I have two budgies. Booboo my older budgie was ill last October, spent three days at the vet but is fine now. I've noticed since then that whenever I go up and talk to her she will look at me, hold her wings out from her body and make them twitch and then open and close her beak making no sound. We also moved into a new apartment last October where the two budgies have a very large window in front of the cage, and get to see a lot of wild birds flying outside especially lorikeets, cockatoos and mynahs. Is this a nervous thing or is this just a way of communicating? Does anyone else have a budgie which does this?

 

:mellow:

Boris doesn't do this but I have seen some of my other birds do it. I think it's kind of like saying Hi there!

When birds hold out their wings and twitch it means they are scared in all my experiences.

Yes - could be nervousness. Although given your budgie was sick previously, it could be a pain response. Worth getting a re-check with the vet. My budgie sometimes shivers when her arthrtic leggies are a big sore. Keep a keen eye on it at any rate. Best of luck from Turbs.

 

When birds hold out their wings and twitch it means they are scared in all my experiences.

All of my Budgies hold the wings out when they are hot, and 1 of the adults and most of my babies do the beak thing when they have been flying alot - a little like they are puffed, if you get really close you can feel hot air coming out of their mouth. Most people think it is normal as long as they show no other signs that they are sick.

Are there any other behaviors that accompany the wing twitching? Does she make herself tall and thin when she does this? That is a definite fear indicator. If she is moving toward you while doing the wing twitching, fluffing her head feathers, lowering her head for scritchies, etc. then that behavior would indicate a begging response. Does it only happen when someone approaches the cage, or can you "spy" from around the corner and see the behavior occur when no one is in the room?

Booboo is showing no signs of being ill. In fact she seems healthier than ever since her stay at the vets. It is summer here though and our new apartment can get quite hot when its sunny outside .. so hopefully it's just a heat related thing. I leave windows open to make sure the birds don't overheat though. Bessie the younger bird never twitches her wings, just Booboo. The twitching is usually at the end of the day when I approach her to have a chat and to say goodnight. I like to think she is trying to communicate with me. It's kind of comical looking and she looks a bit like that parrot in the movie Paulie.

 

Lukie has always lifted his wings when I say hello, or tell him how cute he is, and he is definitely not afreid. He often does it when I am sitting down and I chat to him on his playgym. He looks so coy and cute when he does it. Other times he will stretch his leg backwards to say hello. He only does it when we greet him or saying sweet things to him - he seems to know by the tone of voice that they are nice things, and this is his response. He also lifts his wings to say thank you! Whenever I give him some fruit or veg etc he will always lift his wings to say thanks. He is quite calm and happy and not thin and scared when he does it. What a cutie he is - we love him to bits.

 

Luv

 

Vonn