Sometimes capturing a budgie can’t be avoided, for example, if you have to take it to the vet or you have to take it in hand to administer medication.
Of course, this must then be done as gently as possible so that it is exposed to as little stress as possible.
Capture or hold
A budgie should never be caught or held in the hand without a valid reason . Grasping the budgie usually associates with a bird of prey and this triggers a not inconsiderable stress and in the worst case even a shock.
Capture the budgie
Since especially small bird species, such as the budgerigar are very susceptible to shock , the capture should always be done without hectic and as gently and quickly as possible. The budgie should never be chased around during this process.
Resources
- a very thin cotton cloth, such as a neckerchief (50x50cm) .
- Tulle landing net (Ø 26cm)
Catching out of the cage
Method 1
The most common method is usually to completely darken the room and“pick” the budgiefrom the perch. These can make out movements very poorly in the dark and can thus usually be seized without much effort.
Personally, I have tried this method only once. After seeing how much the bird was frightened by this, I refrain from it.
Method 2
In daylight, capturing them becomes a bit more difficult. In this case, it is recommended to use a thin cotton cloth that is not too big (see tools) to catch the bird.
I chose this thin scarf because it allows you to feel the bird clearly when it is being fed. With thicker scarves there is always the danger that more pressure is exerted than necessary.
For larger cage doors, it is advisable to hang a cloth in front of them, so that the budgie can not fly outside past the arm.
Then you can slowly put your hand with the small cotton cloth through the closed cage door. Now you should direct the budgie with the cloth with calm and slow movements to a place where you can carefully grab it with the cloth. In my experience, one succeeds most easily in a cage corner or when he climbs on the grid
I prefer this method, because the birds see see what is coming and thus are not so frightened.
Catch in room
The most difficult thing is to capture a budgie in the room. For this, a bird landing net is usually always necessary (see tools).
With slow and steady movements, try to get this one to leave places in the room with the landing net where you can’t catch it. This must be done without any rush and the bird must not be chased in any case. It is also advisable to take small breaks every now and then.
If the budgie is sitting in a suitable place (e.g. flat cage roof), you should quickly put the net over it. This must also be done without rushing, otherwise there is a risk of injuring the bird with the net.
Grasp and hold
The budgie is always gripped from above so that the back of this comes to rest on the palm .
The head of the bird is fixed with the thumb (possibly on the index finger). Middle, ring and little fingers carefully hold the body of this, which also simultaneously fixes the wings by thumb flexion and fingers.
Since the bird’s body is very delicate, it must of course be held with extreme care and without any pressure.
If the user tries to wriggle out of the grip, this must never be prevented by applying pressure, but only by changing the position of the fingers.
Before hurting the bird by applying more pressure, let it escape.