Toby, a budgie, was not interested in TV but has a passion for radio, particularly "Prime Minister's Question Time." reports his owner. "During this he jumps up and down on the set and shouts as loudly as the M.P.s - the louder they shout, the more excited he gets. Any day now I am sure he'll be saying "Order! Order!" It may be that all budgies like rowdy programmes.
Budgies in a London rescue love sporting events, Prime Minster's Question Time and even University Challenge. This is because the cacophony and volume is similar to the voice of the flock. Other sounds resonate with certain individuals. Harry, the lead bird of the then flock, was enraptured by the brasses used by Brahms, Richard Strauss and Sibelius. Lazar, a Bourke's parakeet, prefers late Beethoven. All the birds enjoyed the Glastonbury pop concert.
Beauregard, a pampered budgie enjoyed watching Ballykissangel, Heartbeat and either war or cowboy movies.
A rather neurotic budgie, Eric, used to spend most the day perched on the curtain rail in the living room. He could see the TV from there only by turning and craning forward so it was easy to tell when he was paying attention to it. His favourite viewing was boxing, kickboxing or karate matches. He would scurry to the other end of the rail to get as close as possible, lean forward and watch avidly making little excited noises. He also enjoyed watching fiction fight scenes, especially really violent ones such as in martial arts films. Eric took no interest in any other programmes, no matter how much sound and motion was involved. As he was a deeply disturbed budgie with a number of other behavioural peculiarities, his owner believed that he took deliberate sadistic pleasure in the sight of people beating each other up.
Predators shown on TV can terrify them. So turn off programmes about cats, or hawks.
