Just curious how intelligent are they. Do they distinguish you from one another or not? We have a budgie and I just don't understand how he can all day look at himself in the mirror. Or he snuggles up next to a tile and sees his shadow.

 

Would our budgie distingush me from my wife? I think he might as he is more scared of me then her. Mainly because I play with him differently.

 

Say I left my budgie at a firends place for a year. Then when I come and get him back would he know who I am? Or he would not remember us.

 

 

Another question I wanted to ask is. At the moment our budgie is out of his cage all the time. he flies around and plays around the whole day. We might be moving to Europe soon and rather then taking him with us. I wa thining leaving it at my friends house who owns about 5 budgies. They are in larger cage or aviary if you call it that. Would he feel stressed out being enclosed all the time. Or would he like then new company of new budgies. He lives on his own with us and is tammed pretty well, talks etc...

 

Would he forget how to talk once left with budgies only. And say we come back from Europe after 5 years would he be a different bird then to now? Like i said he is very tame, sits on you all the time, plays with you, talks.

 

Any advice?

Just curious how intelligent are they.

** *Intelligence can be defined in many different ways it is not black and white there is much in the matter of gray area I believe. What we may feel is not intelligent in the budgie world is because it is their way of survival. I hope that makes sense. So I don't think you can measure this.

 

Do they distinguish you from one another or not?

** Yes both our budgies know the difference between myself, my husband and my kids. Prime example, Pretty will pretend to nip the kids because they jerk back on the other hand he wouldn't even think about with us. Another example, is Pretty prefers me over my husband anyday because I am the one that spends time with him.

 

We have a budgie and I just don't understand how he can all day look at himself in the mirror. Or he snuggles up next to a tile and sees his shadow.

** Because in the budgie world that is what they do, they preen each other, they are very social creatures, and love the company of other budgies. We can't understand that because that is not our nature, that is their nature. I would advise to take out the mirror and anything else where is can see his reflection so he will start to bond with you. Budgies will prefer budgies over humans as with any species. I never had a mirror for our budgies.

 

Would our budgie distingush me from my wife? ** Yes

 

I think he might as he is more scared of me then her. Mainly because I play with him differently.

** You are most likely right. Also men have deeper voices women higher voices which is more pleasing to their ears just like babies.

 

Say I left my budgie at a firends place for a year. Then when I come and get him back would he know who I am? Or he would not remember us.

** He would probably not remember you, it doesn't do a budgie any good to mourn for days on end in the wild they would die if they mourned as we do or had the memory. They are nomadic creatures in the wild. (there are some cases on this board where some budgies do mourn) But if a budgie is abused they will remember the action that hurt them for life, because they need to remember that for survival. That is why rescued budgies can be scared and wild.

 

 

Another question I wanted to ask is. At the moment our budgie is out of his cage all the time. he flies around and plays around the whole day. We might be moving to Europe soon and rather then taking him with us. I wa thining leaving it at my friends house who owns about 5 budgies. They are in larger cage or aviary if you call it that. Would he feel stressed out being enclosed all the time. Or would he like then new company of new budgies. He lives on his own with us and is tammed pretty well, talks etc...

** He would enjoy the company of new friends but no budgie is guaranteed to get along in a flock.

 

Would he forget how to talk once left with budgies only. And say we come back from Europe after 5 years would he be a different bird then to now?

** In 5 years will you be a different person?? Of course and your bird will be different because he will be in an different enviroment. If your friend didn't work with him on a daily basis, talk with him, and let him just be part of the flock he would most likely loose alot of his tameness and stop talking.

 

I hope that helps, I am sure others will give the same or completely different advice, I only talk from experience on what I have learned from my budgies and reading books, along with this site.

I agree with you Lovely Budgie can mourn/miss a partner or play friend but for them a week is a very long time, and would start to hunt out another mate.

 

I was told by my birdsitter that one of my birds looked to jump on her shoulder but changed her mind, i got back from my holiday (a week) and went in to say Hi and had all of them climbing over me, so they do know how to tell one human from another, just like they can tell other bird apart. But 5 years is a long gp almost half a budgies life span.

I think budgies are pretty smart. You listen to them chirping and you will find they use the same chirps in the same circumstances. My budgies always "say" the same thing when I turn off the light at night. This pattern of sounds, they use to communicate with one another is defined as language. An animal that has language as complex as budgies (who probably have many more sounds that we can't even hear) is very intelligent. Budgies are known to use human phrases in the appropriate context too. Yet another example of their intelligence.

