Tri-State Budgerigar Society

10/12/2026

Interesting looking combination of three newer mutations.

10/12/2026

Catchy, a bird superstar in the making!

10/10/2026

Hello Budgie Enthusiasts!

The next regular budgie club meeting will be an in-person meeting on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 2:00 pm. Meeting should be over about 4:00. All are welcome. Guests can join at the meeting if they wish but may attend two meetings in total before making the decision to join the club. Most of our meetings are conducted by Zoom. Members with lapsed dues may pay at the meeting to bring their account up to date. Location is across the street from the post office in the lower level of the:

Spotswood Reformed Church / Pixie Pre-School
429 Main Street
Spotswood, NJ 08884

Note there are several steps and no elevator. Please let me know if you are coming so I know about how many chairs and snacks to put out, coffee to make, etc.

There will be a mutation and color identification presentation using live budgies and pictures. It seems that there are many people that could use help figuring out what mutations or colors their birds are, just to know or when entering shows and trying to use a Schedule of Classes. Some very different mutations can look the same and I will share some tips on how to distinguish between them. Learn what the mutation standard calls for and what features would be considered a fault or good by a judge. We will also discuss what you should not pair up together and why you shouldn't.

We also need to have some discussion about our 2026 and 2027 show and setting 2027 dates for meetings and chats. There will be plenty of time for any questions or other topics that someone brings up. October is also nominations for office. If you are a current member in good standing and would like to hold a club position, can meet the terms of our club's bylaws; can devote time; have leadership skills; and willing to do planning, presentations, running meetings, etc.; this is your chance. Your current officers are willing to stay on, but we are also not opposed to passing the torch.

Dinner at local restaurant afterwards approximately 4:30 pm, for anyone interested in more budgie fellowship. (Attendees are responsible for their meal cost.)

We hope to see and meet many of you Sunday afternoon!

Bird pictured is a White Lacewing, which looks like an Albino with markings. Both mutations have red eyes. The markings of a Lacewing can be very pale or darker of a tan, orange, cinnamon, rust or brownish shade depending on the strain, feather type, other factors present and the lighting in use.

10/08/2026

Proposed legislation would affect NY pet shops and pet bird sales.

New York City is considering legislation that would prohibit pet shops from selling birds, including parrots, cockatiels, finches, parakeets and macaws.

Intro 912-2026 was introduced by Council Member Harvey D. Epstein on May 20, 2026. As of October 7, 2026, the official NYC Council record lists the bill in the Committee on Health with 22 Council Member sponsors. It has not become law.

The bill would prohibit pet shops from displaying, offering for sale, delivering, bartering, auctioning, giving away, transferring or selling covered birds. If enacted, it would take effect 30 days after becoming law.

The proposal comes amid concerns about the welfare of commercially bred companion birds. One documented case deserves particular attention.

On June 24, 2024, a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service veterinary medical officer conducted a routine inspection at the Arden and Carol Plett facility in Checotah, Oklahoma. The USDA report recorded an indoor temperature of 93.4°F with a heat index of 110.7°F.

The inspector documented multiple dead birds, including at least three adults and three juveniles or babies. At least six juvenile and baby birds were outside their nest boxes on the cage floor, showing low posture, extended wings and open-mouth panting. The inspector stated that these signs, together with the ambient temperature, indicated severe heat distress. The facility was required to correct the temperature by noon on June 25, 2024. The report's species table lists 2,000 budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus).

It is also important not to overstate what the report proves. It documents conditions at one bird-breeding facility. It does not establish that every commercial breeder operates the same way, that all the deaths were caused by heat, or that this facility supplied birds to New York City pet shops.

The publicly accessible copy of the report used here is hosted by World Animal Protection US, an organization that is campaigning for Intro 912. The underlying document is a USDA APHIS inspection report.

There is also an important point about birds in New York's climate. Monk Parakeets are native to South America, yet New York has an established wild population of them. Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that they live year-round in cities as far north as New York, and that their communal stick nests may help them survive cold winters. So the discussion should not be reduced to the claim that parrots simply cannot survive New York winters.

