Budgies and cockatiels are popular pet birds in the US. But you could be wondering what happens if you get both birds and put them in the same cage. Will they be buddies or will they start fighting?
Can budgies live with cockatiels? It is okay to keep a budgie and cockatiel in the same cage as they tend to get along well. However, they should be under strict supervision as fights are likely to break due to territorial issues.
The following article explores more on whether it’s possible for budgies and cockatiels to live together and what considerations to put in place to ensure a peaceful coexistence between them.
Can budgies live with cockatiels?
Budgies and cockatiels can be friends and live together in the same cage, provided you give them the ideal living conditions in the cage.
Even in the wild, these two birds are usually found in the same habitats and aren’t strangers to each other.
However, there’s a need to constantly monitor them as each of them can get territorial and start being aggressive towards the other.
Even if you give them ideal living conditions and they seem to be getting along well, there’s a high possibility of sudden fights erupting. These can cause either or both birds to get injured.
Whether a budgie and a cockatiel can live together also depends on the history and personality of the individual pet birds. Some birds may easily get along well while others are completely non-compatible.
How to house a cockatiel and budgie together?
Below, are key considerations to consider to ensure your pet birds share a cage peacefully:
Introduce the birds to each other
Proper introduction helps increase the chances of two birds living peacefully in the same cage.
You can start by putting the birds in their spate cages close together to get them acquainted with each other and form a bond.
After a few days, you can let them out and let them play together in a safe place outside their cages, in neutral territory.
Repeat this a few times for some weeks. Sometimes, try placing them in a neutral cage for short periods of time to test their compatibility.
Get a spacious cage
Having a spacious cage for the two birds is another way to ensure they live peacefully.
The ideal Cage size should be 20 by 25 inches and 35 inches high—though bigger is always better.
Ensure you equip the cage with spate hideaways such as small nests or logs where your birds can easily retreat when they want to be alone.
Provide enough perch space for your birds to sit comfortably.
Diet considerations
You’ll also need to keep in mind that though the birds have a similar diet, they’ve completely different nutrition requirements.
So, you’ll have to provide each with its own food and water bowl. Place the feeders on opposite sides of your cage.
If possible, you should also consider feeding them outside the cage to keep one from eating the other’s food and probably developing health problems.
Closely monitor your pet birds
Just because your birds seem to be getting along well doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be supervising them.
They’ll likely get into fights at some point, especially during the breeding period.
As such, you need to closely monitor them and look out for signs of aggression. In case of fights, the best action is to separate them into their respective cages.
If breeding season causes the split, you can try putting them back together after the season is over. Even then, you should still keep an eye on them to see if they’ll continue being buddies.
Alternatively, a cage with a divider is Safe for budgies and cockatiels to keep them from fighting without necessarily splitting them.
TIP: You may also want to seek veterinary help before you start housing the two budgies in the same cage. The vet may offer you additional helpful tips and advice on how to ensure birds live peacefully.
Why you may want to avoid keeping budges and cockatiels in the same cage?
Although we have said that you can keep the two birds in the same cage, it’s not always a good idea.
Sometimes, it might just not work and you may want to avoid it for the safety and mental wellness of your pet birds.
Here are some reasons why you may refrain from the idea:
Territorial issues
Given the budgie’s small size, it can become highly territorial as it needs to protect its nesting area from potential predators. As such, it can turn highly aggressive against cockatiels during breeding.
Though this isn’t common in captive budgies, it can still happen, depending on the individual budgie and its history. This can lead to a potential fight between your cockatiel and budgie.
Birds of different personalities
Budgies are high-energy and like playing and flapping around the cage pretty much all day. The cockatiels, however, are calm and docile.
The difference in the birds’ personalities can lead to your cockatiel getting easily stressed. It can’t get away from the budgie when it needs to.
This is unlike when they’re playing in the open as the cockatiels can always retreat to their cages when they feel the need to.
Differences in nutrition needs
If you’re wondering whether budgies and cockatiels eat the same food, the answer is No. The two parrots also gave different nutritional requirements, despite taking the same diet.
For instance, cockatiels require more fat in their diet. As such, if it starts eating budgies food, it may start experiencing weight loss and get easily malnourished. The two birds may also require different amounts of food and water daily.
Size of the birds
Cockatiels are bigger than budgies, so your cockatiel will feel comfortable if you house them in a small cage.
Cockatiels’ bigger size plus stronger beaks make them better equipped for a fight.
If the two were to get into a fight, the budgie won’t stand a chance against the cockatiel
Housing requirements
Since a cockatiel is bigger, it will require a larger and taller cage than a budgie to stretch and flap its wings. This can easily frighten your budgie.
Large cages also usually feature wider bars that your budgie can easily get through and escape.
Final Verdict
Whether you can house a budgie and a cockatiel together mostly depends on the personality and history of the individual birds. However, the two birds can live in the same cage provided you put into consideration various aspects such as the size of the enclosure, diet needs, and if you properly introduce them to each other,
Remember, monitoring behavior of the birds is important. If they become aggressive towards each other and start fighting, separate them immediately.
