Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 12/27/2007

Question
Hi its David again, and I put in a nesting box in my budgies' cage a few weaks ago and when the female goes in the nesting box, the male wants to go in the nesting box too, but the female usualy blocks the males way. Is this normal and why is she doing that?

Also my Dad says that my budgies need to build a nest in the nesting box, and he says to put material on the bottom of the cage. do the budgies need a nest?

Answer
Hi, David,

Male budgies guard the outside of the nesting box and the cage and female budgies guard the inside of the nesting box and care for the eggs/babies.  This is probably why the female is blocking the male from entering.  The male feeds his female while she is in the nesting box.  The male may just be curious of what's going on inside the box, but the female wants him to stay out!  What usually happens is the male makes the nesting the way he wants it to be before he allows the female inside.  Once the female is inside, the male usually stays out.  Mom budgie feeds the babies.  

Budgies do not need nesting material.  If they were outside in the wild, they would use nesting material to build their nest.  Since they have a nesting box, they do not need nesting material.  Lovebirds and a couple other species of parrots build nests inside their nesting boxes, but budgies do not.  In fact, most budgies will not go to nest with nesting material inside their nesting box.  They will not carry nesting material from the cage bottom into their box.  

Chrys