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    englishNoise Level of Budgies

    Anyone considering getting budgies has probably already asked themselves the question: "How loud can a budgie, or two or more, get?"

    It is definitely wise to ask this question before acquiring this bird species, as, contrary to what one might think, these fairly small birds can produce surprisingly loud noises. Many owners have been astonished by the volume of these sounds. This article provides a broad insight into and behind the soundscape of the budgie world and answers the most frequently asked questions in a comprehensive summary of this large topic.

    How loud is a budgie anyway?

    A budgie exhibits various vocalizations, which differ in volume and type.

    Noise level of budgies
    Budgie male "yelling" at his female

    From soft murmuring, increasing chirping, piercing calls to short, chattering screams, which can sometimes sound quite deafening, a budgie can produce a wide range of sounds.

    Although not all budgies are the same, they do share one thing in common: they are not exactly a quiet species of parrot, and in their loudest moments, they can reach a noise level of 70-85 decibels. This volume is comparable to the sound of street traffic or an animated conversation between people.

    Since budgies should always be kept in pairs at the very least, it is only logical that the birds will fulfill their need for communication and thus fill the house with "life." This fact might lead to the assumption that a single budgie would be quieter. Apart from the fact that budgies are flock birds that need at least one companion of the same species, the assumption about the reduced noise level is only partially correct. Even a single budgie will attempt for a long time to make contact with its surroundings, using very loud and piercing contact calls to search for a partner it may wrongly believe is being withheld from it. The result of such solitary keeping is severe behavioral disorders and frustrated owners whose bird does not meet the expectation of being quiet, and in the long run, a bird that becomes resigned and isolated. In some cases, this resignation may lead a bird to remain permanently silent. However, this does not correspond to proper bird care, and if a budgie's noise level is found to be too disturbing, one must question whether a budgie is indeed the right pet for a potential owner.

    It is undeniable that the number of budgies is directly proportional to the noise level. Naturally, two budgies are quieter than a flock with several birds of this species. However, this also depends on the character of each individual budgie. Therefore, it is impossible to give a definitive statement about the exact noise level. Based on various reports from budgie owners who provide homes for different numbers of budgies, one can get a general impression.

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    Is there a louder gender among budgies?

    It is often said that male budgies (cocks) are the louder and more talkative ones, while female budgies (hens) are considered quieter. Here, too, there is no definitive answer. As with any animal, it depends greatly on the personality of the individual bird, as well as the perception of the owner.

    While cocks often chirp and sing melodiously, hens are more likely to chatter and scold, according to experience. Which of the two vocalizations is perceived as pleasant or less pleasant is entirely subjective. Since the difference in the individual sounds cannot be easily compared side by side, it is impossible to measure a significant difference in volume between the genders without a decibel measurement. What is certain is that budgies are not silent companions, and keeping two males does not necessarily result in a quieter environment than keeping a male-female pair of budgies.

    It should also be noted that older budgies are not necessarily quieter. While there are certainly exceptions, they are not the norm. Often, older budgies only differ from younger ones in terms of activity, while their noise level generally remains the same.

    Quiet Times – Loud Times

    Do budgies chirp all day long? Are budgies noisy throughout the day, or are there times when they quiet down? When or at what time of day are budgies the loudest?

    First, the good news – budgies are not equally active at all times of the day.

    In fact, budgies have more active times during the day when they become quite lively. Typically, these are the morning hours. As the sun rises and the room becomes bright, the little parrots cannot hold back their urge to chirp and want to express their joy in life. During this time, they play, call, chirp, and chatter energetically, especially if their food is not delivered quickly enough. It is often observed that the more birds there are, the longer this first active period lasts, and it can easily extend for several hours.

    By midday, the birds often calm down a bit. Rest periods can be observed, during which the budgies sleep or quietly murmur while taking a siesta. This break is often followed by a second very active phase later in the day when the budgies become lively once again. After dusk and in the dark, most budgies are completely silent.

    The active time, however, is very much influenced by the individual daily routine in a budgie's home. Feeding times, lighting, and environmental factors such as sounds and weather can influence and shift these active periods.

    Weather and lighting often influence the noise level of budgies. On bright days with plenty of sunshine and good lighting in the room, budgies are particularly active and, therefore, louder. On cloudy and rainy days, quieter behavior is often observed, which also affects the noise level. These fluctuations are normal and, like in humans, are caused by changes in mood.

    Environmental Sounds and Budgies

    Why do budgies automatically get louder when their surroundings become noisier?

    Anyone who already keeps budgies knows this. You have guests over or are on the phone, and the budgies seem to automatically get louder, as if they want to drown out the noise. This behavior is also observed when music, the television, a vacuum cleaner, or other sounds are present.

    This is rooted in the nature of the budgie. Budgies originate from the Australian wilderness, where they rely on each other within the flock to alert one another to potential dangers so that every flock member is aware. Budgies have developed a unique method of communication for this situation: silence!

    If various budgies in a flock were all calling out "warning cries" at once, it would likely create chaos in the wild, and the potential predator would be even more alerted. Therefore, most budgies remain silent in the face of danger.

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    However, when they feel safe and comfortable, they express this by constant chirping, quiet murmuring, and normal communication through various sound combinations. As long as a budgie hears a certain (familiar) background noise, it signals to them, "Everything is fine – no danger!"

