Many pet owners believe that parakeets like mirrors and this is why they hang a mirror in their cages. You must wonder if mirrors are good for your budgies or not.
In this blog post, we will dive into the details of how does mirror affects your pet and whether you should provide them a mirror or not.
You should never put a mirror into your budgie’s cage or anywhere near them as prolonged exposure to their own reflection can lead to behavioral problems and even depression.
Are Mirrors Good for Parakeets?
Parakeets are social birds and they like to play and interact with humans and other birds. Mirrors can create a false sense of companionship and cause the bird to become withdrawn and antisocial.
Temporarily new bird owners would think that their pet is enjoying the company of the mirror but this will lead to several behavioral and health consequences for your feathered buddies which we will discuss now,
Curiosity Leads to Depression
Parakeets are naturally curious birds, and they may be fascinated by their reflection in a mirror. They may spend hours looking at themselves and exploring their reflection. They may sit near the mirror until their friend in the mirror interacts with them which will start building depression.
Aggression Leads to Self Harm
Usually, parakeets do not like to share their cage with other birds and this is why they may become aggressive towards their reflection in the mirror, thinking it is another bird invading their territory. This can lead to them attacking the mirror, which can cause self-injury.
Budgie Regurgitate their Food to their Partner
Some budgies may become obsessed with their reflection in a mirror even though it is not interacting with them. They may take it as their partner and start regurgitating their food to it which in turn their reflection will not eat.
They will try to feed their partner in the mirror to an extent where they may end up getting exhausted which might lead to severe health issues.
Behavioral Issues
Your parakeets might start ignoring you and stop engaging in all sorts of activities like eating and playing.
Hormonal Imbalance
Sometimes tamed budgies and other species of parrots are prone to hormonal imbalances therefore at first your bird might be enjoying the mirror as a toy and suddenly start showing aggression or territorial behavior which will trigger them to attack the mirrors.
Should A Parrot Have a Mirror?
While there are many drawbacks to giving mirrors to your parrots however there are some temporary benefits as well.
Pet Entertainment
The effects of mirrors vary depending on your parrot’s behavior, some parrots take the mirror as a toy and enjoy playing with it.
One of my parakeets plays peek-a-boo with its mirror and it loves playing with it while other budgie acted differently.
Therefore you can give a mirror sometimes for entertainment just to play but always monitor their behavior.
Instead of a mirror, it’s best to provide parrots with plenty of toys and environmental enrichment to keep them entertained and mentally stimulated. This can include items like puzzle feeders, chew toys, swings, and perches of different sizes and textures.
