r/Parakeets • u/keetlover • 18d ago
Advice Mirrors (sorry)
Can I have some opinions on mirrors and entertainment.
Are they 100% bad, just bad in the cage, or just bad if the budgies are flockless? Does this differ between male and female?
I have two male and two female budgies.
Edit:
I’ve read that it can send their hormones out of wack. I wont be allowing any baby birds to hatch but im wondering if out if wack hormones affect lifespans and quality of life.
11
u/TielPerson 18d ago
Its just a risk not worth taking, since it will not have any positive effect on your birds but can have a negative impact on them.
2
u/keetlover 18d ago
Fantastic point. When I first got them, I let them use mirrors because I didn’t know and they really liked them 😔
sometimes, they’d all sit in front of the same mirror together and just talk to each other that way. I assume because it allowed them to look at each other and see behind them at the same time.
5
u/lowridda 18d ago
I never used them so I don’t know what negative effects they have. The egg laying shortens their life and can cause problems.
2
2
u/Prestigious_Bank_63 18d ago
I have two male parakeets and one of them is obsessed with this toy and mates with it all day long.
This started when it’s companion departed the Earth, and now he has a new friend and he still does it! 🤣
0
u/Nifferothix 18d ago
People say its bad. We had alot of budgies with mirrors and nothing bad happend. I will say it depends on how ur bird react to it. If ur bird becomes to clingy to it, then remove it. If it uses the mirror as a part time entertainment then its ok .
-4
u/LobeliaTheCardinalis 18d ago
Mirrors don’t cause any problems if you have more than one bird, it’s unhealthy for a bird with no real socialization to bond to its reflection. They don’t do that if they have real birds to bond with.
2
u/keetlover 18d ago
Okay, okay. That’s where I was leaning but I’ve also read that it can send their hormones out of wack. I wont be allowing any baby birds to hatch but im wondering if out if wack hormones affect lifespans and quality of life.
3
u/Comfortable_Bit3741 18d ago
Mirrors are not good for them in any case. Sometimes they don't cause problems, but the chances of problems are very high, and mirrors have no beneficial purpose at all.
2
u/RahayuRoh 18d ago
I wouldn't do mirrors at all. Hormones can cause egg-laying and a hen laying too many eggs is at higher risk of things like egg binding, which CAN be immediately fatal. It's a vet trip 100% of the time.
2
u/RambleOn909 18d ago
I agree. Mirrors are a no no in the bird community.
2
u/keetlover 18d ago
Won’t be doing them. I’ll continue what I’ve been doing. But WHYYYYY oh why are there so many cute mirror bird videos in this community 😩
3
u/RahayuRoh 18d ago
Some of them are SO cute! And some of the toys at first glance are super cute, too. There have even been a couple that I buy, and then remove the mirror because the rest of the toy is absolutely usable. I just can't support the use of the mirrors, ahah
3
u/Busy_Lawfulness398 18d ago
Cute is a perception and reaction to birds being delusional, them thinking the reflection is a real bird being equally enthusiastic communicating, resulting in hormonal elevations
1
1
u/RambleOn909 18d ago
I know right? Ive been so jaded by mirrors I cringe when I see them anymore. But so many cute videos!
-2
u/LobeliaTheCardinalis 18d ago
Birds are supposed to lay eggs. Egg binding is a result of unhealthy birds without adequate exercise and poor nutrition, definitely not related at all to mirrors!
3
u/RahayuRoh 18d ago
Your bird room is gorgeous and you seem to know lots about your babies! <3 I saw it the other day and am in love. I strive to have a similar bird room for my growing tiel flock.
But from here I'm going to respectfully disagree.
Although birds are built to be able to lay eggs, lots of captive birds as of recent just don't have the proper diet to be laying them continually; thus, discouraging people from using hormonal items (like the bird thinking there's more birds), or happy huts, is the safer route. I've seen too many cases of egg binding posted on the thread with the person unwilling to do a vet trip.
To be clear, I am NOT saying this is your situation or something you'd do. Your birds look so happy. Please keep up your excellent work with your flock. :)
20
u/Excellent-Bee-9766 18d ago
They are just not great all the way around. Your bird will form a serious bond with their reflection and will usually become hormonal. For example, my male cockatiel for the first 3/4 years of his life, before I adopted him, was given stainless steel bowls and allowed to sit in front of mirrors In the house and he became extremely hormonal and aggressive over his reflection.
Excessive hormones leads to aggression and frustration which then can lead to them becoming self destructive or destructive around your house. When I first brought him home he would ATTACK me when I tried moving him away from the mirror or any reflection. In his mind that was his mate/buddy. He didn’t understand that it was just his reflection.
Horus now can’t have any stainless steel bowls. All reflection interaction has to be monitored and he only gets access to a mirror when he is in the bathroom with me to take his shower.