It is hard to tell why new budgies don’t eat, don’t move or quit at first look.
New budgies don’t move or eat and stay quiet because of sudden environmental changes that cause unpredictable behaviors and make them scared.
Environment changes can make budgies anxious about almost everything.
Moving objects, humans, other pets, devices that make sounds (TV, vacuum cleaner etc.) can make budgies scared.
New budgie owners should consider other reasons besides fear and environmental change.
Here are reasons for new budgies avoiding eating or moving:
- Sudden environment change
- Fear
- Foods that the new budgie doesn’t know they are food at first (Food that is foreign to the new budgie’s eyes.)
- Crowded cage
- Too many movements around the cage or area where budgie lives
- Other pets
- Sickness
- Missing or waiting its mate (New budgie may have a pair or friend that new budgie looking for.)
Is it normal for a new budgie to not eat?
New budgies generally tend to avoid eating any food often.
But, at first, you should know the reason new budgie avoid eating.
New budgie owners assume that avoiding eating any food is due to fear.
New budgie owners are not wrong, but there are other serious reasons to consider.
New budgies avoid eating due to fear, sudden environment change, other pets and humans around, sickness.
In some cases, new budgie owners can be inexperienced. Inexperience owner gives budgies some food that the new budgie may not know.
Is it normal for a new budgie to not move?
If a budgie does not move, that means there is a huge problem.
Budgies are well-known as mostly active birds all over the world.
It is natural to think a new budgie has fear of environmental change, but also there are some other serious reasons to think.
It is normal for a frightened budgie to not eat anything for a day or two. However, when this period gets longer, the budgerigar owner should start thinking about other reasons.
Here are the most known reasons a budgie doesn’t move at all:
- Fear from predator (like other pets and humans)
- Sickness
- Loneliness
- Feeling like a stranger.
Why is my new budgie shaking?
❗ Shaking behavior is not a common behavior in budgies.
If a budgie is shaking, that means there is a problem and the budgie owner must solve this problem as soon as possible.
Shaking that caused by fear or sickness shows that the shaking reasons are extreme.
Here are common shaking reasons in new budgies:
- Fear
- Sickness
- Fear of other birds in cage.
- Cold
- Getting wet
If there are other birds in the cage, this situation causes competition.
New budgies generally are in fear, and they aren’t able to compete with other budgies in the cage. Other birds show aggressive behavior to the new budgie to make it clear who is the boss. So new budgie gets extreme fear that causes shaking.
Why is my new budgie quiet?
It is normal, new budgies stay in their cage quite sometime.
New budgies need time to feel in safe, a couple of days.
Here are reasons why new budgies quite in their cage:
- Foreign environment
- Thinking humans and other pets as predators.
- Listening environment to understand if there is a potential danger
How long does it take a new budgie to settle in?
Budgies are prey animals that hide themselves from predator animals.
Because they are prey animals, new budgies often think that the new owner is a predator animal.
When new owners enter the room where the budgie’s cage is located, the budgies become quiet.
When the new owner (the unknown predator) leaves the room, the budgie begins looking for food and water.
New budgie owners should introduce themselves as a harmless companion.
What can a new budgie owner do to comfort their new budgie?
Here is a list of thing to make a new budgie relax and settle in fast:
- Place the new budgie’s cage above the human head or eyes. This method makes budgies feel safe. If they want to hide, they go down to the bottom of the cage and hide from predators. (They see new owners predators at first.) As they hide at the bottom of the cage, they look up to understand what is going on around them.
- Give new budgie a couple of days to relax.
- Owners should only get closer with the cage if necessary (giving food or changing water).
- Avoid talking loud and always speak politely to them and other people when you are in their room.
- Do not give toys to them during the adaptation period. (New budgie must be comfortable when around owners, not toys. Budgie owners should give toys to their budgies later.)
- Budgie owners may read books to them politely to comfort them and make settle in time shorter.