The more important question is:

How should cities regulate the commercial trade in animals whose welfare can depend on breeding conditions, transport, housing, social needs and the knowledge of the people who care for them?

At Birds Aviary, we believe this discussion should be based on documented evidence, not assumptions. We will continue following Intro 912 and separating verified facts, advocacy claims and unresolved questions.

Sources: NYC Council Legislation (Int 0912-2026); USDA APHIS Inspection Report, June 24, 2024; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Monk Parakeet

10/08/2026

Come on a unique visit to India to see 30 minutes of amazing birds at an enormous property of 1,000 acres with over 2,500 huge aviaries of more than 20,000 of all kinds of birds. It is a sanctuary and also a place where conservation, rehabilitation and hopefully reintroducing to their native areas is a goal.

10/04/2026

A bird’s drinking bowl can become contaminated long before the water looks obviously dirty.

When food particles, saliva, droppings, or other organic material enter the bowl, microorganisms have additional nutrients and surfaces on which to grow. Microbial biofilms are communities of microorganisms attached to surfaces and embedded in a protective matrix. Research in avian drinking-water systems has documented microbial biofilm formation and its potential to deteriorate water quality.

For companion birds, this matters because bacteria and fungi can be involved in gastrointestinal and respiratory disease, while poor husbandry and unclean environments can contribute to some infections. Veterinary references specifically identify poor husbandry and inadequate hygiene as contributing factors in bacterial and fungal disease in pet birds.

But there is an important distinction:

Dirty water does not automatically cause a crop infection.

Crop and gastrointestinal infections have multiple possible causes, and a diagnosis requires consideration of the bird's clinical signs and, when appropriate, diagnostic testing such as cytology or culture.

🐦 A BETTER WATER ROUTINE

1. Change the water at least twice daily.
This is especially practical for birds that frequently dunk food, bathe their beaks, or otherwise contaminate their drinking water.

2. Change it immediately when contaminated.
Visible food, f***s, feathers, or debris means the water should not simply be topped up.

3. Wash the bowl every day.
Empty it completely and physically clean the bowl with hot, soapy water, then rinse thoroughly.

4. Keep a second bowl.
Two bowls make it easier to provide clean water while the other bowl is being washed and dried.

5. Don't just refill yesterday's water.
Empty → clean → rinse → refill.

6. Don't depend on vinegar alone.
Vinegar may be useful for certain cleaning purposes, such as mineral deposits, but mechanical cleaning is important for removing organic material and established residue. It should not be presented as a substitute for proper cleaning and disinfection when disinfection is required.

🔬 THE BOTTOM LINE

Your bird doesn't need sterile water.

It does need clean drinking water and a clean container.

A bowl that looks clear isn't necessarily microbiologically clean. Good water hygiene is a simple husbandry practice that can reduce opportunities for microbial contamination—especially in warm, humid environments and in households where birds frequently contaminate their bowls.

Small routine. Big difference. 💧🪶

Birds Aviary Editorial | Science-based bird care

Sources:
• MSD Veterinary Manual — Bacterial Diseases of Pet Birds
• MSD Veterinary Manual — Mycotic Diseases of Pet Birds
• Journal of Applied Poultry Research (2024) — Microbial composition of the biofilm of poultry drinking water system
• MSD Veterinary Manual — Introduction to Disorders and Diseases of Pet Birds

09/28/2026

Understanding your budgie’s language…

09/27/2026

The September 25, 2026 ABS All American budgerigar show winners are as follows:

Junior: Charlotte Meyers
Rare, Novice: Furqan Hussain
Intermediate: Tony Ferreira
Champion, BIS: Mike & Wilma Dahl

09/26/2026

Congratulations to our club member Tyler Sonderman for passing the American Budgerigar Society Classifier test yesterday at the Seedonk, MA All American budgerigar show.