How smart and social is yours?

I was curious how many people have a budgie. The kind that often sells for about 15 dollars at small pet stores. I have had mine for about 10 years and she is one hell of a little bird. Very smart, social, and very happy. Tweety will ride in a shirt pocket and hang out on my shoulder when I take her to pet stores. She is the only bird I have that I can actually wander around the mall with, because nobody knows I have a live animal in my pocket. I was curious if anyone else has similar results with their keets. Oh yeah, she is also potty trained and will go on command every time.

My first birds were a pair of keets and were much like yours in temperament! But full flighted. I had them as a kid and worked with them daily, they lived to the ripe old age of 16 and 18. I loved those two even thou the hated each other. Had to have two separate cages.

Never had a 'keet that couldn't become the most personable bird you ever met. By nature they're social, gregarious, and promiscuous. Makes for a critter that can adapt easily to it's human companions social habits. Only when abused or neglected have I ever seen a 'keet you could generally describe as "fearful" or "mean".

My first bird, JoJo (blue mutation budgie) was with me from age 5 to 13--way back in the days when you were as apt to get a wild-caught bird as you were a human-hatched. Vet figured he was about 15 when I got him. Good bird. Still miss him.

You are lucky that you got to grow up with a bird. I didn't get my first bird until I was 17. My mother was always told by her mother that birds were filthy and stupid, no smarter than gold fish. Since we got our first bird, my mother knows now how very wrong her mother was. It is incredible how smart and able to adjust to new situations all birds are.

About 7 years ago, we got our first budgie...Nygel. He was a fabulously awesome bird! I had no idea birds had such a personality until I got him. He also had a friend named Mango. They were so cute together, best friends.

They started my love for birds, although I was always fascinated by them.

Now, we have Pablo. He has a huge personality, but does not like to be out of his cage. He chats with us, sings, plays, etc. He has no problem stepping up, and even letting us scritch his little head, under his wings, etc. But if we step away from his cage, he flies right back to it.

I just started with my pet Roxy, like a year ago and she is soo smart and loving! I really enjoyed having her around the house but I need to train her some more so she will learn and do other tricks.

budgies are often underestimated!

however, i would NEVER take any of my birds into a pet store - the recent outbreak of psittacosis at Petsmart should be a reminder to all of why birds should stay away from any place selling birds.

I used have two, but they were nothing like what you guys describe. When i got them they were probably ten years old though, and the lady that used to have them I think wasn't very social with them... so naturally they were not very social either.

But for some reason, after we got them, they started fighting and we had to seperate them. Then they quit eating. I have no idea what was wrong with them.

Eventually they started eating again but the male got sick and died. it was so sad. After that, the femal quit eating again and never started. We tried to get her to eat but i really wasn't sure how you would go about forc-feeding a bird... It was almost as if she missed the other one even though they fought all the time.

We recently got 2 budgies about 3 months ago. Mercy and Grace and they instantly bonded with each other. It has been difficult training them, but over time I'm sure they will be fantastic birds.