the bird developing some aggression as a result of puberty
Being distant:
If your budgie is starting to act distant then the bird is likely doing this because of puberty.
The birds in this case will also not like to be handled and will bite if you try to push the bird to play with you when it doesn’t want to play with you.
What to do:
Giving the bird its space during this time is recommended, the bird will simply have to go through these stages of puberty and let it pass
Ensure that your bird is given a large cage to move around freely in and to keep it from feeling trapped in a small cage, also ensure that the bird is mentally stimulated by giving the bird toys to play with.
In addition, ensure that the bird’s diet is good, and avoid forcing the bird to play with you when it doesn’t want to.
This bird’s puberty will usually last a couple of months, the bird should calm down after this but keep in mind that these behaviors may come back every year around breeding time.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other budgie related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Cockatiel Beak Peeling, Cockatiel Bruised Beak, Why Is My Canary Sitting In His Food Dish?, Parakeet Laid Eggs In Food Bowl, Budgie Squeaking When Sleeping, Angry Budgie Sounds, Budgie Flapping Wings In Cage
