Many people believe that male budgies are sweeter-natured than female budgies. There’s some truth to this, as females have more territorial and aggressive tendencies.
Male budgies are friendlier, less aggressive, and more likely to sing. Female budgies are quieter, more territorial, and feistier. So, males are easier to train because they’re more relaxed and sociable.
Males usually sing more, but females can be encouraged to vocalize. Likewise, females are more aggressive, but one that’s given a happy lifestyle and enough space will behave more calmly.
You can mitigate unwanted budgie behaviors with training and changes to their living environment.
Are Male Or Female Budgies Nicer?
Males faced with difficult situations tend to be friendlier and more sociable.
However, if you provide a female with enough food, enrichment, and company, it’ll become friendlier and more sociable. Training and personality supersede common gender-based tendencies.
You should expect some of her inherent behavioral traits to emerge, but these can be corrected with environmental changes, socialization, and training. Then, you’ll have a loving pet regardless of its sex.
However, inherent traits to watch out for in female budgies include the following:
Destructive Behaviors
Female budgies are charged with preparing nests, making them more prone to destructive behaviors. The female will tear apart toys, decorations, and bedding to create a warm, safe place to incubate her eggs.
This behavior is more common in captive budgies, where cavity nesting is unavailable. Unlike most birds, which craft nests from sticks, branches, flowers, and mud, budgies are cavity nesters. They’ll find hollow places in trees, shrubs, or man-made structures to lay their eggs.
However, if you don’t provide a nesting spot and the female doesn’t think it’s safe to lay her eggs in the open, she’ll attempt to establish a warm and safe nest.
Bite More
No studies confirm if female budgies are more prone to biting.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests that female budgies bite harder and more readily than their male counterparts. This is because they’re more protective of their toys, nests, and chicks.
Females are in the habit of defending their space and possessions, leading to more biting. Training can resolve this problem, as can preventing your budgie from feeling overcrowded.
Territorial Behavior
If you have several budgies and house them in a single cage, territorial behavior is most common among females. Budgies are territorial already, and the protective nature of females will escalate this.
Female budgerigars stay with their eggs and defend them from predators. This means they’re biologically wired to be more aggressive and territorial than their male counterparts.
So, housing several female budgies together is discouraged. Their territorial nature will likely cause more in-fighting and squabbles over space and possessions.
Outside of territorial disputes, you may also find the budgies growing jealous of the time each one spends with you. This can lead to discord when they’re left alone together.
Are Female Budgies Quieter Than Males?
There isn’t a consensus on whether male or female budgies are louder. Some people believe that males are more talkative, while others believe that females are chattier.
Males talk and sing more often than females because it’s a part of their courting rituals. They use their songs to impress females and mimic their calls, earning them a position as the most appealing mate. If males are louder, they’re trying to attract a partner.
For females, they may be louder due to their aggressive tendencies. A female may chatter and call to boss other budgies around, ward off intruders, and protect its toys.
An opinionated female may even call at her owner, attempting to boss them around.
Do Male Or Female Budgies Sing More?
As highlighted above, males sing more than females because songs are used to entice females into mating. The more varied and loud the song, the more impressive it will be to a potential mate.
In particular, the male will attempt to mimic any sounds the female makes. If she calls at him, he’ll repeat the sounds as closely as possible. The male that accomplishes this most will earn the female’s favor.
Singing is also an essential part of a relationship between mated budgies. Once they’ve bonded, they’ll eventually develop their own songs. This bond remains even if the breeding season leads to the pair mating with other budgies.
According to Animal Behavior, females will continue to remember and have a preference for the calls of their mates, even after being separated for 6 months.
Are Female Budgies More Dominant?
Female budgies are more likely to be dominant than male budgies. Since females are tasked with defending nests, it is possible for their aggressive and territorial behavior to manifest as dominance.
You’ll notice this as two budgies failing to get along. Fighting begins as squabbling but can easily escalate into physical conflict and eventual injuries. Likewise, dominance can show itself as territorial behavior, where a leading budgie stops others from eating, drinking, or using toys.
Females are more prone to this dominant behavior. Nonetheless, fighting can always happen in any group of budgies, regardless of their sex.
Personality, space constraints and limited food will impact a budgie’s likelihood of growing dominant.
Why Are Female Budgies Aggressive?
Due to their biological wiring, it’s easy to see why female budgies are more aggressive.
However, this isn’t true of all females, and some will be less dominant than males. Many serve as wonderful pets, living harmoniously with everyone else in their cage.
If you’ve trained, socialized, and cared for a female budgie, and she’s still aggressive, it may have one or more of the following explanations:
Hormonal Issues
Female budgies are sometimes more aggressive due to hormonal issues.
Remember, they’re hardwired to make and defend their nests, two behaviors that require mating. So, when a budgie is in condition (or ready to mate), it’ll display aggression.
Outside of this, females can display other hormonal behaviors, such as being stressed and irritable. Fluctuating hormones are uncomfortable for budgies.
When a budgie is in condition, it’ll seek out a mate. If it struggles or fails to locate one, it might attempt to breed with a perch or a toy. It may also lay unfertilized eggs, which it’ll attempt to defend.
Hormonal issues can be resolved by reducing the amount of daylight that your budgie is exposed to.
Two Budgies Don’t Get Along
Sometimes, budgies dislike others in their cage.
A pair of budgies will require time to warm up to each other, but some pairs will never get along. It can be due to a difference in personality or preferences. Some budgies are simply incompatible.
If you notice that one budgie acts physically aggressive toward another, separate them.
Health Issues
Both male and female budgies can become aggressive when unhappy.
This can be due to a poor diet, a bad environment, or a lack of mental stimulation. It can lead to a budgie getting stressed, increasing its level of aggression.
Budgies display aggressive tendencies to call attention to themselves. It’s their way of showing that they’re unhappy and need veterinary assistance or better living conditions.
Are Male Or Female Budgies Bigger?
There’s no difference in the size between male and female budgies (sexual dimorphism). Budgerigars are only sexually dimorphic in one regard: the color of their cere.
If you notice a significantly larger budgie than most others, you’re looking at an English budgerigar. English budgies (show birds) are a different breed. They’ll be twice the size of a normal budgie.
Do Male Or Female Budgies Live Longer?
Both male and female budgies are believed to have the same lifespan of 5-8 years in captivity.
There are many ways to extend the lifespan of a pet budgie, including:
- Good air quality
- A balanced, nutritious, and varied diet
- Removal of environmental stressors, such as predatory animals/pets and loud noises
- Providing toys and other sources of mental stimulation
- A larger cage size
- Opportunity for exercise
- Vet care (when needed)
Are Male Or Female Budgies Easier To Train?
Despite their hormonal and territorial issues, some owners believe that the nicest budgie they own is a female. However, others believe it’s easier to tame males due to their more sociable nature.
The budgie’s sex has little bearing on how easy it is to teach tricks. A budgie’s personality and upbringing will affect how easy it is to train, far more than any biological wiring.
When it comes to personality, it’s important to learn your budgie’s preferences and traits. Personality types among budgie genders and types are no more than generalizations.
