My parakeet has 2 perches at the bottom of its cage and every day he flies back and forth on them really fast?

Question

my parakeet has 2 perches at the bottom of its cage and every day he flies back and forth on them really fast? Please do not say idk i just want to no why he does it and if anybody elses parakeet does it

Answer 1

If he does it every day (usually in the morning and near bed time) and does not seem stressed -- like he is trying to get away- he is most likely getting exercise. They need to flap their wings, move around and burn off some energy, so it sounds like he is healthy. A few things to keep in mind when you have a parakeet (otherwise called a budgie)

Make sure you have a roomy cage (at least 16 inches long x 16 inches wide x 16-24 inches high, with no bigger than 1/2 inch spacing between the bars). It will make him much happier as he has room to move around. Give him a swing, which he might like a lot, a rope perch, a wooden perch and a crushed shell perch (all available at pet supply stores or on line, search "bird toys".)

Toys should be rotated often - just like we like to play with different things, so do they- and could include sisal rope, a bell toy, beaded toys, feathers with leather strips, a little mirror since he is by himself, (if he had another bird in the cage I would keep the mirror out) and lots more.    

Have a cuttle bone and a mineral block near his favorite perches. Offer  him treats like millet spray (just a small piece, about 2 inches long) and plain graham crackers. He should get fresh greens daily, such as dark green leafy lettuce, parsley, snap peas, and steamed or fresh veggies, such as carrots, red or green peppers, cooked yams, bits of apple, fresh corn, beans and some cooked wild or brown rice.. and parakeet pellets.  

A diet that has too much seed and nothing else can lead to fatty liver disease and vitamin deficiencies. (Don't buy the kind of vitamins you put in their water- it justs makes the water dirty and your bird won't drink enough anyway to benifit from it)

Also be sure that your bird has 2 dishes to get water- always change the water at least once a day. Dirty water has bacteria which can make your bird sick. Leave a radio on while you are gone. It makes them feel safer as quiet in their natural environment is a signal of danger. Also be aware that birds are very sensitive to odors- candles, potpourri, fragrances, carpet freshner all can make him sick.

So can fireplace and cooking fumes so be sure his cage isn't near any of these items.  

If your bird doesn't take a bird bath in a shallow dish, try using a water spritzer and mist the bird daily (from above so the water mists down like rain). It will keep his feathers and skin in good condition.

For more information, you might like a site called Tailfeathers. You can read articles, ask questions, find out where a good bird vet in your area is.. and chat about your budgie! :)    

Answer 2

He might be stressed or trying to lose his lose feathers. I have owned 5 paraketts and all seemed to do this. also if you dont know if it is a girl or a boy a boy has a blue or purple or pink stop above the beak. the females have like a darkish color

Answer 3

How big is the cage?

If its one of those little ones you often see small birds in he might be happier in a "flight cage"  which is a cage the same height but 2 to 3 times as wide.

We had a happy and healthy pair of parakeets in one of those for years and they loved to flap back and forth in it.

if he seems unduly high energy for too long you might want to check his diet.  if hes getting a lot of millet...  thats like feeding kids candy.  Cut back on it.  if hes ona side diet it could be too high in fats, pellets are much better if you can get him on them.  (It can be hard to get birds used to seeds to switch sometimes.  We've had luck using Nutriberries as an in between step.)

If it isnt obviously diet, but your still concerned,  you might want to get him checked out by the vet.  It costs a bit but the vet can do a blood panel and see exactly what his nutritional and sugar levels are.

Answer 4

Your parakeet could very likely be stressed out. When did you get him? Is he new to that cage? How often does he do this? I have owned three parakeets and none of them have ever done that. I think he may be stressed. Try moving the perches to different areas of the cage and see what he does. He could also be making a game out of it when he's bored.

Write more details so I can better answer. Hope this helps! :)

Answer 5

If in every other way your parakeet is behaving normal then he might just have energy.  My budgie (before he passed on) flew and jumped from perch to perch for hours on end.  He was a well behaved hand tamed bird. He never bit anyone (except my sister, another story).  Little birds have surprising amount of energy. Just watch their body language for clues as to how they are feeling.