Many people will describe budgies as very cheerful, fun, and playful birds.
So, if your bird doesn’t have these qualities then you’d understandably be worried
This article looks into why your budgie is not playful
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My budgie is not playful
One of the reasons why people like to keep companion birds is that they are great companions.
They will hang around you, lay with you, and sing to you if they are that type of bird
If you realize that your budgie isn’t as playful as it once was, or isn’t playful at all, then you’d understandably be worried.
Here is why this may be happening:
The bird is scared of you:
Budgies are known to have a zest for life. They are known to play and explore a lot, but, they will only do this if they are comfortable in their environment.
If your budgie is uncomfortable in its environment, because the bird is in a new environment, and has new owners, then the bird will not be playful.
A newly bought bird will be quite skittish when faced with new experiences and new people, it will take a little while for the bird to get used to its new owner and environment.
Birds who are not used to you, or their environment, may even bite you so watch out for this
What to do:
Your new budgie will get used to you in a few days to a few weeks.
Once it is used to its environment, your budgie will play and act more relaxed
You can show the bird that you are not there to harm it. This will help the bird feel more comfortable around you.
Do this by quietly talking to your bird, making sure that you are lower, or on the same level, as the bird’s eye line when around the bird.
Hovering over your budgie is threatening to the bird.
You can also feed the bird treats, in addition to its food and water, to get it to like you.
The bird is sick:
Budgies will never tell you that they’re sick but their behaviors will.
If your budgie is known to be quite an active and playful bird, and it gets sick, then the bird will start acting out of character and will be quieter and isolate itself
Illnesses cause negative changes in your birds and one of the main signs of any illness in your bird is the negative change of self-isolation and becoming quiet.
A quiet self-isolating bird will not want to play so much anymore.
What to do:
Your bird may have been trying to hide signs of being ill for a while now and can’t hide them anymore.
If your budgie can’t hide signs of being sick anymore then the bird will need medical attention as its illness may be quite advanced
The recommended action to take would be to take the bird to the vet to be examined, diagnosed, and treated.
It’s the bird’s personality:
Sometimes, a less playful budgie will have nothing wrong with it, it will simply not be playful or will be less playful than other budgies because this is the bird’s personality.
This particular budgie may naturally have a more laid-back personality.
A laid-back budgie may prefer to rather take naps, preen, and only play on occasion
What to do:
If your bird isn’t playing so much, but does play on occasion, and seems happy regardless of not playing too much, then you can let the bird be.
Your bird will simply play when it wants to play and stop when it has had enough.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Baby Budgie Feet Problems, Why Is My Budgie Suddenly Scared Of Me, Why Does My Budgie Keep Looking Up, Parakeet Not Using One Foot, Why Does My Budgie Keep Calling?, Budgie Is Sick But Still Eating, Why Is My Budgie Quiet And Sleepy