There isn’t much to choose between cockatiels and budgies – apart from the crest on the formers head. But can parakeets and cockatiels live together? Let’s find out.
Before putting two different species of bird in the same cage, bird owners need to make sure they can live together.
Not all birds bond well, and putting the wrong species together might result in constant fights.
However, you may rest assured that cockatiels and parakeets can live together. Let’s find out more about how compatible these two popular pet birds are with each other.
Can Cockatiels and Parakeets Live Together?
As long as you introduce the newcomer properly and let the birds gradually get more comfortable with each other, it should be fine.
Cockatiels and parakeets are already known to live together in the wild, so there’s nothing unusual about it, and the two species are perfectly compatible.
You don’t usually have to worry about the two birds fighting for domination.
Although cockatiels are the larger birds between the two, budgies are more dominant. Cockatiels are generally fine with it and make perfect companion birds.
How To Bring Them Together?
While it’s true that cockatiels and budgies can live together, you can’t just put them in the same cage out of the blue.
The birds need some time to get accustomed to each other.
The same is applicable when you bring home another cockatiel rather than a budgie to live with your existing cockatiel.
- You’ll initially need a separate cage for the newcomer. Place the two cages in the same room but make sure to keep them away from each other to give the birds space.
- As your cockatiel and budgie become more accustomed to each other’s presence in the room, gradually start bringing the cages closer.
- Eventually, you can put the cages next to each other and monitor the birds’ behavior. See if they’re fine with it or show any signs of aggression.
- Have patience and wait for the cockatiel and the budgie to grow friendly towards each other. Once you think they are ready for physical contact, allow them to meet each other in a neutral space outside their cages.
- After a few more out-of-cage meetings, put them in the same cage for a small period. It’s best to use a neutral cage so that neither bird shows territorial behavior.
- Repeat this every day and allow the birds to play together and feed under your supervision. However, keep in mind that the two birds have different dietary needs and may face health issues if they eat too much of each other’s food.
- Allow the birds to spend more time together and eventually make it permanent.
The above steps should work, but make sure to keep a close eye on the birds whenever they’re close to each other.
Do not put them together unless they seem to be fine with each other’s company.
Can Cockatiels and Parakeets Be in the Same Cage?
In an outdoor aviary, it’s quite common for different bird species to live together as there’s plenty of space, i.e., fewer chances of territorial fights.
Before keeping the cockatiels and parakeets in the same cage, there are a few things you should consider.
Cage size
This is particularly important – you need a much larger cage than usual if you plan to keep a cockatiel and a budgie in the same cage.
Regular-sized cages aren’t sufficient, as the two species would need separate food dishes and adequate personal space.
If you are keeping the two birds together, I would suggest a cage of at least 40 x 40 x 40 inches, if not more.
Unless there’s plenty of space, it might get too cramped, and the two birds might end up fighting.
Cage type
Due to their physical differences, cockatiels and budgies need slightly different types of cages.
As the former has a larger wingspan, they require a roomier cage to be able to play and move around comfortably.
While cockatiels are fine with a cage bar spacing between half an inch to five-eighth of an inch, a parakeet’s cage requires bar spacing of at least half an inch.
To put the two together, you will need to take one with the smaller bar spacing – half an inch.
Nesting
You need to be particularly vigilant during the breeding season. Both cockatiels and parakeets are known to be territorial during this time.
Parakeets do not hesitate to attack much larger birds that get too close to their nesting sites.
Make sure both birds have a dedicated safe place that they can use as their respective nesting sites.
This is yet another reason why you need a large cage or outdoor aviary to keep cockatiels and budgies together.
While giving them dedicated nesting spaces should reduce conflicts, you may still have to separate the birds if they keep fighting.
Personality
Cockatiels and parakeets have very different individual personalities.
While both of them are social birds and love to interact, the parakeets are a lot more energetic and active. Cockatiels, on the other hand, are calm and enjoy resting quietly.
The incessant chattering and movement of your budgie might irritate your cockatiel. At some point, the latter might lash out and potentially injure the budgie.
Besides, living with an energetic parakeet would deny your cockatiel the rest it needs.
Cockatiels are also a lot more vulnerable to night frights than parakeets. They often require a dim light to be left on near the cage, while budgies prefer to sleep in the dark.
Food
As I hinted earlier, you need to provide cockatiels and budgies with different foods to meet their dietary requirements.
When keeping them together, make sure they don’t steal each other’s food.
For instance, budgies need a low-fat diet as they are prone to obesity, liver disease, and fatty tumors.
A cockatiel’s diet should contain a lot of oily seeds as they need a diet with more fat content.
A budgie’s diet primarily consists of pellets. On the contrary, a cockatiel surviving on an all-pellet diet would suffer liver damage.
Toys & Accessories
Both cockatiels and budgies need toys to play with and stay entertained, but their size difference applies to their toys and accessories.
The large toys of your cockatiel might potentially scare your parakeet. Moreover, a cockatiel has a larger and stronger beak – it might break the budgie’s favorite toys.
I wouldn’t recommend putting a cockatiel and budgie in the same cage if you can avoid it.
Apart from having to install a larger cage, you’ll also have to bear in mind the differences in their personalities and dietary requirements.
If you have to put them together, please make sure they’re fine with sharing the cage and are friendly toward each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
What birds can be kept with cockatiels?
Cockatiels thrive in the company of other birds, so it’s important to choose companions that are appropriate for them.
Budgies and Lovebirds make good companions for Cockatiels, as they can often be similar in size and temperament.
Other suitable companions include parrotlets, doves, Gray-cheeked Parakeets, Diamond Doves, caiques, and lorikeets.
It’s important to introduce any new birds slowly and carefully to make sure that there is no aggression between them.
What birds can parakeets live with?
Parakeets can live with many species of birds and make good companions for a variety of parrot species.
Birds such as cockatiels, finches, canaries, lovebirds, cockatoos, macaws, and smaller parrots, including budgerigars, conures, and small amazons, are all potential avian friends for a parakeet.
Whenever introducing two birds to live together, it’s important to introduce them slowly to each other. Never put two birds in a cage without a proper introduction.
Will a cockatiel hurt a budgie?
A cockatiel and a budgie can generally be kept together as long as there is ample space and resources for both birds.
If a cockatiel feels threatened by the presence of a budgie, it may attack or aggressively peck the budgie, but this is usually just posturing or ‘play fighting’ if they have been socialized together.
It’s important to monitor interactions between these two types of birds in case they become too aggressive with one another, as it could result in injuries or even death.
Do cockatiels or parakeets talk better?
Cockatiels are generally better talkers than parakeets. However, the individual bird plays a big role.
In general, cockatiels have a tendency to be more friendly and social than parakeets; this makes them more likely to pick up words or mimic noises for attention.
While both species of birds can learn human words and phrases, cockatiels seem to be generally easier to train and can learn up to 90 different words.
Wrapping up
To sum up, parakeets and cockatiels can live together, but still best to keep them separated.
You can put them in the same cage if you don’t have another choice.
But it is important to let them meet each other in a neutral environment first before you let them be bunk buddies.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you can now figure out what’s best for your feathered friends.
