Blue Budgie in the Backyard

Blue Budgerigar (photo from Wikipedia Commons)
Blue budgerigar (photo from Wikipedia Commons)

21 May 2009

For the past three days – maybe longer – there’s been a blue budgie at my backyard bird feeder.  She has a small blue/gray band on her left leg and looks like the bird in this Wikimedia picture except she has pale skin above her beak.  I’ve read that males have blue ceres and females have pale ones, so I am guessing she’s a female.

Budgerigars – nicknamed budgies – are originally from Australia but have been bred in the U.S. as pets for many years.  My backyard budgie is obviously an escapee so I can’t count her on my Life List.  Alas.

Her pet-store origins show.  She is not particularly wary.  Unlike wild birds who constantly watch for predators, she feeds with her head down and barely looks up.  Fortunately she hangs out with a family of mourning doves so someone is always watching, but mourning doves fly faster and wait longer to flush than she should.  Sometimes the doves are frightened of things she doesn’t care about – like grackles – so she ignores them.  Sadly she’ll probably become hawk food unless she’s lucky.

I thought of trying to rescue her but she won’t let me come within six feet before she flies into the trees.  Her owner – if I could find him – might be able to pick her up, but not me.

How do I find out who lost her?  I am writing & calling as many places as I can think of.

In the meantime I’m keeping my feeders filled and hoping the mourning doves warn her of danger.  With a flock to keep her company she’ll enjoy her freedom for a while.

(photo of a male budgie from Wikimedia Commons)

29 thoughts on “Blue Budgie in the Backyard

  1. Kate,

    If you could put out a small bird cage with food and water, she might go right into it. That is probably her comfort zone. Possibly a pet store has an old one that you can borrow. I would suggest hanging it on a low branch close to where she feeds. If you are able to capture her, I can offer many ideas on rehoming her or getting her back to her previous caretaker.

    I live in Delaware or would offer to come and help! We do this sort of thing often with these guys. It is fairly successful.

    Good luck.

    1. I have had a green budgie at my outdoor feeder for 2 days. It does not have a band on its leg and flies very well. I was thinking I would ask my pet store for a feeder and after reading your suggestion, I definitely will.

  2. Did you try the Greater Pittsburgh Cage Bird Society? They may be able to help. The National Aviary should be able to direct you to their officers.

  3. I called the number for the Greater Pittsburgh Caged Bird Society but they disbanded. I am still calling around. I can’t capture it until I have someone available to take it home.

  4. Kate,
    We once caught a escaped budgie with a fishing net. My kids were young and kept it for a pet. It turned out to be the best budgie we ever had.

  5. My husband caught a budgie in the backyard with a ball cap. We kept it for a pet till it went to bird heaven.

  6. May 21 evening update:
    Budgie is still doing well in the back yard. She has claimed the bird feeder and defends her right to be there against all comers. She is absolutely unphased by squirrels, pigeons and grackles though all the other small birds give those species a wide berth. I watched her doze on a branch for a while, then resume eating. She chows down with gusto and throws a lot of seed on the ground.

    I talked to someone from Pittsburgh Parrot Rescue (412-761-2268) who said she’d take the bird if I could catch it. Her recommendations on how to catch it: Get a bird cage for keeping her in later or as part of the capture plan. Take the feeders down and put seed *visibly* in the cage, then put the cage in a place she likes (in tree or on ground). Wait for her to go in and close the door. Can also make a seed trail to the cage if it’s on the ground. I might catch a lot more than Budgie with this trick. And as Candy points out, nets also work.

    A friend at work who has parrots can help me early next week. I hope she has a cage.

  7. I have an additional suggestion: record the song of a budgie from the internet. Play it to the blue girl. It will most likely get her attention and hopefully into the vicinity of the cage.

    I know this is a longshot but if you or any of your bloggers are heading thru Delaware this weekend, I can meet up with them and donate a small cage to the cause.

    Is she well-flighted?

    Good luck!

  8. May 22 evening:
    Budgie continues to do well and is becoming a fast flyer. This morning I discovered that she also visits a feeding zone down the street. She has now claimed my entire bird feeder as her own and won’t let anyone perch next to her when she’s on it. Between feedings she naps on a branch above the feeder – and then she doesn’t care to defend it. She’s having a great time.

  9. I have a spare cage and budgie experience if you need someone to take her. I hope that we are done with the cold nights until she is able to be captured!

    If you haven’t already tried them, you can try Craigslist (pets section and lost/found), the Post-Gazette and Western PA Humane Society and Animal Rescue League to see if anyone has reported her lost or to report her found.

  10. budgie landed on my head while i was sitting at my pool..first time that happended i do not know of anyone with a bird so he stayed all day and we bought a cage and he went right in it.We love him ..what kind of things should i be doing? he does seem to be happy thanks

    joanne

  11. I’ve never had a pet bird so I’d suggest checking with a vet that treats birds or at a pet store that sells them (privately owned stores will know more than the chain-stores) or I can put you in touch via email with people I know who have budgies. If you want to go the email route, post another comment to let me know.

    p.s. I googled “caring for budgerigars” and found this website: http://www.petbudgies.com/ Most of the other websites are about breeding and showing budgies.

  12. Kate, where do you live in Pittsburgh? I didn’t lose a blue budgie, but over the past few days there is one visiting my bird feeder too. I did put out a small bird cage – I have several parrots – but so far no luck. I was just wondering if it is the same one.

  13. Katie, I’m sure my neighborhood budgie is gone. She disappeared about a year ago, right about the time a Coopers hawk began frequenting my yard. I suspect she became food for the hawk’s babies last year.

  14. Hi we be just found a blue budgie in Totnes library foyer, Devon England. How did ypur budgie story end?

  15. Can someone contact me on how to catch a blue budgie in my backyard. I think she’s running with the neighborhood birds. I have lots of feeders out plus a lot of water and bird baths. I would like to catch it but not sure how. I opened the storm door to let the dogs in and it kept sitting & eating. Do you think I have any chance of catching it? Can you please send me a reply before I go buy a cage? I already have 2 dogs & 2 cats that are rescues so I really don’t need another critter but I also worry about what will happen when winter shows up.I’m in Texas & last year our winter got really stupid. Thank You

  16. Today a budgie that looks exactly like yours was out sitting on my balcony, I went up to the bird and eventually picked it up with my hands, it was very unfazed and mostly calm, I fed it some rice and now its asleep, what do I do with it? Should I realise it or keep it, I’m not sure if it’s wild or not especially since it’s blue, I tried letting it free today but it didn’t leave, please help.

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