I just caught a little Budgie in our backyard, and I don't know the first thing about them. What do they eat? How should I go about quarantine? Is it ok to be in adjoining rooms? How long do I quarantine? Anything else? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

They require the same type of care that our Quakers do. Quarantine is very, very important. With a bird that is found outside, you don't want to cut corners on quarantine. Separate room (on a different floor of your house if at all possible) and make sure to wash your hands before/after handling the bird. I'd also go as far as changing my clothes too.

The first steps I'd take, after setting the little guy up, would be to find the owner. Someone could be missing this bird. Call the local animal shelters, vet offices, pet stores, newspaper, and radio stations often have a lost/found broadcast. Also, I'd post his information on these websites:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/911ParrotAlert/

http://www.birdhotline.com/

http://www.pets911.com/services/lostandfound/index.php

Also, going door to door wouldn't hurt either.

I'm sure others will be along soon to share their thoughts.

GO GET SOME PARAKEET SEED AND OR SMALL ZUPREEM CLIP THOSE WINGS oh sorry caps and put it in different room than your other birds....

Yeah, there's a very good chance he's used to eating regular parakeet (Budgie) seed. You can find it at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, pet shops and probably at your local grocery store (It's everywhere).

Awwww, I love Budgies, I am listening to ours chirp his little tunes right now! I use the best seed that I can find (volkmans) and always keep lots of fresh water in there! Some love greens some dont, also give it millet as MOST ALL birds will eat millet even when in a new situation! Mine is taking one of his feet and grabbing ahold of his bell that is on the bottom of one of his swings and singing to it! lol They are really great little birds that are often seen as disposable and not true companions but oh boy do I beg to differ!

my 2 keets were my first birds and i just love them to death. they have a basic seed diet and i give them millet as a treat occasionally. you'll notice he will most likely have a constant chirping noise... at least mine do.

Awww, someone is probably very sad they lost him/her! Our friend lost her budgie and she was desparately hoping someone like you would find him and return him, but he never came home and she was devastated. So I'd definitely post some 'found' flyers (just say 'bird' or 'budgie' don't give specifics so it will help to find the correct owners), post an ad in the newspaper, contact local vets/shelters and post on the links that Carrie provided above.

Our budiges are given regular budgie seed, but we also provide them with Zupreem pellets and they actually choose to eat the pellets some days over the seeds. They are very high energy birds so they need more fat than the Quakers do. Ours also like greens like broccoli, romaine lettuce, kale etc. Definitely offer him/her some millet as its a huge favourite and s/he'll most likely dig in right away... if s/he's been out for a while s/he's probably very hungry. Our budgies are so vocal, I love listening to their little chirps all day long!

Like the others have already mentioned quarantine is very important when it comes to unknown birds, especially one that's been living outside.

Good luck, hopefully you can find the owners!

Thanks guys. We've got him situated in a cage, and went to the petstore to buy him some food. We'll let him rest tonight and decide what to do tomorrow.