Home » How To Get A Scared Budgie Out of Its Cage [A Step-by-Step Guide]
how to let your budgie out of its cage

How To Get A Scared Budgie Out of Its Cage [A Step-by-Step Guide]

A budgie can be fearful of exiting its cage, particularly if it’s new to its environment or something traumatic happened. Likewise, untamed budgies tend to stay cage-bound due to anxiety.

To get a scared budgie to come out of its cage, remove anything that might scare or pose a danger.

Talk to your budgie to reassure it that it’s safe to come out. Then, offer snacks such as fruit and nuts, and be patient with your budgie so that it comes out of its own volition.

Budgies think of their cages as their safe space where they can relax without any disturbances and disruptions. So, never force a budgie to come out of its cage.

How To Let Your Budgie Out Of Its Cage

Dealing with a cage-bound budgie can be frustrating.

You want your budgie to feel comfortable in its environment and be free to fly around and play. For this reason, it can be disheartening to see your budgie isolate itself in its cage.

While it can be tempting to forcibly pull the budgie out of the cage, this is one of the worst things you can do. In fact, doing so is likely to do the opposite of what you want.

Your budgie will likely recoil with fear and become agitated. Even if you succeed in getting your bird out of its cage, it’ll only feel scared and become frantic, which is the last thing you want.

So, to encourage your budgie to emerge, you need to create a quiet, safe environment.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how:

Remove Anything Scary

Ensure there are no nearby threats. If you’re dealing with a scared budgie, it’ll be on high alert for anything that can pose a danger. A budgie won’t step out of its cage unless it feels safe.

Look around for anything that might scare your budgie. This may include cats and other pets, so secure them in another room before opening the cage door.

Make The Room Inviting

It’s not enough to make your budgie’s environment safe, as you also need to ensure that the room your budgie is staying in is inviting enough to draw it out of the cage.

Budgies are curious by nature and love to explore their environment. However, they’ll only do so if their environment looks appealing.

Switch off any bright lights, close windows/doors, and shut the curtains to keep the room peaceful.

Talk To Your Budgie

When dealing with a terrified budgie, you need to build trust.

One way to achieve this is by talking to your budgie and assuring it of its safety outside the cage. Your voice’s low, steady tone will likely put your budgie at ease, even if it doesn’t understand the words.

Once you’ve opened the cage door, sit near the cage and reassure your budgie that you’re around so that it’s safe to come out. If your budgie trusts you, it’ll soon feel comfortable approaching you.

budgie won't come out of cage

Treat for Encouragement

If your budgie still refuses to come out, you’ll need to bait it out with a treat.

Place a bowl of fresh fruit or millet near the cage entrance and step away to observe from a distance. Eventually, your budgie will come out of its cage for its snack.

At first, your budgie may only come out of its cage for a few seconds before reverting to its cage. However, it’ll realize that being out of the cage is safe and start to come out more.

When that starts, you should move the plate further from the cage.

Patience And Positive Reinforcement

Depending on your budgie’s personality, luring it out of its cage can take a while.

So, be kind, loving, and patient with your budgie as it learns to overcome its fear. Likewise, use positive reinforcement when helping your budgie overcome its fear of leaving the cage.

According to the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, positive reinforcement has been shown to promote voluntary behavior and reduce stress in psittacine birds, such as macaws and budgies.

Praising or rewarding your budgie for any milestones achieved, no matter how small, will go a long way towards building its confidence.

Why Won’t My Budgie Come Out Of Its Cage?

If your budgie won’t leave its cage, this phobia arises due to neglect and a lack of socialization.

If a budgie has been confined in its cage for prolonged periods, it eventually associates the confinement with safety. In other words, it learns that its cage is its only safe place.

Likewise, budgies who have suffered neglect or abuse from their owners tend to isolate themselves and eventually become reluctant to leave their cages.

Remember, budgies are social creatures that require company and attention. So, if a budgie is deprived of social interaction, it’ll learn to fear the outside world and believe its cage is its only sanctuary.

Budgies that have been cage-bound for long periods can become frightened and even aggressive if they’re forcibly removed from their cage.

You may experience screaming and other frantic behaviors. It’s important to understand that these fear-driven behaviors can be corrected with healthy socialization and trust-building.

When Can You Let A Budgie Out Of Its Cage?

You should only let your budgie out of its cage once you’ve created a safe environment for it. A scared budgie won’t come out unless it is assured of its safety outside the cage’s confines.

So, before opening the cage to lure it out, ensure that all potential threats are removed. This includes switching off noisy appliances, stopping ceiling fans, securing other pets, and turning off bright lights.

How Long Should A Budgie Be Out Of Its Cage?

Tamed budgies should be allowed out of their cage for a minimum of 2 hours per day. Spending time outside the cage is important since it allows them to exercise by flying around.

Consequently, this keeps stress at bay, ensuring that your budgie remains happy. According to Applied Animal Behaviour Science, flying around can improve the mental health of parrots.

Ideally, trained budgies should be allowed to leave their cages and return as often as they like. Untamed budgies also need some time out of their cages, although they may need to have their wings clipped to ensure their safety.

Getting a budgie out of its cage involves patience, treats, and a safe environment. If you’ve provided these conditions, your budgie should be willing to come out.