Budgies or parakeets are small parrots originating in Australia. Budgies are social birds that live in flocks. They forage and fly together chirping noisily to forage for food and to pearch on high trees when it is dark. This link will bring you to more information about https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/budgerigars Budgies in the wild.
I brought Momo home together with his cage and food on 13 April 2021, the first day of Ramadan. That first day, I just let him settle down in his cage on my dining table. He could see and hear everything that is going on as he is placed in the center of activity. Momo could see my dogs Pei-pei and XO and hear their barking. He could see us eating and I spend a lot of time on my dining table working and eating or snacking etc. Momo checked out his cage, food, water, toys, cuttlebone and he knows where to find them.
On the second day, I started taming him. With a spray millet, I put my hand inside and let him approach. Budgies are small animals, a hand is as big as him, as such to reduce fear, keep your hand and fingers stationary. Movements should be slow and steady. Any quick movements will spook the Budgie and taming will be slow. Since Momo is almost an adult and alone he was quite brave as he perched on my finger and got down to eating his favourite millet almost immediately.
I hand fed him millet about 3 times for two days and I felt confident in taking him to an enclosed room for some free flying. I set up some pearches in the room from branches of fallen trees which can be found quite easily in my neighborhood and also from a forest nearby. The branches should have a few 90° angled small braches for the budgie to stand on. I also set up a food station where water and seed could be easily accessed on a over turned floor tile, rough side up.
I brought the cage into the room and checked that windows and doors are secured. A budgie is smart and can escape a half inch opening. Switch off all fans, air conditioning and anything of danger to the budgie. I then opened the cage door and immediately he flew out and up to the highest available perch; which is the fan! It is natural instinct to fly up to be safe from predators on the ground.
I let him calm down on the fan and I stayed for awhile and let him chill. After half an hour, I went back in and he was still up on the fan checking out the fan and the room. So stayed in the room with my phone and basically let Momo know I won't chase or try to catch him in anyway. After an hour knowing that he has to eat and drink, it's time for him to go back into the cage. Enough excitement for the day.
With hindsight I have a long branch in the room which I found that proved useful in getting Momo down. I stood on a chair with the long branch and offered to Momo for him to step-up. He has never seen that branch before, so he got spooked and flew and perched on the air-conditioner. So I went there and offered him the branch for him to step-up. He decided to fly back to the fan! Back and forth it went and not only was I tired, Momo was tired too. This was his first flying exercise. Well he tired out faster than I did and finally decided to step-up on the branch. I brought him down and quickly put the branch with tired Momo pearched on it into his cage and he hopped in! What a relief! Phew!
My mistake was that before letting him out, I should have let him step-up not only on my finger in the cage, but also the branch that I was using. Obviously, he was scared of the branch. After letting him out every day, he finally got used to the branch and step-up willingly.
The most important thing to remember is not to chase, throw things at your Budgie with the intention of tiring the Budgie out. Spooking it will not tame your budgie, it will make him more fearful of you.
