I realise from reading posts in this forum that some birds are easier to train than others.

All I need to close my talking stand up act is a bird production and a bird split. I have been thinking of avoiding doves for this, the reason being is in keeping the doves for a silent stage act further down the line.

Does anyone know if it is posible to train budgies. I think I have it right in saying they need not be trained for flight, only for handling. They will be kept in pockets inside my jacket or waistcoat, they will be wearing harneses atached to wire loops and will come off stage with me in my hands.

Any advice is appreciated. If any of you have experience with these birds, please let me know the good and the bad. I'm also interested in similar size and color birds.

Johnny Hart, many years ago, built his entire reputation from his work with Parakeets, budgies. I had them as a kid, some are very friendly, others less so.

A number of magicians have used them over the years so what you want to do is certainly possible. I, in fact, have an entire pamphlet of 15 or so effects that are all "budgie magic".
quack

Cheers for the info Magicduck, I really never wanted to jump into trying the imposible.

David,

Johnny Hart, who was British, used his parakeets as if they were a multiplying billiard ball act.... appearing on his fingers till he had one on each finger.

Other than that, just about anything that could be done with a larger bird... duck, parrot, could be done with them. This could be simply like producing from a dove pan or any larger animal item made smaller.

The book I have on Budgie magic is mainly this type of minitaurized livestock magic. The standard Dove Harness, production from silk by body load could be done with them. Again, unlike my ducks, they can fly, so make sure they do not escape, get hurt, or gobbled by a cat. Wing clipping can be an option. They are not very big but very colorful.

quack

Looks like the billiard ball thing could be a thought for the future.

As for wing clipping, when I first heard of it, my concern was it might be cruel.
I'm a beginner when it comes to birds.
Does this harm the birds in any way? Is it common practice or even considered cruel.

You clip the flight feathers on only one wing, to put them off balance. The trimming the wing feathers does not hurt...like cutting our hair.

The bigger issue would be that it keeps your bird from flying. My parakeets flew for recreation. So you might want to talk to others about that issue.

With my ducks, they do not fly anyway...actually they can get about 2 feet off the ground for about ten feet.
quack

I have worked with birds most of my life. I worked for a local aviary and assisted in training birds for their show. My favorite to this day was a Pelican.

Back to the subject, budgies are great birds to work with. They do have a stronger personality than other birds and therefore you can get some real temperamental birds. My advice is to get them as young as possible.

On the subject of clipping, it's not painful for the bird if done correctly. Don’t clip too close to the root of the feather or you can cause the root to bleed. If that happens, you must pluck the feather or the bird may bleed to death. My advice is to either allow a professional to do it, or at least consult one for lessons.

Also, clip every other flight feather, and the bird will retain a normal look. Remember the object is to keep them from gaining altitude.

Is this the kind of thing a vet would do for me or show me how to do?

The vet is not a bad idea. Even a good aviary has professional individuals that could at least show you where not to cut. I was personally trained, how to clip wings, by the curator of the aviary where I worked.

Do you have a zoo or aviary in your area that has a bird show? If so I would start there.

Hey David, if you check Steven's magic, they used to have a video by a gentleman named Ramon Galindo called "Bird in the Hand". It was all about budgie magic.

iamslow, thank you very much.

I had come that close to settling for doves, this could have been a bad idea as I really did want budgie's.

I will check it out.

I checked and there are actually two volumes. Now you got me thinking about some budgie magic since they seem to be much more low maintainace than doves, especially when you live in a cold country and in an apartment building like where I live.

Hi

For your info, there is a Budgie Holder made by Alpha... the expert in bird magic. It is available in skin or black colour that enables you to produce bare handed... wow!

Warmest Regards
doveboy

Regarding wing clipping. Actually, you should clip both wings evenly. As Magicduck stated, clipping one wing throws birds off balance. That is not the goal. You want your bird to be able to maneuver evenly and balance in the air for its own safety. A properly clipped bird is not a bird that can't fly at all, rather they have to expend more energy to gain altitude, like runners putting weights on their ankles. The closer the clip, the more energy required. There are many stories of clipped birds taken outside who catch a good updraft and fly off.