# Parakeets (Budgies) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122 "2017-12-23T06:52:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/1 "2017-12-23T06:52:54Z")
I took my 11 yo daughter to the park today, and there was a lady doing face-paintings for $5, includes pics with parakeets. She didn’t want face paint, just to hold the birds, and I paid the $5. These birds were _extremely_ tame. The lady had three budgies, out in the open air at the park. She’d hand them all off to children and resume her face painting. When they did fly, it was a 45 degree angle straight to the ground and I wonder if something bad was happening. She was trying to sell the “trained parakeets” for $120 each ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/2 "2017-12-23T07:14:29Z")
Clipped wings. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/3 "2017-12-23T11:56:47Z")
Flight feathers trimmed. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/4 "2017-12-23T13:53:08Z")
Primary flight feathers clipped. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/5 "2017-12-23T14:48:14Z")
Call the bunco squad. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/6 "2017-12-23T19:04:06Z")
> [@dirty1](#): > > She was trying to sell the “trained parakeets” for $120 each I’ve hand fed budgie chicks. It’s a lot of work. The end result is worth $120, although I’ve either given them away or just added them to our little flock. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/7 "2017-12-23T19:20:24Z")
Budgies that are not only tame but comfortable around strangers to that degree require a LOT of intensive work from the time they are babies. They’re worth $120 each if they’re that well trained and socialized. And probably they had their primary flight feathers clipped. It doesn’t hurt the bird, just limits their flying, and in a few months they’ll molt the old feathers and grow new ones. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/8 "2017-12-23T19:22:02Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Budgies that are not only tame but comfortable around strangers to that degree require a LOT of intensive work from the time they are babies. They’re worth $120 each if they’re that well trained and socialized. > > And probably they had their primary flight feathers clipped. It doesn’t hurt the bird, just limits their flying, **and in a few months they’ll molt the old feathers and grow new ones.** And then, as per their training, will get out and fly back to the woman to be sold again. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/9 "2017-12-23T21:49:04Z")
When I was a kid we had a couple of pet budgies, imaginatively named Peter and Paul. They used to be out of the cage regularly, flying around in the house. One day Peter did, just like his nursery rhyme namesake, fly away because someone opened the back door. However he, again like the nursery rhyme, came back. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/10 "2017-12-23T22:07:22Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > And then, as per their training, will get out and fly back to the woman to be sold again. 😃 Never buy an exotic bird named, “Boomerang”. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/11 "2017-12-24T02:38:59Z")
> [@dirty1](#): > > She didn’t want face paint, just to hold the birds, and I paid the $5. Could you also feed them for [del]tuppence[/del] $5 a bag? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/12 "2017-12-27T07:46:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Budgies that are not only tame but comfortable around strangers to that degree require a LOT of intensive work from the time they are babies. They’re worth $120 each if they’re that well trained and socialized. > > And probably they had their primary flight feathers clipped. It doesn’t hurt the bird, just limits their flying, and in a few months they’ll molt the old feathers and grow new ones. Agreed - if they could not fly horizontally, they almost certainly have clipped feathers, but as you say, that alone does not nearly make a bird hand-tame. ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parakeets-budgies/805122/13 "2017-12-27T23:41:59Z")
Thanks everybody. I’m just glad that the birds weren’t harmed.