Budgies are fascinating animals and have specific physical mannerisms that are noticeable after a while.
One of those habits comes in the form of how their mouths move during the day.
It’s common for people to ask, why do budgies open and close their mouths?
Budgies open and close their mouths as a sign of nervousness or fear. It’s common for budgies to do this when they are transitioned to a new environment or something around them has changed (i.e. food availability, sound, temperature).
When this does happen, it’s best to find out what the root cause is.
If it is due to a budgie being moved to a new environment, it’s best to make them feel at ease. This includes offering a stable food source, changing the water regularly, and ensuring they are not around too much noise.
This article is going to shed light on what you can do if a budgie opens and closes its mouth often.
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Tips If A Budgie Opens And Closes Its Mouth Regularly
1. Maintain A Consistent Food & Water Source
If a budgie is moving its beak and making no sound, you are likely dealing with a terrified bird.
This is why it’s important to find out what is causing the budgie to be scared. This includes assessing its living conditions whether it has to do with the food or water bowl.
If you are not stabilizing what the budgie is eating, it is going to only get worse.
You need to make the budgie feel at home and that includes giving it a consistent diet of what it prefers.
You will also want to take the time to change the food regularly. Don’t let the food or water go stale as that is going to further induce panic in the budgie.
The more you focus on this, the easier it will be to remain on top of things.
2. Reduce Traffic Around The Cage
You will want to take the time to reduce the traffic that is around the budgie’s cage.
It’s common to want to put the budgie’s cage in the living room or somewhere it is visible. Yes, this is a good idea in some homes, but it might not be on day one.
You will want to give the budgie a chance to adjust.
The same goes for cages with multiple budgies.
You just want to give them the time to get used to what is going on around them. A simple adjustment will be a big one for budgies, so reducing foot traffic around the cage is a major plus in this situation.
3. Socialize With The Budgie
If it looks like a budgie is opening its mouth like it’s yawning then you will want to take a look at how socialized the bird is.
It is likely frightened by what’s happening and sometimes socialization does help as long as it’s with one budgie or one owner.
In the first few days, you will want to sit down around the cage without staring at the budgie or doing anything aggressive (i.e. making loud sounds). All you have to do is sit on your phone, perhaps sift through Instagram, and just let the budgie know you are there.
After a while, you can begin to gently speak to the budgie. This should only happen when you notice the budgie is willing to come to where you are sitting and doesn’t hesitate when you are around the cage.
4. Stabilize The Temperature
The last tip is to make sure you are stabilizing the temperature.
There is no reason for the temperature to be fluctuating a lot. This is going to upset the budgie, especially if it has just been moved to a new location.
Look to maintain the house at room temperature.
This is going to keep the budgie happy and it won’t think about its living conditions as much. Budgies are sensitive to how they are living, so you have to be aware of it too.
Final Thoughts
Why do budgies open and close their mouths?
Budgies will open and close their mouths out of fear, nervousness, and general fright. It’s a common sign of the budgie being uneasy. It can happen when a budgie is eating poorly, scared of a new location, or aggressive sounds.
You will want to find out the root cause as soon as possible.
Don’t let things continue for too long as that is only going to worsen the budgie’s mental state. Be diligent, make sure everything in the budgie’s life is stabilized, and learn to socialize with the budgie slowly.
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