Your first budgies: the law and the care in India

The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, published in the Gazette of India on 20 December 2022, rearranged the Act into four schedules. Schedules I and II list protected Indian wildlife, and Schedule IV reproduces the CITES appendices for species in international trade. We read the schedule pages of the Gazette one by one. In Appendix II of Schedule IV, the entry for all parrots (Psittaciformes) carries a note: except for the species in Appendix I and Agapornis roseicollis, Melopsittacus undulatus, Nymphicus hollandicus and Psittacula krameri, which are not included in the Appendices. Melopsittacus undulatus is the budgerigar. We did not find it anywhere in Schedules I or II, which is what you would expect for a bird from Australia.

The Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, G.S.R. 145(E) of 28 February 2024, require anyone who possesses an 'animal species', defined as a living specimen of a species listed in Schedule IV, to apply for registration within thirty days. The budgerigar is named in Schedule IV only to say it is outside the appendices, so the natural reading is that the registration rules do not reach it. We did not find any official notice that says so in as many words. If you want certainty, especially before breeding or selling budgies, write to your state's Chief Wildlife Warden or forest department and keep their reply.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018 still apply to how budgies are sold. Any seller, including at a weekly market or online, needs a certificate of registration from the State Animal Welfare Board, may not sell captive birds without mature flight feathers, and may not display birds outside the shop or in show windows. And every owner has a duty of care under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The RSPCA says birds are not made for small spaces and that being caged too long leads to boredom, frustration and problem behaviour. It advises that pet birds have time out of the cage every day with room to fly freely and safely indoors, and notes that flying is a skill a bird has to learn, so do not expect a new budgie to fly well at once. Merck also advises letting birds out to exercise, always supervised.

Before every flight, close windows and doors and switch off the ceiling fan. Indian homes have fans in almost every room, and the Merck Veterinary Manual lists rotating ceiling fans and open windows among the common causes of injury to pet birds. Cover cooking pots, buckets and filled sinks, because birds can drown in open water. The RSPCA suggests ringing or microchipping a bird by an avian vet in case it escapes.

Birds' airways are very sensitive. Merck warns against chemical fumes including pesticides, perfumes and sprays, and against cleaners such as bleach, ammonia and toilet cleaners; it also advises keeping the cage out of the kitchen because of smoke and cooking fumes. The MSD Veterinary Manual says gas from certain nonstick cookware overheated to around 280°C commonly poisons birds kept in or near kitchens, and that sudden death is often the only sign. Irons, ironing board covers and some heat lamps can also release it.

Many Indian homes keep bird cages on balconies or by windows. Merck advises against placing a cage near windows or air conditioners because it can get too hot or too cold, and says birds usually do well at temperatures comfortable to people. For birds from tropical and subtropical habitats, the RSPCA gives a range of 12 to 26°C, and says at least a third of any outdoor area should be in shade. The India Meteorological Department notes that heat waves come mainly between March and June, so from spring move the cage indoors, out of direct sun, to a room with airflow but no direct blast from a fan or cooler.

AWBI's 2026 heat advisory asks every owner to give animals shade throughout the day and clean, fresh water that is replenished often, and to watch for signs of heat stress. Merck says a bird that is panting or holding its wings away from its body is probably too hot. If you see that, move it somewhere cooler and shaded and call your avian vet, especially if it also seems weak, unsteady or fluffed up. Keep water bowls topped up during power cuts, when rooms heat up fast.

The monsoon brings damp, and festivals bring smoke. Keep cages dry and clean, and keep birds away from smoke and sprays of every kind, including incense, mosquito coils and cracker smoke, because their airways are so sensitive to fumes. Petym's Diwali and monsoon guides cover the wider season.

Merck advises taking a pet bird to the vet at least once a year, feeding it well and keeping its cage and bowls clean. Find an avian vet, because birds need specialist care. None of the veterinary sources we checked lists a routine vaccine for pet budgies, and Petym's dog and cat vaccine guides do not apply. Give any medicine only as your vet prescribes; Merck explains that birds often need medicine by dropper rather than in water, because they may not drink enough of a treated supply.

Some bird infections can reach people. Merck says psittacosis, caused by Chlamydia psittaci, is a serious disease that spreads from birds to people through nasal discharge and droppings, and that budgies are among the birds that can carry it without looking ill. The bacteria can survive for months in dried droppings, so clean and disinfect the cage regularly, wash your hands after handling birds, and ask your vet about testing new birds before they join the ones you have, as Merck advises. Merck also notes that polyomavirus was first found in budgies and that adult birds can carry it without signs, which is another reason to buy from a clean, registered source.

For taming, the RSPCA advises training a bird to step on and off a hand-held stick, moving slowly, and never rushing up to grab it. Reward calm behaviour. If a bird screeches or plucks its feathers, saying 'no' can reinforce it; the RSPCA suggests stepping out of sight for a few minutes instead, and checking that the bird has enough company, space and things to do. Never punish a bird.

Budgies fit flats well: Merck calls them suitable for apartment living because they are not usually loud. They are less suited to homes where nobody can supervise daily flights, where the cage would have to sit in or beside the kitchen, or where smoking and heavy use of sprays are hard to avoid. Ask your housing society about its pet rules; birds rarely cause complaints, but rules vary.

Birds usually cope better at home than on the move. When you go away, a sitter can visit to feed, clean, check droppings and keep the room cool, or stay over during a heat wave; Petym's bird page explains what to leave and how often visits should happen. Cost depends on the size of the cage, pellets and fresh food, toys, an avian vet, cooling in summer and care while you travel. Petym does not publish typical figures.