Do Parakeets Like Music? [How Do You Know & Should You Play It?]

Parakeets are very social birds that can make and routinely make a lot of different noises. If you own a parakeet you’ll know just how much they like to ‘talk’ and how little they are fond of times and periods of complete silence. But what about music? Can you use it as a safe and practicable approach with your parakeet? Can it improve their well-being? This is crucial to know.

So, do parakeets like music? Parakeets like and respond very well to music, so long as it is peaceful, repetitive, or calm. Nature sounds or repetitive pop songs are particularly effective. Loud music on the other hand can cause stress and anxiety and should be avoided at all costs.

Let us now take a look at the topic further, including what music parakeets like in particular and how you can identify if your parakeet likes the music you are playing.

This way you can ensure that you are improving the well-being of your parakeet(s) and are not inadvertently causing stress and anxiety

Do Parakeets Like Noise?

First and foremost, before we can even explore the concept of music, we need to understand if parakeets even like noise to begin with.

Of course, music provides a lot of noise, so this has to be a pre-requisite to the question of whether they like music or not.

Parakeets are very social birds and do not like being alone.

They thrive in the company of other parakeets.

A clear indication of this is parakeets in the wild, who live in flocks by the thousands.

This is their natural and preferred state. If a parakeet is alone in the wild they are generally lost, are a released domesticated pet, or are sick/injured.

Regarding pet parakeets, these natural instincts are no different.

They do not do well in small cages, as they require a lot of space to spread their wings, move around and exercise.

Additionally, they do not like to live alone or to live in conditions that are overly quiet.

When you consider that historically, quiet times indicated danger, it is no real surprise.

In the wild, quietness usually indicates that there is a predator close.

Parakeets tend to be quiet in these kinds of contexts to avoid becoming that predator’s next meal.

To parakeet’s silence is stressful. If this persists for too long than it can cause adverse health effects.

Therefore it is imperative that if you own parakeets you visit them regularly and socialise with them.

It’s also a good idea to get several parakeets and never leave them on their own for too long.

Talking to parakeets is also advised, and they love to interact with humans in this way.

Music is another fantastic approach that you can use throughout the day and even when you are out the room/house.

Music can dramatically make them feel at ease because music to them is just noise.

This is even more important if you are housing just one parakeet.

You will notice that if you have a single parakeet in their cage their needs for music and noise in general increases.

Otherwise, if you have multiple parakeets they will regularly if not constantly chat among themselves.

It is important however never to provide ‘too much noise’ or ‘too loud noise’. Shouting, large bangs, and music at a high volume are examples of this.

Anything too loud will cause stress and anxiety to your bird(s) and will result in negative health consequences both physically, mentally, and emotionally.

What Music Do Parakeets Like?

Parakeets do best with two types and styles of music. Music that is calming, and music that is ‘active’.  

Calming Music

Calming music is ideal for parakeets because is it very gentle and naturally relaxing.

Pitches and specific notes are also not harsh nor dramatic.

Calming music is a great way to dilute sounds from outside like construction work which can be loud and erratic.

It is also a lot less beneficial to their well-being.

Genres that are naturally calming include classical music and meditation music.

This genre will keep your parakeets happy and content without causing them any surprises or cause for alarm.  

Nature

Your parakeet will also greatly benefit from nature sounds, particularly of birds, because in many ways it replicates the sound of the wild and their natural habitat.

Nature sounds are very calming and there is a lot of variety when it comes to what you can play.

Playing recordings of the weather- like rainfall, or of environment like the rainforest are great examples here.

Just be sure you listen ahead and never play any recordings that include sounds of potential predators!

Here’s a particularly well-reviewed collection of bird sounds that you can easily download or stream for a great price from Amazon.

Active Songs

Interestingly, parakeets respond very well to active music, like pop and music you generally find the music charts.

This is because these songs are generally quite light and include a lot of vocals which parakeets equate to humans talking.

You must remember if you opt for a radio that some stations play a diverse range of music and the tone can change all of a sudden.

Be careful for rock hour or any time they are likely to play music like heavy metal!

For the most part, so long as the radio is sufficiently placed away from the cage and not too loud then it should not be an issue.

Particularly when songs on the radio are over in a couple of minutes.

An album or CD on the other hand is a little bit different.

Consider that not all parakeets will like the same music and respond in the same way. They have their own preferences as well.

So what you may think they may like and may not like may be very different from what you would expect and even from bird to bird.

Other Genres

In time, it is actually possible to get your parakeet to respond more favourably to certain types of music.

Just dont force it or over do it.

Be sure to keep the genre light and not too loud.

Overall, parakeets typically enjoy music with a catchy beat so this can actually be applicable to most genres whether that be indie or folk music.

A good time to test music and genres is when they are most calm and relaxed. You can do this to monitor their behavior and reaction and you will also find that they start to correlate the music with their relaxed and happy mood.

Another ideal time is just before they go to sleep as this is generally when they are most content and relaxed.

How Do You Know If Your Parakeet Likes Music?

Parakeets show clear expressions and you can observe behavioral and emotional changes whenever music is played. This is true for both positive and negative reactions.

A good indicator and sign your parakeet is enjoying the music you have playing is if it wakes them up and motivates them.

They will begin chirping, almost singing along and mimicking the words, and will look to move around and play.

They may even whistle!

On the other hand, if you hear screeching, growling, or hissing, it’s a clear sign that the music is not being enjoyed and you would do best to change the song or turn it off altogether.

Additionally, parakeets are known to “dance” by bobbing her head and feet up and down.

Their body language is one of the most effective ways to check whether they are happy and content.

It’s a good indicator to use regardless if you are monitoring how they respond to specific music or just checking up on them in general.

Lose and puffed out feathers are also other positive indicators along with beak grinding and clicking their tongue against their beak.

Alternatively, slicked back feathers and shaking indicate all is not well and it’s time for a change.

Some parakeet owners even report sleeping with feet raised when you are out on a tune that they are particularly fond of.

How To Get Your Parakeet To Choose A Song

Did you know that you can teach your parakeet to choose music and songs that they like? This is ideal for ensuring that they are happy and the music that you are playing is constructive for them.

Parakeets are very intelligent birds and are renowned for their intuition and ability to communicate.

To do this, you are going to need several colored objects that you will need to lay out in front of them.

It’s best to use three or otherwise it can become a bit difficult to manage.

You will need to assign a block to each song.

Then, you will need to play the song each time your parakeet picks up or touches the colored item that corresponds to the music.

Keep doing this and you will train your parakeet and teach it to choose the song they prefer.

As parakeets have great eyesight, they are able to differentiate between the different colors and recognize what block means what song.

The more active around a specific colored block, the more you know they like that song.

Make a note of all the songs that your parakeet likes most and then create a playlist.

You can then play this playlist regularly especially when or if you need to leave your parakeet(s) for any period of time.

Note: Just be sure never to use red blocks. This color is not very well received by parakeets.

In Summary

So back to our original question; do parakeets like music. They do; in fact, there are a lot of reasons why you would want to play it often.

Parakeets simply require noise, sounds, and interaction.

They are social birds and without them are susceptible to depression and ill-health.

Just be sure that you only play the music that they like and avoid having the volume too high.

Have a bit of fun, and experiment with the training above.

In time, you’ll have an entire collection of music that they love and that you can put on to keep them happy.

Music will never replace interaction and regularly visiting and talking to your birds, but it can act as a great way to give you some extra time to do the chores, leave the house and give yourself a break.