My active bird doesn't play. How can I entertain a shy or lazy bird?

Cute budgies! If Pluto likes to be out and about, adding in a cage-top or table-top activity center (most pet stores and online retailers carry them) may be a good idea. These often have spots for additional perches, toys, etc that can help Pluto interact and play and have some fun (and give Joy more space to rest and relax if she needs). If both birds are housed together, making sure to place in additional food, water and resting spots for each bird can also help prevent competition over these resources and may give Joy some more places to rest and relax without being bothered. Adding in hanging or preening toys between perches can also help break up the cage into more sections, and provide entertainment and fun to get out extra energy. Budgies are also great at bonding with people, so working with Pluto to teach him to perch on you or talk may also help enrich his world and get out that energy!

It's possible Blue wasn't socialized very well or didn't have access to toys, so these are new and scary to him. However, with any behavioral issue, ruling out any potential health issues with your local avian vet first is good to make sure there isn't something underlying behind it. If he checks out healthy, it may be that he just needs more time to get used to being a "normal" bird. If he has a favorite snack he likes, offering it every time you come by, or hiding it in his toys to encourage exploration and play may help. This can take time even with tame birds, so being extra patient with Blue is best. Many birds also like different types of toys, so trying out a variety of things such as mirrors, ladders, swings, toys that can be chewed, ones with bells, feathers, etc may encourage him to find one he likes to play with.

Thanks for your question about Zinnia. I didn't see how long you have had Zinnia, but part of the reason may be that she is nervous and adjusting to her new home/environment. I am not sure what types of toys you have present, but in the picture I could see some rope material, some wood, and some fibrous types of material. These are all very appropriate toys for a lovebird. Other options may include bells (ensure they are made of stainless steel, including the clapper, as heavy metal toxicity is a concern in birds), plastic (ensure that it is sturdy, as we don't want any ingestion of foreign materials!), and you can make homemade toys as well out of tissue paper (with no dyes) and toilet paper or paper towel rolls. To make these more interesting for Zinnia, you may need to play with the toys with her - of course, this will depend on how social she is with you. You can also incorporate food in with the toys to make them more appealing - this can be done using pellets or produce items. This will not only allow for her to have interaction with the toys, but will provide her with foraging opportunities, which is very important for our pet birds. I hope that gives you a place to start, and congratulations on your new pet!

Some toys or changes to the environment are definitely a great way to help reduce boredom. You can look for toys that are soft or fuzzy to encourage preening and chewing behavior, or toys that can move around such as swings or bendy ladders for exercise. Treats that have to be pecked at are also great enrichment. Just be sure to choose toys that are designed for your bird's size and activity level. If you have a pair, you may also want to add in a nest or some nesting material to encourage building and give them extra enrichment.

Time, patience, and lots of treats. If you notice Curio has a favorite food, you can start by offering that favorite food only when you're interacting with him. IE, when you pet him, approach his cage, let him out, etc. This can help him to associate you with something fun/good and also make him more curious every time you come by to spend time with him. The same can also be done with toys he likes to play with. Sitting near them when he's out of the cage playing, and feeding a treat every time he comes close or shows interest in you can help teach him that you are safe to interact with and play around. If at any time Curiou becomes nervous or scared, stopping the activity and letting him calm down is best. From there, you can go back to the previous way he was OK with (IE just giving a treat from your hand but not petting) and work again from there.

Without knowing the size of the cage, it is hard to give advice. If they have a large flight cage where they can easily move around and exercise, then that may be enough. Adding in some fun toys to explore, moving dishes and toys around or rotating them out, offering treats to chew on, etc can all help increase enrichment and make things more fun for your birds. If they're kept in very small cages, then looking for a playpen that can fit in the room or on top of the cage may be nice for your birds to climb on or play on. However, finches tend to explore more and may want to fly around, so it is best to make sure they are only let loose in rooms where they can easily be caught again and cannot fly into windows, doors, or other dangerous objects that can cause injury or death.

thanks for reaching out about Zucchini. Boredom is common in pet birds. In the wild, they tend to spend 70-80% of their day foraging for food, but we place it all in a bowl. So hiding food around, using foraging toys will help to occupy this little brain. Good luck.