    This principle, which is still instinctively ingrained in our domesticated budgies, leads them to adjust their volume to communicate to their surroundings: "We feel good, everything is great!" It is, therefore, a natural reaction to their environment that prompts a budgie to seemingly want to outdo us in volume from time to time.

    Can I train my budgie to be quiet?

    Budgies are incredibly stubborn for their size. In terms of training or conditioning, they are not comparable to dogs or cats, although they are by no means less intelligent than these other pets as members of the parrot family. Budgies can learn to perform various tasks or even follow commands.

    However, training them to be quieter or to reduce their need for communication does not work. You cannot silence a budgie, and it will chirp as long as it feels like it, especially once the sun rises. Naturally, they react to environmental factors, as mentioned earlier. However, it is largely impossible to train a bird to stop chirping on command.

    A reasonable way to calm birds down somewhat could be to dim the cage or aviary in the evening (as a preparation for the night, for example) to create a calmer atmosphere. However, this should never be misused as a method to silence a bird.

    There are certainly ways to quiet a bird. By permanently intimidating, frightening, or keeping a bird in darkened rooms, it may become quieter. However, since this is equivalent to animal cruelty and no one who truly wants to care for budgies properly would ever implement such measures, we will not elaborate further on this.

    A budgie should always have the opportunity to meet its needs, such as flying and chirping, and to express them freely. If a potential owner cannot or does not want to provide a suitable environment for these needs, then a budgie is not the right pet. It is worth considering whether a quieter bird species or a completely different type of pet might be more suitable.

    Are other bird species quieter or louder than budgies?

    Among pet birds, many species are just as popular as budgies, and they vary in their noise levels.

    If you are set on having a bird as a pet but find the noise level of a budgie to be an issue, this overview of bird species may help. The labels "quieter" or "louder" are based on comparison to the noise level of a budgie.

    Quieter Bird Species

    • Canaries
    • Zebra finches
    • Diamond doves
    • Various finches
    • Bourke's parrots
    • Barred parakeets
    • Amadines
    • Turquoise parrots

    Louder Bird Species

    • Lovebirds
    • Cockatiels
    • Ring-necked parakeets
    • Large parrots
    It is important to note that NO bird is truly quiet. Even a relatively quiet canary can be overwhelming for someone sensitive to noise. Perception of noise levels varies from person to person and is subjective.

    Budgies, Landlords, and Neighbors …

    At the mention of these keywords, everyone knows what it’s about. Can I keep budgies in a noisy rental apartment? Can my landlord forbid me from keeping budgies? How many budgies am I allowed to have? What can I do if there are complaints?

    These are all questions that should ideally be clarified in advance. Before you even think about acquiring and keeping these beloved Australian birds, you should seriously consider these legal aspects and see if keeping them is legally permissible.

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    In Germany, the legal system stipulates that keeping small animals is always allowed and cannot be prohibited by a property owner or landlord. However, this includes a gray area that arises from the definition of individual terms. This sometimes makes it a bit difficult for small pet owners, in this case of budgies, to be fully legally secure.

    According to tenancy law, small animals are defined as those that are kept in closed cages or appropriate enclosures and cannot move freely in the apartment, causing damage. Additionally, they are not able to disturb the neighbors. From a legal perspective, this includes birds like budgies, canaries, etc., rodents like gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs, as well as reptiles and fish.

    For the keeping of budgies, this would mean that the birds would have to be kept permanently in a cage or aviary, without free flight. However, this contradicts the requirements for proper animal husbandry, as birds urgently need free flight. It is not entirely clear whether supervised free flight or free flight under the presence of the owner would provide full legal security. However, since this prevents damage to the apartment itself, it is tolerated in most cases.

    The situation is different regarding noise. Although budgies, which are classified as small animals according to tenancy law, often lead to disputes in practice due to noise. Noise disturbance is a loophole for landlords, property owners, and neighbors.

    In noisy apartments or during summer with open windows, it can naturally happen that sensitive neighbors might feel disturbed by the birds' chirping. In such cases, they could enforce a cease and desist order if it can be proven that the keeping of the budgies causes a genuine disturbance to the neighborhood, etc. Exactly how such a disturbance is defined is vague and difficult to capture. Often, it is at the discretion of the judge.

    Such lawsuits and cases are rare and rarely lead to the surrender of budgies. However, there are cases where noise reduction measures (soundproofing) had to be implemented. These often involve cases with more than two budgies and with hardened parties who could not come to an agreement or compromise by any other means.

    The experience of many budgie owners shows that open communication can help prevent complaints from neighbors. Invitations for coffee and creating a connection between the neighborhood and one's pets often increase the tolerance level, allowing the neighbor or landlord to overlook the cheerful singing of the budgies. More tips and exchanges on this can always be found in the forum.

    Now to the question of the number of budgies. How many budgies are allowed in an apartment? This question cannot be definitively answered and remains within undefined clauses of some rulings and tenancy law. The keeping of budgies and small animals is allowed in "usual" numbers, corresponding to the size of the apartment. There are no exact numbers on this. The additional stipulation that this usual number seems to be fulfilled when it does not lead to neglect of the apartment or an unreasonable disturbance to the neighborhood and other tenants in the house is flexible and again subject to the interpretation of the respective interested party.

    Attention and sensitivity to the reactions of those around you to your pet ownership should always be observed. By keeping these things in mind, a lot of trouble can be avoided before it arises, and a happy cohabitation between budgies, owners, and neighbors can be achieved.

    We hope to have provided a broad insight into the world of budgies and their soundscape. Enjoy exploring the topic further.