Hi there...Ive had Billy Bob for one week ( 8 week old male blue ) and every time he sees me he starts preening and scratching, to a point where ive concidered a vet..BUT could it it be a phycological thing...scuse spelling if its wrong...EVERY single time he sights me he will preen...i think he is to saying "you dont bother me!"....Cause thats the attitude he gives off!!!....He is definately responding to my hand in his cage in a good way...whether its to fix food and water or to try and get him to "step up"...Hes still a bit scared but getting better every day, and i stop when he gets too nervous, and start fixing stuff in his cage....I am trying ti get him used to my hand in a non threatening way....Any opionions would be great, Kirsty

Birds actually preen most of their day so you may think he only does it when you are there but I guarantee he is doing it when you are not. Budgies don't get fleas but they can get mites especially if they came from more of an aviary setting or live in an aviary setting at your home. There is mite spray but I don't recommend using it unless you know for a fact your bird has mites.

Birds can get fleas. There are at least 2 species that live on chickens and could probably move over to budgies quite easily as fleas have low host specificity. just studied it today

that is interesting, but rare yes?

Edited June 5, 200816 yr by Elly

ECHIDNOPHAGEA!

 

Sorry. It's the one flea I always remember The chicken flea (it looks funny!).

I would say it's rare unless you had other animals that also have fleas, or perhaps contact with wild birds.

 

But as Elly said budgies more commonly get mites. If you are really worried you can look for mites by looking at a budgie's open wing with a good light source, they often hide under the feathers there.

 

However, birds spend a large percentage of their day preening and I agree this could be what you are seeing.

 

I had a budgie when I was in high school, Buffy, who would never show fear. When she was introduced to something completely new and that would obviously freak out a normal budgie, she would act nonchalant and preen herself, sing for a bit, all the while edging closer to the new thing to see if it was something to eat, play with or attack to make it go away. It sounds like a similiar kind of thing.

Edited June 5, 200816 yr by Chrysocome

maybe a mite treatment, and spary the cage aswell,

does he preen more frequently when you are in view of him, ........ he may be in love with you?????

WOW Thanks guys...Ive been watching him without him knowing and he pretty much just sits there...BUT as soon as i get into his view..He will preen, scratch and pretty much ignore me....Quite funny...Hes got a strong character!!!

Echidnophagea - sounds like it eats echidnas