Little Beaks

‘My budgie will only eat seed.’

One of the most common concerns we hear - and one of the most common causes of health issues identified by avian vets.

Many people assume their budgie is being stubborn or fussy.

But from a budgie’s perspective, the behaviour often makes perfect sense.

Budgies are prey animals. They learn what is safe to eat by watching other budgies.

If a bird has spent their entire life seeing seed as food, a piece of broccoli or leafy green may not even register as something edible.

In many cases, they’re not refusing healthy food; they’re avoiding something unfamiliar.

We recently published an article explaining why this happens, why seed-only diets can become a problem, and some practical ways to help budgies discover new foods safely.

Link in comments.

video description: a big piece of curly kale rests on the aviary ground. Several budgies waddle around and climb on it, trying to get to bits and enjoying a good nibble.

‘Can budgies and weiros live together?’

I see this question all the time in bird groups, with many differing responses.

So what's the answer?

They can, in the right environment.

In a small cage? Don't. But that's really the case for keeping any birds.

They're considered compatible species, which doesn't necessarily mean they'll be besties, but can live in harmony in the same area, dependent on a few factors.

Budgies spend much of their time flying through the aviary in active flocks, constantly moving, exploring, and interacting with one another.

Weiros are often happier resting on higher perches, observing what’s happening.

Rather than constantly interacting, they naturally create some separation.

That’s one of the keys to a successful mixed aviary.

Not forcing birds together, but giving them enough space, resources, and choice that they can move away from each other whenever they want to.

Multiple feeding stations, at different levels, help reduce competition.

Natural branches, shelter, and foliage create different places to rest and explore.

And just as importantly, each species still has access to their own flock: budgies need other budgies, and weiros need other weiros.

The critical thing: there are no breeding boxes/areas. Introduce or enable breeding, and this harmony falls apart... suddenly there's increased aggression and territory protection.

Which is really no fun for anyone 🫠

Feel free to share your own experiences.

video description: on the soily aviary ground some shredded vegies are scattered. Budgies, weiros, kakarikis, and Japanese quail, are foraging and waddling around inspecting the vegies and whatever else is on the ground for them. They're enthusiastic, focused, and somehow perfectly navigating around each other.

People during wet weather:
'Do you bring the birds inside?'
'How do you keep them safe from the rain?'
'Won’t they get sick?'

The finches:
'It’s raining! Let’s go sit in it.'

Despite what many people expect, birds don’t automatically avoid rain.

Light rain can provide opportunities to bathe, preen, and explore a changing environment. Many species will happily spend time out in it before choosing to move to shelter when conditions become less comfortable.

What’s also interesting is that finches rarely do it alone.

As flock animals, they constantly watch and take cues from each other. The flock provides extra eyes looking for danger and helps birds judge when it’s time to stay out, move on, or seek shelter.

Of course, in captivity it’s still our responsibility to provide appropriate shelter and monitor conditions. The birds make choices, but those choices should happen within a safe environment.

The beepers know best 😉

video description: several zebra finches are hanging out together on a hanging branch, with another finch on their own on a branch in front of them (nearer the camera). A couple of finches fly off while others hop around, changing position and looking around. They all appear relaxed and engaged. Drops of rain are falling around them.

If the ground is one of the most dangerous places for a parrot… why do they spend so much time there?

Watch wild budgies, weiros, and many other parrots and you’ll often see them searching through grass, picking through leaf litter, and exploring the ground.

It seems strange when the ground is also where many predators are found. For small birds in particular, being on the ground carries real risk.

Yet they keep coming back. Why? Because that’s also where many of the rewards are.

Wild parrots don’t avoid every potentially risky situation. Instead, they learn how to manage risk.

They forage in flocks, watch each other, stay alert, and remain ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

That’s one reason flock life is so important.

And the biggest thing to emphasise about flock birds:

It’s not just about companionship.

It’s how birds safely do many of the things they enjoy.

The challenge for us isn’t to remove every possible risk from a bird’s life; it’s to create environments where they can still explore, forage, make choices, and experience the world around them while remaining safe.

Because a perfectly sterile environment may reduce risk, but it can also remove many of the experiences that make life interesting.

video description: on the aviary ground some broccolini rests just in front of the camera on a couple of low branches, one of which protrudes from the soil, runs slightly backward and bends upward where the remainder is out of sight. Initially, a budgie and a weiro are on either side of this branch, pecking at the broccolini. They are joined by a kakariki. The budgie hops onto the branch for better access, then leaves a few moments later. The kakariki remains. This continues with various budgies, weiros, and kakarikis waddling up to and around the broccolini, the branches, and the soily ground, checking out what's there.

‘Do you bring all the birds inside during storms?’

It’s one of the questions we get asked most often whenever Perth gets severe weather, like the past couple of days.

Usually, the answer is no. For one, there's hundreds of birds here. That would be totally chaotic and unnecessarily stressful for them (and likely us 😅).

This surprises a lot of people though, because bringing birds indoors sounds like the safer option.

But for many aviary birds, suddenly being caught, handled, moved into an unfamiliar environment, and removed from their flock and surroundings would often be far more stressful than remaining where they feel secure.

Wild parrots, finches, and doves don’t disappear indoors when storms arrive.

They seek shelter, stay close to their flock, and wait for the weather to pass.

Our aviaries are designed with that in mind.

Before severe weather arrives, we check shelters, secure anything that could move in strong winds, protect food and water, and pay extra attention to birds that are elderly, unwell, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable.

Once the weather arrives, the birds make their own choices. Some retreat into sheltered areas and barely emerge. Others seem completely unbothered and carry on as normal, even chilling under the rain.

One of the things we’ve learned over the years is that birds are often far more weather-hardy than people expect. Given appropriate shelter, good nutrition, and the ability to choose where they feel safest, most cope remarkably well with conditions that look much worse to us than they do to them.

The important thing isn’t keeping birds away from every raindrop or gust of wind.

It’s making sure they have the ability to respond naturally to the weather, alongside the flock and in an environment designed to keep them safe.

Storm days are usually more stressful for the humans than the birds.

While they’re sheltering together, we’re outside checking aviaries, watching the radar, and making sure everyone is okay.

video description: panning across a hanging branch with weiros and budgies perching closely together. The two budgies in the group are head bobbing and beak tapping a bit. The weiros are just looking relaxed.

It’s been a chaotic day making sure all the birds are safe and comfortable in this weather, but we couldn’t let World Parrot Day pass without acknowledging its importance.

Parrots are some of the most intelligent, social, and behaviourally complex animals we share our lives with. Yet many of their needs are still widely misunderstood or underestimated.

Every year, World Parrot Day is an opportunity to look beyond their striking colours and recognise parrots for who they really are: animals with rich social lives, individual personalities, complex needs, and an incredible capacity to learn, explore, and connect with the world around them.

The more we understand parrots, the better we can support their wellbeing.

Happy World Parrot Day from all of us at Little Beaks.

video description: a compilation of snippets of footage of various birds foraging on the ground, getting cheeky with the camera, and enjoying aviary life.