A small magazine, written by a real keeper.

Hello, I'm Emily.

I started Perch & Plume in 2021 after years of frustration with the parakeet advice I kept finding online — copy-pasted listicles, contradictory feeding rules, and the occasional dangerous tip that could genuinely shorten a bird's life. I wanted somewhere a new keeper could land and trust what they read.

The bird that started it

My first budgie was a little hen named Sky. I bought her from a chain pet store at twenty-three, took her home in a cardboard box, and within two weeks she was plucking the feathers off her chest. The store had sold me a tall narrow cage, sandpaper perches, a mirror, and a bag of seeds. None of it was right. It took me a year, two avian vets, and a small library of out-of-print bird books to slowly figure out what she actually needed.

Sky lived another nine happy years. She is the reason I keep writing.

What this site is — and isn't

Perch & Plume is a one-person magazine. Every article is written by me, reviewed against current avian veterinary guidance, and updated as new research lands. I do not accept paid placements or write fake "best of" lists for affiliate commissions. When I recommend a product, it is one I have personally used with my own four budgies for at least six months.

I am not a veterinarian. Nothing here replaces the advice of an avian vet — see our disclaimer for the full note.

What I'm trying to do

My mission is simple: help every parakeet owner give their bird a longer, calmer, more curious life than they otherwise would have had. If a single guide here helps one keeper switch their budgie off seeds, throw out a sandpaper perch, or simply slow down during taming — the site has earned its keep.

Behind the scenes

• Experience: 11+ years keeping budgies & English parakeets
• Current flock: Four budgies — Pip, Olive, Marlow, and the newest, Junebug.
• Based in: Portland, Oregon
• Reviewed by: Two practicing avian vets in the Pacific Northwest (cited per article).

If you'd like to talk shop, share a photo of your bird, or correct something I've written — please say hello. The inbox is one of my favorite parts of running this place.

Read Emily's full author bio →

— Emily