As a loving pet owner, you notice every little change your parakeet exhibits.
Whenever you notice something different you want to make sure you know what’s going on with your pet.
Learning why your bird exhibits certain behavior helps you understand and help your pet.
Oftentimes you may notice your parakeet trembling.
You might become nervous when you see your pet shaking and want to help them stop.
How do you know why your parakeet is shaking?
There are many reasons why your parakeet could be shaking. Maybe your pet is too hot or too cold, or maybe it’s related to their emotions whether they be happy, excited or anxious. Sometimes shaking can be a sign of more serious problems. It could be an indication of illness or malnourishment. It is actually fairly common for a parakeet to shake, so understanding the common reasons behind this will help you determine when further actions are needed.
Below you will find a detailed explanation of why your parakeet is shaking, the various reasons that cause trembling, and how you can get your bird to stop shaking.
Reasons why your parakeet is trembling
Your parakeet is too cold
Parakeets are affected by temperatures just like humans.
When it is too cold your bird will react to the low temperatures.
If you notice your parakeet shivering, she may be cold or feeling a chill.
Birds try to warm themselves up through shivering by warming up their muscles.
Keeping your bird’s environment at a temperature between 18 to 26 degrees celsius will help keep them comfortable.
If you typically keep your home at temperatures lower than this, your parakeet will likely become cold and start trembling.
How do you get your budgie to stop trembling?
If you notice your pet shaking, try turning up the room temperature or placing a covering over the cage.
Another reason your parakeet may be cold is if they just came from the shower.
In this case, your bird should warm up quickly and will stop shivering.
You can also get a heated perch to help keep your budgie warm.
If you notice your parakeet has stopped trembling after increasing temperatures to create a warmer environment, then you’ll know she was just cold and you don’t need to take her to the vet.
Your parakeet is too hot
Because parakeets generally like temperatures in the range of 18 to 26 degrees celsius, they can also react to hot temperatures.
Your parakeet may start shaking if she is too hot because she is trying to shake her wings to cool off.
If you see that your bird is lifting her feathers and shaking them around, she is likely trying to create a breeze and cool down.
If you live in a warmer climate you can set up a fan in the room or turn on the air conditioning so your parakeet doesn’t overheat.
Your parakeet is feeling nervous or stressed
Like humans, parakeets experience a range of emotions.
Stress and anxiety can affect parakeets, especially as a result of changes in their environment.
Shaking is a natural response for a stressed parakeet.
When a budgie is settling into a new home she will often feel some anxiety and nervousness, causing her to tremble.
It will take time for her to adapt to her surroundings.
Other environmental factors such as loud sounds or sudden movements can startle your pet and trigger trembling.
If you notice your parakeet shaking after turning on the TV or shattering a vase, you can assume she is simply scared.
If the house is quiet, however, and she is still trembling a lot, then you’ll need to investigate further.
Once your parakeet adapts to her new surroundings, the shivering will likely cease.
Some birds, on the other hand, may simply have a more anxious nature and exhibit trembling behaviors more frequently whenever they feel nervous or stressed out.
Your parakeet is preening
Preening is a natural grooming process that birds love.
Birds will smooth out their feathers and waterproof them during preening.
Some birds, such as parrots, like to shake and fluff up their feathers while preening.
According to Britannica, “Rearrangement of the feathers involves preening, scratching with the feet, and a general body shake produced by a muscular contraction sweeping from tail to neck.” So this general body shaking is a natural part of preening.
Your parakeet may ruffle her feathers and appear to tremble, but there is no need to worry here if it is temporary.
Once your budgie has stopped preening the trembling will stop shortly after.
If your pet is preening excessively or trembling long after preening then you should take her to the vet to see if there is another issue going on.
Your parakeet is happy or excited
While some parakeets tremble out of stress or fear, others may begin shaking as a result of happiness and excitement.
Parakeets, like dogs, can get excited when they see you or another bird that they can play with.
If you have bonded with your parakeet she might be really happy to see you return home, resulting in trembling and loud chirping.
Your budgie also may be excited by their favorite toy or treats, causing them to shake and flap their wings.
Your parakeet is getting ready to fly
Just like you might jump up and down or pace around when getting ready for a race, some parakeets become animated and put extra effort in when they are preparing to fly.
This can result in trembling behavior, as well as alternating feed on her perch as she is revving up for flight.
This shaking will only last for a moment, so again it’s nothing to worry about.
Your parakeet is sick
While we’ve covered many natural and unalarming reasons why your parakeet is shaking, if she is exhibiting excessive trembling and you haven’t found a solution above, then she may be sick.
Shivering can indicate that your bird is ill or wounded, especially when combined with other symptoms such as wheezing during breathing, inactivity, swollen eyes or lack of preening, among many others.
When your budgie is sick she will become lethargic and may tremble or convulse.
If the shaking doesn’t stop then you should take your parakeet to a professional as soon as possible.
Birds typically try their best to hide any signs of illness as a protective mechanism from prey.
So if your parakeet starts excessively trembling, then it’s likely she’s been sick for a long time and needs urgent medical attention.