Both species are not very loud compared to other birds such as the parrot for example. Yet, the cockatiel and the budgie can wrack up the decibels if you are not used to having a birdie in your home. But which of the two is louder?
The two bird types are very vocal, and the males of both species tend to chirp more often than the females. However, when a ‘tiel gets going, he or she is far louder than the budgie. It’s all down to the physical size, as the cockatiel is bigger than the budgie.
Budgies and cockatiels love to whistle. In fact, every time you walk past the cage, they will make a sound or if they are in a particularly good mood wolf whistle. It’s the parakeets and the cockatiel’s way telling you that they are well and feel good. Having said that, even if there are many similarities between the two, there are also differences like the loudness, and we are going to find out why.
Why do cockatiels and budgies get loud and which of the two is louder?
Cockatiels can chirp very melodiously, but they can also be very loud at times. After all, cockatiels are not mute – these birds love to sing and make sounds, it’s just the way they are.
And the same goes for the budgie, which is also quite a noisemaker. However, generally, the sounds will only consist of pleasant chirping.
Basically, the birds only get loud if something is wrong. If you had to put the bird volume for the cockatiel and the budgie on a scale from one to five, the cockatiel racks up a two and the parakeet a one.
In comparison, the cockatoo produces an earsplitting decibel level of five.
Cockatiels and budgies living in the wild communicate with the other members of the flock in their own language. If a bird moves too far away from the grouping that often resembles a swarm, gets scared or senses danger, it will alert his or her buddies with loud contact calls and warning cries.
These calls are a natural and vital behavior that often protects the swarm from dangerous situations.
Warning screeches and contact calls are also entirely usual for pet cockatiels and budgies and allow for the bird to communicate with his or her owner.
However, if this ‘natural tweeting’ turns into continuous loud screams and your avian chum is not able to settle down, the cause of the noise can be serious. It is important that you do not ignore your pet bird and take action quickly.
There usually is a reason why your cockatiel or budgie has changed its behavior.
In fact, if alone, the bird’s cries serve to contact you and can sound very unpleasant to our human ears. Cockatiels and budgies shriek when they are lonely, but also when they want to fly freely or when they are bored – and in this, the cockatiel will certainly outdo the budgie in volume.
Their larger size provides them with ample room to create somewhat cacophonous screams.
- Also read: Why Cockatiels And Budgies Should Not Live In The Same Cage. The reasons for that are surprising!
Tips to calm your buddy with the plumage down:
- Move the cage – your cockatiel or budgie also enjoys a change in scenery. Or maybe the cage is too close to the TV or in a drafty spot. If you don’t want to be irritated by loud screams, pay particular attention to the position of the cage.
- Time out with the cover over the cage. Usually, ‘tiels and parakeets immediately recognize this action as quiet time
- This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t pay enough attention to their birdie. So, again, keep your pet bird happy by giving him or her enough toys and hanging out with them.
Quiet times – loud times
Do cockatiels chirp all day long or are their times when they are calmer?
First, the good news – unlike the budgie, the cockatiel is not consistently active throughout the entire day. In fact, the ‘tiel has more active times of the day when they turn up the volume. Usually, it is in the morning, at sunrise, when your pet birdie will become active.
These little parrots simply cannot hold back their urge to chirp out their joie de vivre and share it with all of the members of the household.
Wild shouting, twittering and chanting, also occurs when your bird is hungry. Besides, your feathered friend will show his or her appreciation when you return home or enter the room where he or she is kept.
After an active morning, at noon, the cockatiel will often become calmer again. Rest breaks can be observed in which the caged resident will sleep or just quietly babble itself into siesta mode.
When the cockatiel wakes up, feeling refreshed, a second very active phase begins when the ‘tiel will once again really get started. After dusk and in the dark, most birds are entirely still.
Also, the weather and lighting often affect the cockatiel’s chirping volume. Especially on bright sunny days and with good light in the room, your pet cockatiel and budgie are particularly active and therefore louder.
On cloudy and rainy days, a quieter behavior is often observed, which is also reflected in the volume. These fluctuations are normal and, like us humans, caused by the change in mood because of the weather.
Note: Especially budgies that are quiet all the time need some special attention as it can be a sign for health problems. Read more on that here!
The volume of cockatiels in overly small cages
Basically, it is animal cruelty to keep a cockatiel in an overly small and tight cage. There must be sufficient space so the bird can fly and flap its wings.
You would be surprised at how far the cockatiel travels in the wild – they cover more miles than you’d give them credit for.
Also, let your bird out of its cage to stretch the wings. As we already mentioned, a cockatiel that is bored and suffers from a lack of exercise will quickly become loud.
The ideal location for the cage is a bright, but not too sunny spot. The cage should stand in front of a wall because both the cockatiel and budgie feel safe. In addition, don’t put it too close to the radiator or in the kitchen.
Budgies and cockatiels also don’t like drafts. And finally, the ‘tiel and the parakeet want to feel like a part of the family, so to avoid screeches of protest, put the cage in a place where there is some action.
Why do budgies and cockatiels automatically get louder when you are loud?
It’s fascinating – all cockatiel and budgie owners will tell you that when they chat to a visitor or make a phone call, their avian chum automatically seems to get louder in synch with their voice. It’s as if they want to drown out your words.
This is also the case with music playing, the TV, a vacuum cleaner or other sounds.
The reason for this increase in tweeting volume, something the ‘tiel is louder at compared to the parakeet, is for communication purposes. In the wild, both species are in constant contact with their fellows.
They are dependent on each other to point out any dangers, and they will immediately fall silent when a threat looms.
What to watch out for when considering sharing your home with a cockatiel?
As you have already deduced, before purchasing a cockatiel, the noise level must be taken into account. Cockatiels are beautiful and intelligent birds, but they can get quite noisy at times, even more so than the budgie but not as much as the cockatoo.
However, when the cockatiel is properly looked after, the noise volume is indeed limited, but it cannot be avoided entirely. Also, your cockatiel does not merely want to hang about in the cage.
The bird needs regular engagement, which they will demand loudly with sonorous tweets.
Sometimes, they even scream when they see something interesting – such as another bird at the window or you when you enter the room – but calm down quickly.
Occasional screaming is therefore quite usual, constant screaming, however, has adverse reasons and you need to find out the cause.
Related Questions
How can you make your pet cockatiel quieter?
Remember, cockatiels like to make a noise. However, you can make them a little quieter by lowering your own volume. Also, the cockatiel will screech to get your attention. Don’t allow your pal with the plumage to dominate you, if you ignore this squawking behavior, the ‘tiel will stop. And lastly, make sure your pet birdie has plenty to play with and give him or her plenty of attention.
Are male budgies louder than females?
Every bird is different. However, the males of the species tend to be more active with regard to singing, are more sociable and able to learn to talk. The female, on the other hand, is louder in terms of volume.
