There are many dangers that birds have that other pets such as dogs and cats are not susceptible or exposed too, and each year hundreds of budgies are hurt or killed by common house hold dangers.

Here we will cover over 50 of most common things to watch out for to keep your new budgie safe and out of harms way!

Since they are native to Australia which has a great variety of temperature changes, budgies can naturally live in very warm and cold conditions. These changes however occur gradually and over time, not suddenly, and it is important that you do not expose your budgie to extreme temperature changes.

Extreme temperature changes can weaken the immune system and make them susceptible to bacterial and viral infections among a number of other things, so be sure to make any temperature changes gradually over a period of time so they can adjust.

Cold drafts can also weaken your budgies system if they are regularly exposed to them, so when trying to decide what is the best place in your home for your new family members cage be sure to take drafts into consideration.
Next to doors that will constantly be opened and closed during cold months, or by older or leaky windows is not a suitable place for your little one to live.

There is a very easy way to check if the area you are planning on keeping your budgie in your home is prone to drafts or not, simply light a small unscented candle (do not attempt this with the budgie in the room) in the area you are considering setting up the cage up. 

A flame is an excellent way to check for drafts near your budgies cage

Does the flame stand completely still? Or does it move? If it moves, or with the worst drafts is completely blown out, this is not the place you want to keep your new little family member.

Budgies have very sensitive respiratory systems, and things that do not bother us or our other pets can be deadly to them even in very small amounts.

Examples to be avoided around your budgie

Scented candles, aerosol sprays, perfume, and air fresheners are deadly to these little guys. All of these things have a large amount of chemicals that they put into the air that a budgies delicate little lungs can not handle. Many budgies have been killed from these when their owners were not aware of how dangerous they were to them, so be sure to avoid them at all cost around your little feathered friend.

Nail polish or paint when wet or chewed also poses a threat. If you choose to use it, make sure it is in a well ventilated room far away from your budgie until completely dry and the fumes have dissipated. Never let your budgie chew on any kind or paint or nail polish.

Cigarette, pipe or any other kind of smoke is also toxic to your budgie. If the smoke does not kill them instantly, it will drastically lower their life expectancy and leave them with a weakened immune system.

Teflon or non-stick cookware and heaters.  When these are heated they produce deadly fumes, even when only heated to a low heat. Avoid them at all cost around your birds! If you choose to use them be sure to have your feathered friends a number of rooms away with closed doors and plenty of fresh air circulating.

A potentially dangerous non-stick griddle

Wait at minimum a number of hours while ventilating the area where the cooking was done before bringing your budgie back into the room.

Cleaning products are also something to be very careful when using around your budgie. Most of them have strong scents, and equally if not stronger chemicals that can harm their lungs like the things cookware and heaters mentioned above. 

There are a number of safe cleaning products made especially for birds though, as well as natural ones that are safe to use around your flock. Here are some examples of safe and unsafe cleaning products:

Unsafe cleaning examples:

• Pine Sol
  
• Scented disinfectants 
  
• Bleach
  
• Toilet bowl cleaner
  
• Tub and shower cleaners
  
• Swiffer cleaning solutions and products
  
• Fabreeze products
  

Safe cleaning examples:

• Poop off
  
• Mild dish soap
  
• Vinegar
  
• GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract)
  
• Bon Ami
  
• Borax
  
• F10 biocare cleaners and disinfectants
  

There are a number of foods that should never be consumed by your budgie because of the things they contain. 

There are also a number of foods that need to be prepared properly before hand to be safe for them to eat. 

Here are some of the most common ones to be careful with, or avoid all together!

Alcohol, coffee, and anything with carbonation or caffeine in it including pop/soda are obvious things that should be avoided. 

The toxins in avocado, especially in the skin and pit, contain things that can cause heart failure among a host of other problems in birds. 

Seeds or pits from any fruit are also toxic and need to be removed before offering them to your budgie. An exception to this would be some berries like raspberry, blueberry and strawberry.

Chocolate is also something that we should avoid with any pet.. It can cause serious digestive and nervous system problems including vomiting, diarrhea and seizures as the less serious side effects. 

Please be very careful not to let your budgie ever have an opportunity to eat even the smallest amount.

Onions and Mushrooms are also toxic in large amounts, causing digestive problems and upset in most parrots. 

Some will use garlic, a member of the onion family, in small amounts for medicinal purposes, but be careful not to use too much as they can cause more harm than good when misused.

Potatoes, Beans and Rice are toxic, or pose a threat of expanding once eaten unless cooked. Be sure to cook and prepare them properly before offering them if you choose to do so. 

Quinoa is a very healthy grain to offer your budgie, but it naturally has a potentially dangerous coating on it called saponin. A good thorough wash of the quinoa before cooking will remove this, and after being fully cooked it is an excellent thing to offer! This like Rice should never be offered raw as it will expand inside the bird after being eaten otherwise.

Salt and sugar should both be avoided in your budgies diet in excessive amounts. A small amount of these things will naturally be found in different foods including fruits and vegetables, and that is all your budgie should have of these things. Fruits especially should be limited, because too much sugar can cause a number of health problems.

Cold food can be just as dangerous to your budgie as the foods mentioned above. If you have ever quickly had a whole glass of something cold, you know how quickly it can change your body temperature. Budgies have a much higher metabolism than we do, and need to maintain a high body heat constantly for their body to function properly. 

