Billy
Budgerigar
Acquired: Pet store
Gender: Male
A fabulous companion
My budgie was the first pet I ever owned, and he brought great joy to my life during the twelve years he was with me. While he never learned to mimic, he had no trouble expressing himself; he was constantly chirping and singing to us. Very full of personality, and surprisingly opinionated -- especially when it came to what was playing on the radio!
He joined our family when I was around six years old. I'm not sure I'd recommend a budgie as a pet for a family with children under that age, nor would I recommend one for children who may not understand the need to treat such a small animal very delicately. That said, my budgie was an excellent first pet, and budgies are definitely a good "starter bird" for those who have never raised one before. They can live quite a long time with good care. Ten years or so is common, and some are on record as living to nearly thirty; make sure you're ready for a long commitment before you buy or adopt one.
Though social, our bird was never overly affectionate. As well, budgies are not particularly pretty singers, so you'll need to look elsewhere for a songbird. These were never issues for us, and I can't say there were any other problems, aside perhaps from the expected messiness (though he was quite easy to clean up after). He was truly a great companion and I'm glad to have had him with us for so long!
