Birds communicate between themselves and with human owners through chirps and chatter. Budgies are no exception, although they’re quieter than most parrot family members.
Budgies reach an average volume of around 68 decibels. That’s not quite as loud as a vacuum cleaner, but it’s louder than all but the most booming human voice. If you live in an apartment with a no-pets policy, you’ll not be able to hide the presence of budgies.
There are ways to keep budgies from growing too noisy. The most effective method is ensuring that your bird is happy and contented. Budgies are social and crave company. If you leave a budgie alone too long, it’ll cry out for you with a “flock call.”
Caring for budgies can be demanding, but if you forge a bond and establish a routine, most budgies won’t be overly vocal. You’ll quickly learn to understand what your budgies are communicating through their different verbalizations, thus keeping them happy and healthy.
Do Budgies Make a Lot of Noise?
If you’re looking for a silent pet, a budgie is not the one for you. All domesticated birds make noise, and budgies are no exception. Expect a budgie to sing, chirp, trill, and whistle throughout the day.
Keeping budgies in your home is akin to having a slightly loud roommate. Budgies create an average noise level of 65 – 68 decibels. 65 decibels is the maximum range of volume for human conversation, more akin to the noise levels associated with laughter.
In comparison, a typical dog’s bark will be around 80–90 decibels. Budgie noise is also less monotonous than canine barking. As per the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, budgies learn and expand their vocal repertoire to include various sounds.
You’ll need to decide if budgies will be too loud for you to live with. To stress, these are quiet birds compared to most parrots. All the same, if you have neighbors with thin walls, it could cause friction.
What Noises Do Budgies Make?
A budgie will make certain noises to express emotions and concerns. As an owner, you must learn to recognize and understand these noises.
Everyday noises that budgies make, and the explanation for these sounds, can be found in this table:
| Chattering: | Budgies chatter among themselves all day, so it’s more concerning if they fall silent. |
| Whistling: | Whistling is usually a sign of excitement and a message to other budgies that all is fine. |
| Singing: | Budgies sing to each other when they’re in a good mood and relaxed. |
| Chirping: | Short, sharp chirps are an invitation from one budgie to another to start singing. |
| Clicking: | A non-specific sound of happiness and contentment. |
| Squawking: | The budgie is demanding your attention. Perhaps you haven’t paid it enough attention, you missed a mealtime, or it’s been locked up for too long. |
| Screaming: | Budgies only scream when in pain or intensely afraid. |
| Hissing: | The budgie is angry or aggravated. |
| Speaking: | Budgies repeat short, single words they hear humans use. |
After a while, you should find it easy to communicate with your budgie.
Are Budgies Loud in the Morning?
Waking to the sound of birdsong is a universal experience, regardless of where we live. All birds are noisiest first thing in the morning, including budgies.
When sunlight reaches a budgie’s cage in the morning, expect the budgie to respond. Budgies flourish in sunlight, so the dawning of a new day after a long night is always welcome.
As social animals, budgies will also issue a flock call upon waking. It’s advisable to greet your budgie and return this greeting before it becomes louder, longer, and more pronounced.
Are Budgies Loud at Night?
If you’re a light sleeper, you may be concerned about the idea of budgies keeping you up at night. Thankfully budgies are diurnal, so they’ll sleep overnight and often remain silent until morning.
To achieve a restful night devoid of budgie noise, ensure that your bird’s circadian rhythms are in sync with your own. That involves allowing your budgie to be active during the day, although it’ll need to nap frequently.
As budgies burn energy quickly, allow your budgie a final exercise before bed and cover the cage. This darkness, coupled with the exhaustion of physical activity, will encourage a budgie to sleep.
If your budgie is still making noise at night, it’s likely doing so from a place of fear. In pitch blackness, budgies can’t see potential threats but can smell or hear them.
If you have other pets, keep them out of the room that hosts a birdcage at night. Consider getting a white noise machine, as this will block out external sounds and keep your budgie calm and relaxed.
Are Male Budgies Louder Than Females?
Every budgie is unique and has its own personality. Despite these, there are some unavoidable differences between the sexes, which is often reflected in the volume and manner of a budgie’s vocalizations.
Male budgies tend to be more relaxed and jollier. This means that male budgies may make more noise throughout the day. They’ll sing more freely and are more likely to use human language to speak.
Females may not speak or make as much noise, but when a female budgie chooses to vocalize, it can be much louder and sharper than a male.
As females are more territorial, they’ll likely hiss more when they feel their space is not respected.
Are American Budgies Louder Than English Budgies?
A fundamental difference between English and American budgies is noise levels. English budgies are typically calm and quiet, with American budgies making much more noise.
English budgies aren’t silent; they’ll still chirp, chatter, and speak (if taught). However, these larger budgies are quieter than their smaller counterparts.
How to Stop Budgies from Making Noise
If your budgie is too noisy for comfort, you may need to consider measures to quieten the bird down. However, silencing a budgie means suppressing its instincts, which can have consequences.
Ways that you could encourage a budgie to be a little quieter include:
- Spend more time with your budgie so that it feels more secure and enjoy an established routine.
- Ignore shouting, screaming, or squawking (within reason), and use positive reinforcement when your budgie lowers the volume.
- Remove anything that may be upsetting the budgie from a room, including other pets, strong scents, or noisy appliances.
- Relocate the budgie to a different location, where it feels more comfortable.
- Ensure your budgie gets more exercise time outside the cage and plenty of in-cage entertainment.
- Add a second budgie to the cage if applicable, so a solo budgie doesn’t feel obliged to make a loud flock call to attract your attention.
Never forget that some measure of noise is expected if you keep a budgie. If a once-talkative bird has fallen completely silent, something is amiss. The budgie is likely unwell or deeply unhappy.
