Adoption & bird safety

Wings are for flying

Our stance: we do not support routine wing clipping for convenience, taming or escape prevention. We ask adopters to keep birds fully flighted and make their surroundings safe. An individual medical need must be discussed with an avian veterinarian and the rescue.

Flight supports exercise, natural behaviour and a bird’s ability to choose where to go. Clipping can affect balance and controlled landings, and frightened birds may fall and injure themselves.

Clipped birds can still escape outdoors, especially with wind assistance. A tame bird, a strong bond or clipped wings never replaces a secure enclosure. Birds already clipped or unable to fly still deserve care, adapted housing and protection from falls.

Why a compatible companion matters

Budgies are flock birds. A compatible budgie companion offers shared calls, play, company and natural social interaction, including when people are busy or away. Human attention is valuable, but cannot fully provide another budgie’s companionship.

Two budgies can still enjoy human company and build trusting relationships with their carers. Give both birds patient, gentle attention and enough space, food stations and enrichment.

We aim to keep established pairs together. If two available budgies arrived as a pair, we will ask whether you can welcome both. This does not mean any two birds will get along: introductions, quarantine and housing must be planned, and birds must never be forced to share a cage. We consider each bird’s needs when matching a home.

Clean air is essential

Birds are particularly sensitive to inhaled pollutants. Keep their air free of cigarette and vape smoke, candles (including unscented burning candles), incense, perfumes, deodorant sprays, hairspray, air fresheners, wax melts and essential-oil or reed diffusers.

Cleaning sprays, disinfectant mist, bleach fumes, pesticides, paint, solvents, smoke and burning plastics also require care. Keep birds away during cleaning or renovation, follow product directions and arrange a genuinely separate, safe air space. Never spray products near birds or mix cleaning chemicals.

A closed bathroom door, an extractor fan or an open window does not establish that fumes cannot reach a bird. Ventilation helps but is not a substitute for removing the source. Some dangerous fumes have no noticeable smell.

Cookware and heated appliances

Heated PTFE coatings, often associated with Teflon and non-stick products, can release fumes that rapidly kill birds. Cookware, some air fryers, grills, irons and other heated items may contain coatings: check the exact product with its manufacturer. A ‘PFOA-free’ claim alone does not establish that it is PTFE-free.

Choose verified PTFE-free cookware and appliances, keep birds away from cooking and avoid self-cleaning oven cycles around birds. Hot pans, steam, boiling liquids and flames create further hazards. A bird in another room may still be exposed through shared air.

Before opening the cage

Close every window and lock outside doors before flight time. Tell everyone the birds are out. Do not open an outside door or window until every bird is secured in its cage or aviary. Plan for visitors and deliveries first.

Switch ceiling and portable fans off and wait until the blades stop. Cover or clearly mark unfamiliar glass and mirrors. Separate cats, dogs and other pets behind closed doors.

Close toilet lids; empty or cover sinks, baths and other open water. Keep birds away from kitchens, hot surfaces, cords, toxic plants, medicines, unsafe metals and small chewable objects. Check doors, recliners, cushions and appliances before moving or using them. Supervise throughout.

Taking a cage outside safely

Secure the bird inside before crossing an outside doorway. Check every main door, feeding door, nest-box opening, removable roof, slide-out tray and base connection. Use secure, bird-safe fastenings that the bird cannot undo; check for gaps, damaged bars and loose panels.

Support the base when carrying a cage; do not rely only on a top handle or detachable stand. A suitable secure carrier is often safer for transport. Never open or transfer birds between enclosures outdoors or on an open balcony.

Stay with the cage. Put it on a stable surface away from balcony edges, predators and wild-bird contact. Provide shade the bird can reach, fresh water and airflow; avoid heat, strong wind, rain, smoke and pesticide drift. Do not cover the cage in a way that traps heat or blocks ventilation. Never leave a bird loose outdoors because it is tame or clipped.

Food, fresh water and clean bowls — every day

Fresh drinking water and appropriate food must be available at all times. For budgies and other seed-and-pellet-eating birds, this means a suitable seed and pellet supply. Follow the agreed species-appropriate diet for birds with different needs, such as lorikeets.

Check food bowls throughout the day. A bowl full of empty seed husks can look full even when no edible seed remains. Make sure every bird can reach food and water without being pushed away by another bird.

Wash water bowls thoroughly every day, rinse well and refill with fresh water. Replace water and clean the bowl sooner whenever food, droppings or other debris contaminate it. Do not simply top up dirty water. Keep seed and pellet bowls clean and dry, and discard damp or spoiled food.

Remove leftover fruit and vegetables and wash their bowls daily. Remove fresh foods sooner in warm weather or whenever they become soiled or begin to spoil; do not leave them until the next day. Fresh produce is additional to the appropriate staple food and clean water that remain available.

Everyday risks and a backup plan

Check where every bird is before walking, sitting, closing a door or moving furniture. Small birds can land on floors, chairs or bedding. Never sleep with a bird in your bed or under blankets. Children and visitors need supervision and clear instructions; nobody opens an exit until all birds are secured.

For car travel, use a secure, ventilated carrier restrained so it cannot slide or tip. Never travel with a bird loose or on your shoulder, open the carrier beside an open car door, or leave a bird in a parked vehicle. Keep the vehicle comfortable and free of smoke and fragrances.

Keep avocado, chocolate, caffeine and alcohol out of reach. Choose a diet appropriate to the species, provide fresh water and remove spoiled food. Do not abruptly remove a familiar food to force a diet change; check that each bird is actually eating.

Keep lead and zinc sources, batteries, jewellery and flaking coatings away from curious beaks. Check cage materials and hardware; a product sold for pets is not automatically suitable for every bird.

Provide a predictable, quiet sleep routine. Arrange a backup carer who knows these rules, the bird’s diet and any prescribed medicines. Keep your carrier, vet details, medication instructions and evacuation plan ready. Do not give human medicines or unprescribed treatments.

Seek urgent veterinary help for breathing difficulty, collapse, bleeding, injury or suspected poisoning. Birds can hide illness; changes in appetite, activity, droppings or ability to perch deserve prompt avian-veterinary advice. Any cat or dog bite or mouth contact needs urgent assessment even if a wound looks tiny.

A home suited to the bird

Send us cage photos and its width, depth, height and bar spacing. Horizontal room for movement matters; a tall, narrow decorative cage is not a substitute. Provide appropriate natural perches, safe chewing and foraging activities, and room for all birds to move without crowding.

Inspect toys, bells, clips and ropes for sharp edges, loose parts, trapped-toe gaps and fraying fibres. Mirrors are not a replacement for a compatible bird companion. Check suitability with us, and adapt the setup for disabled or elderly birds.

Arrange an avian vet, a secure carrier and an after-hours plan. Give new birds time to settle, and follow individual quarantine and introduction advice before contact with resident birds.

Ready to apply?

Read this guide before completing the questionnaire. The form asks you to confirm that you have read and understood it and agree to provide the safety measures described. Ask us about anything unclear before ticking the acknowledgement. It records your understanding; it does not guarantee an adoption.

We are happy to help you prepare. Every home and bird is assessed individually.