Photo by Nishat Samadzai on Unsplash

🦜🌙 The house goes quiet, the cage settles down, and then you hear it – a soft, scratchy grinding noise. Plenty of new budgie and cockatiel owners worry their bird's beak is hurting.

Relax! Beak grinding (the upper and lower beak gently rubbing together) is usually a sign of a content, relaxed bird winding down for sleep – a bit like a cat's purr. You'll often see slightly fluffed feathers, one foot tucked up and heavy, half-closed eyes.

👉 Your job at this point: dim the lights, keep the noise down and leave them be. Pet birds need roughly 10–12 hours of sleep a night to stay healthy.

⚠️ Don't confuse it with sharp, deliberate beak clicking – that's usually a “back off” warning. And if your bird stops eating, the beak looks overgrown or misaligned, or they sit fluffed up and lethargic all day, it's time for an avian vet visit.

Does your bird grind its beak before bed? What other sweet little habits have you noticed? 👇

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