My new budgie won't drink water from her bowl. What should I do?

Sometimes it is very difficult to see a bird drink, they don't do it very often and usually in private. If he had not drank in 2 days I would expect him to be very poorly by now. I would keep an eye that he is bright and eating and he should be okay. In terms of taking him gradually put your hand in the cage, don't touch him at first. Once he is comfortable move your hand closer and so on until you can eventually have him on your finger.

You may need to revisit his water source in his enclosure. If you are using a bowl, he may not be used to drinking water from a bowl. Conversely, if you are using a bottle, he may not be used to drinking that way. Call the place where you got him and ask them how they were offering him water. He may not like the taste of your water if you are using it from the tap. You may need to use filtered or bottled water. In the meantime, you can use a syringe (or use a dropper) to see if you can get some water into him. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be just playful behavior. You can consider securing it to the cage with some type of material or just getting a new water bowl of a different color she may prefer. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question, and congratulations on your new pet! Budgies can be a very shy species, and this is often exaggerated when they are put into unfamiliar settings (such as a new house). I would recommend giving her a little more time to adjust, as long as she is eating and producing feces. You can find these at the bottom of the cage. Alternatively, you can also take her to a veterinarian for evaluation. This is a good idea from a wellness perspective, as it will slow you to gather information about her baseline health, and your vet can determine whether Frost is ill or not. They can also provide you with basic information on husbandry and nutrition as well. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck with your new bird!

Not all birds will bathe all the time or even enjoy taking a bath. You can set a dish of clean shallow water in the cage and give them a chance to check it out and bathe themselves. Some birds also enjoy being misted with a cool spray bottle (not directly aimed at them) instead of a bath. However, if your birds are otherwise clean and healthy, I wouldn't worry too much.

I once had a stray dog that I took in who would not use a water bowl (he was not used to having one) and would drink out of puddles/rain water instead. I ended up switching his water bowl to a clear glass mixing bowl from my kitchen and he would use that. Try switching Zeus' water bowl to see if he prefers a different type. You could even use a clean flower pot. Also make sure his water is clean. Some dogs will not drink dirty water. Hope this helps. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is possible your bird is eating and drinking while you aren't watching. He may be nervous in his new environment and feel uncomfortable eating while you are around. Be sure he is in a quiet environment where he can be left alone for periods to adjust to his new life. I would also try to find out what food he was eating before he came and get that exact food as some birds are very particular and don't like change/will refuse to eat new foods.