Birdlog #3 - 01-01-14: More birdy small talk, getting to know Louis and James

Again, today there aren't many birds at our feeders except a couple house Finches and maybe a Dark-eyed Junco or two. Which is one of the reasons that I hate winter: The only birds you see are the regulars, making today's rounds at your feeders.

Louis (left) and James (right).

So for a couple months I've had some pet budgerigars (FYI, for all you non-birdlovers, a Budgerigar is just a type of parakeet). They're names are Louis and James. Louis is green with a yellow head, and James is blue with a white head. Like most parakeets, they both have barring on the back of their heads. Why haven't I posted about them? Well, originally this blog was about wild birds. Well, since you voted yes, now I can. I wasn't keeping 'em secret!
I bet that Louis is the squirmiest Budgerigar that you'll ever see. And when we first got him, he broke his tail against the bars of the cage. In fact, you can see it in that picture to the left of this writing.
James is weird. He kinda flip-flops in between biting you and not biting you if you stick your hand in the cage. If he's stressed, sometimes he'll even fluff up and rush at your hand!
I'm not exactly sure about their ages/gender, but I'm pretty sure that they're both at least 8-9 months old. James is totally a boy, but I'm not sure about Louis. I think he's a boy, too.
You can tell a Budgerigar's gender by the cere, or, for you non-birdlovers, the little bit of skin covering the nostrils. On a boy it's neon blue, but on a girl it can be pink or brown. And as your bird gets older, his/her cere will begin to look crusty, but do not fear! It's completely normal. And if he/she grows little things that look like pepper, it means he/she's molting. And he/she'll get kinda moody, so you won't wanna take it out for a while. But when it's done molting (6 weeks or so), feel free you handle him/her again!

End.