When a budgie ingests cold food it slows their whole system down, making it work overtime to try and get their temperature back up. If your budgie was already under stress or molting etc where they already had a weakened system, they might not be able to cope with a drastic change in temperature.

While this is not a food, saliva from any animal including humans is also toxic. It contains bacteria that their systems to not naturally posses, and can cause a host of problems.

Please keep all unsafe plants out of your budgies reach

Poisonous household plants can pose a great danger to a curious budgie that naturally likes to chew. There are a number of safe and unsafe house plants, so please be sure to check and make sure the ones you currently have or plan to get in the future will be safe if there is a chance that your budgie will have access to them. Some of the most common poisonous plants include:

Toxic Examples:

• Cactus
  
• Daffodil
  
• Holly
  
• Honeysuckle
  
• Mistletoe 
  
• Ivy
  
• Lillies
  
• Poinsettia
  
• Umbrella Plant
  

Safe Examples:

• Aloe Vera
  
• African Violets
  
• Bamboo
  
• Impatiens
  
• Jade
  
• Orchids
  
• Roses
  

Natural branches are a great thing to have for your budgies cage and play gym, but you need to be choosy in both they type and where you get these branches from. Safe common safe branches include but are not limited to apple, cherry, maple and oak.

Any branches you choose must be taken from an area away from roads or industrial buildings, where they are constantly exposed to toxic gas and chemicals which they absorb and are coated with.

All safe natural branches need to be thoroughly cleaned to get rid of any traces of wild bird droppings which carry many diseases, and baked to make sure there are no parasites of any kind that while unseen to the naked eye, could be transferred to your budgie.  

Paint, stain and wallpaper are not acceptable things to chew on and can poison your budgie. Make sure that your budgies cage and play areas are out and away from any walls with wallpaper on them, and that the surfaces your budgie explores and could potentially chew on are paint and stain free.

Hot stoves and heaters are always something to be aware of!  If your budgie is fully flighted or likes to sit on your shoulder and while you walk around the house throughout the day they could easily end up burned or worse. The best place for a budgie is their cage when using any potentially harmful heated items 

Another thing to be considerate with regards to a heater is what it is actually made of, as some use Teflon and other hazardous coatings which put off odorless but deadly chemicals when heated.
Regardless of what your heater is made of however, always make sure a new heater has had a chance to burn off any chemicals from being made before using it in the same room as your birds.

Toilets, sinks, washers, buckets and bowls of water could drown your budgie in a matter of seconds since they can not swim. Keep all open sources of water covered or doors closed to them so they are out of reach during play times.

Ceiling and other uncaged fans can kill your budgie in a matter of seconds. If you have these in your home, make sure they are not in use while they are out of the cage, and/or give them a slight clip for their protection so they will not be able to get high enough to reach them!

Couches or chairs with retractable foot rests can easily smash a budgie if they are under them and you don't realize it. Always double check where your budgie is before using them.

Mirrors, open or uncovered doors and windows can me mistaken for a clear way out for your budgie to fly right into, or out of.

Always check to make sure there is at least a sheer curtain or blind covering any glass windows or doors, and that they have a secure screen or are closed if you have a fully flighted budgie.

Large mirrors should not be in a room for a fully flighted budgie.

Electrical cords are one of the last things you want your budgie to chew on. Even a very low watt shock can easily stop the heart of a small bird, so make sure to double check that any play areas have electronic items, and keep these safely out of reach.

Other Household Pets can never be fully trusted around your budgie unsupervised, no matter how much you think you can trust them. Dogs and cats even though domesticated are still animals with instincts, and given the opportunity they will naturally act on them.

Other birds are a danger to your budgie as well, larger birds have stronger beaks and greater reaching distance and could quickly injure or kill a smaller bird.

Always use constant supervision when your budgie is allowed around other pets in your home unless they are within the safety of a secure cage out of reach.

Sleeping with your budgie is something that should never even be considered, regardless of how light or careful of a sleeper you think you are. These little ones weigh almost nothing, and all it would take is a slight move to suffocate or smash them. For your budgies sake, please always have them in the safety of their cage while sleeping.

• Extreme temperature changes
  
• Cold drafts
  
• Teflon or non-stick cookware
  
• Scented candles
  
• Aerosol sprays
  
• Perfume
  

• Air fresheners
  
• Nail polish (when wet or chewed)
  
• Paint (when wet or chewed)
  
• Cigarette, pipe or any other kind of smoke
  
• Cleaning products
  

• Poisonous house plants
  
• Natural branches
  
• Paint, stain and wallpaper
  
• Hot stoves and heaters 
  
• Toilets, sinks and washers 
  
• Buckets or bowls of water

• Ceiling and other uncaged fans
  
• Couches or chairs with retractable foot rests
  
• Mirrors, open or uncovered doors and windows
  
• Electrical cords 
  
• Other household pets
  
• Sleeping with your budgie

• Alcohol
  
• Coffee 
  
• Caffeine
  
• Pop/soda
  
• Avocado
  
• Chocolate
  
• Mushroom
  
• Onion
  
• Potato (cook before offering)
  

• Seeds and pits from any fruit
  
• Beans (cook before offering)
  
• Rice (cook before offering)
  
• Quinoa (rinse and cook before offering)
  
• Salt
  
• Sugar
  
• Cold food
  
• Saliva (from any animal including humans)