need advice- budgies don't want to interact with me

[dino1010]

I've had my budgie, Skye, for about 5 years now. She used to be a lot more friendly towards me and enjoyed climbing on me and spending time outside her cage. I had another budgie, named Echo, who I got about a year after Skye and was extremely friendly and outgoing, but passed away a couple of months ago. She became really depressed after that and didn't want anything to do with me and didn't want to even come out of her cage.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to get another budgie for her in a last effort to make her return to her old self. I got Dino, and immediately Skye's personality did a 180. She and Dino are much happier now, they sing, play with toys, preen each other, eat together, etc. I am incredibly happy that they are happy, but I am also disheartened because Skye still isn't particularly interested in hanging out with me. Dino isn't either, but he is still new and is also just really timid in general. They also aren't interested in coming out of the cage.

I don't know what to do. I've been trying for the last couple of weeks to win them over but nothing works. They will eat treats that I offer without hesitation and sometimes I manage to lure them onto my hand with the treats. But if I don't have treats, they simply don't care. I thought about just leaving them to be happy by themselves but they won't come out of the cage unless I take them out myself and I don't want them to sit in there all day.

What should I do? Even if they like each other better than they will ever like me, I still want them to be interested in interacting with me.

 

[Jcas]

First of all, that was so kind of you to get Skye a new friend and I am very glad she seems so much happier now. Sometimes, two budgies will be more interested in each other than in you. One thing you could try is to take them out separately and spend some one- on - one time with each bird to help them bond with you. I would guess that the reason they are not leaving their cage right now is because they are still bonding with and getting to know each other. Their friendship is new and exciting right now, but eventually they will most likely get bored staying in the cage and will start to come out to explore together.

 

[Birdfriendly]

Do you have a play area for Sky and Dino so they have a place to WANT to go to? If not, getting one might lure them out to play.

I personally have 2 large cages and there's food/water stations in both cages. That way there's 'somewhere to go'. I leave both doors open 8 hours a day.

As far as a close relationship between you and Sky, I can only tell you my limited experience. I have had better luck with a single male. Go to my profile and read about my experience, so I'm not repeating the same story.

Byrdie is now a solo male and he's flying to me when I call (no treats), comes to me on his own to preen my hair and eyelashes. He flys, uninvited, to ride on my shoulder. He even goes to my husband and land on his head. None of the 'coming when called', talking, and riding on my shoulder on his own was happening when there was another pair of birds here.

Sky is too old to safely breed now, according to what I've read. She could get egg bound and die.

I also have been repeatedly told and read that males bond to humans, tame easier, and are more likely to talk. So, that's my 2 cents worth.

I don't know how much time you have to interact with your birds. If you are gone alot then giving Sky a companion is probably the best thing you can do for HER. But if you are home 24/7, You might keep one bird in another room in order to work with them one on one, then after they are tame, put them back together again to see if they bond to you.

I hope something the members here have written helps you decide what works best for you. Good luck!

 

[Keet_Krazy]

This is an older thread and the OP hasn't log in in a while, but please don't separate them! You said yourself that Skye is so much happier! From the sound of it she was very lonely and depressed now she is happy and content. Again please don't break their bond!