 

When I first joined this site I used to feed my budgies honey seed bells, which because they are not flowing seed, are hard to eat and budgies take a while to learn how to eat them, if they are not shown. (I first had to teach Izzy how to eat them) Now that I have switched to a healthier diet for them they haven't seen a seed bell since september last year: until today. I gave them some seedbells because they will be on their own for a few days (going away. Don't worry seedbells last for ages). Well Izzy and Saffron knew what to do instantly. The newbies: Arkady and Isis have never seen a seedbell before, but they learned off their friends very quickly. Isis who is very smart knew what to do after watching Izzy for only 5 seconds. My point is, they have pretty good memories.

After 5 years though, I don't know. It is like Kids, if you leave them for 5 years, they don't really know you, but they remember you.

Thanks for that. Last question would he be sad if taken back away from his bird friends after a couple years and be on his own again with us? Readig what you said he might be a little shocked a couple days but he would get over it.

Yes, I believe if a budgie is with other budgies for 5 years which in budgie years is almost 1/2 of his life expectancy he would certainly be lonely.

 

He may forget the certain birds he was with but he will never forget that he is part of a bird flock, it is instinct.

 

We as humans need human companionship some more then others but if we lived with someone for more then 1/2 of our life's would we miss greatly.

 

I think what you truly want to know after all these questions :fear, is if you left him for 5 years and then took him back away from his flock would he still be the same bird you know today talking, cuddling etc... The answer to that is no he won't be. If you took him always from his flock could you turn him back to talking, cuddling etc...maybe to some extent.

 

I think what needs to be remember is that budgies are not like dogs they are not domesticated and when give the opportunity to go back to their "wild" behavior and instinctually frightful of humans they will. They are not domestic animals, I remember being told this and reading this.

 

I used to compare birds to dogs or cats but they are complete a different species of their own and are not comparable to the fluffy and cuddle of a soft cat or wiggly dog.

 

So in 5 years if you want another budgie, I would say or if was me I would get a new budgie and if the home you place him in when move is willing to give him a forever home with the new flock I would leave him there in the end he will be much happier. I can't imagine, Pretty not having Merlin or Merlin not having Pretty now that they are together.

 

I hope that helps.

Just curious how intelligent are they. Do they distinguish you from one another or not? We have a budgie and I just don't understand how he can all day look at himself in the mirror. Or he snuggles up next to a tile and sees his shadow.

 

Would our budgie distingush me from my wife? I think he might as he is more scared of me then her. Mainly because I play with him differently.

 

Say I left my budgie at a firends place for a year. Then when I come and get him back would he know who I am? Or he would not remember us.

 

 

Another question I wanted to ask is. At the moment our budgie is out of his cage all the time. he flies around and plays around the whole day. We might be moving to Europe soon and rather then taking him with us. I wa thining leaving it at my friends house who owns about 5 budgies. They are in larger cage or aviary if you call it that. Would he feel stressed out being enclosed all the time. Or would he like then new company of new budgies. He lives on his own with us and is tammed pretty well, talks etc...

 

Would he forget how to talk once left with budgies only. And say we come back from Europe after 5 years would he be a different bird then to now? Like i said he is very tame, sits on you all the time, plays with you, talks.

 

Any advice?

There smart enough to know who feeds them,everytime i go into my aviary i could have up twenty plus birds on me,when anyone else goes into my aviary they don't go near them.

Just curious how intelligent are they. Do they distinguish you from one another or not? We have a budgie and I just don't understand how he can all day look at himself in the mirror. Or he snuggles up next to a tile and sees his shadow.

 

Would our budgie distingush me from my wife? I think he might as he is more scared of me then her. Mainly because I play with him differently.

 

Say I left my budgie at a firends place for a year. Then when I come and get him back would he know who I am? Or he would not remember us.

 

 

Another question I wanted to ask is. At the moment our budgie is out of his cage all the time. he flies around and plays around the whole day. We might be moving to Europe soon and rather then taking him with us. I wa thining leaving it at my friends house who owns about 5 budgies. They are in larger cage or aviary if you call it that. Would he feel stressed out being enclosed all the time. Or would he like then new company of new budgies. He lives on his own with us and is tammed pretty well, talks etc...

 

Would he forget how to talk once left with budgies only. And say we come back from Europe after 5 years would he be a different bird then to now? Like i said he is very tame, sits on you all the time, plays with you, talks.

 

Any advice?

There smart enough to know who feeds them,everytime i go into my aviary i could have up twenty plus birds on me,when anyone else goes into my aviary they don't go near them.

same as mine and they go quiet if i bring in a visitor and if i dont tap and say its mummy before i enter they scatter everywhere as my door gets stuck but not if i talk wouldn't matter what i said so long as its my voice really

Edited May 18, 201114 yr by GenericBlue