People often ask if it's okay to house their budgies with other birds, especially cockatiels. Generally, this is a bad idea for several reasons but there are always exceptions to the rules.

 

The first thing that must be noted is that different species often have very different attitudes. Budgies, lovebirds, parrotlets, quaker parakeets, and other species are often aggressive toward other birds. This is especially true with hen budgies. Parrotlets, lovebirds, and quaker parakeets (or monk parakeets/parrots) are even more aggressive than budgies and are hard to keep with their own species, let alone mixed groups of different species. All three of those species are known for being cage territorial, even with their owners.

 

The second thing that must be noted is that while the body size and stature of two species may be similar (for example, budgies and bourkes or parrotlets) their beaks can be quite different in proportion. Lovebirds and parrotlets have fairly large beaks in proportion to their size. The species with a larger, stronger beak has a great advantage to a budgie, whose beak is very small and not capable of nearly as much damage. One nip from a larger-beaked bird can mean severe damage to a budgie. A nip from an extremely large-beaked bird or even one of the smaller conures can be the end of the story for a smaller bird like a budgie.

 

Third, the fight or flight response must be taken into consideration. Most parrots will try to get away if they have the chance. In the wild or in a large aviary, this is much easier to do. In a small cage, there isn't always a lot of room for getting away. Furthermore, a clipped bird is disadvantaged greatly in this situation as it can only go so far and not usually very fast, especially in a cage.

 

Lastly, hormonal and/or breeding birds are going to be more aggressive when defending their mates and nests. Even a docile species such as the cockatiel can get violent if it thinks that its nest or mate is at stake.

 

That said, I'm sure everyone has seen an aviary or cage of mixed species at some point. Some members here keep them as well. It can work but when this question is asked, you'll often see that we discourage it anyway. That is because of the aforementioned risks. Still, it's possible to harmoniously house parrots of different species in some situations.

 

You cannot simply throw two different species into the same environment and expect them to work out their differences without bloodshed (or worse). There are some species I would never dream of mixing. For instance, I can't imagine ever housing my green cheeked conure with any of my other birds. He is smaller than my cockatiel, but my 'tiel would almost certainly end up injured. Conures are one of those really fearless, outgoing, and aggressive species. They are very good at biting too. Just ask my finger!

 

Just recently, I decided to allow my cockatiel to live with my budgies. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. Do I think I'm the only person in the world who can get away with doing this? Absolutely not! Nor do I think that it would work well with just any cockatiel that I happen to acquire. If I still had Mr. Molly, I can say without a doubt that he would be kept in his own cage.

 

The difference in my situation (though each one is going to vary) is that Pika the 'tiel has grown up with the budgies. I've watched him interact with them for a year and a half. I've seen how he interacts with the budgies even during his hormonal phases, and this is a big deal as a bird's attitude can change greatly when they are hormonal. I didn't just plop him in the cage and expect harmony. Over the course of many months, he spent more and more time sharing the cage until he was only going into his own to sleep. I've watched him participate in the short little bickerings that budgies often do and true to the cockatiel nature, Pika always backs down. This is important as if he decided to stand up to them instead, either bird could get hurt. On top of this, I have watched him share many meals with the budgies. Being more aggressive, the budgies could deny him food and cause him to starve. Thankfully, they accept him as one of their own. And I'm pretty certain that Pika truly believes he's a budgie and always has. Right down to mimicking the budgie chirp so that he can fit in. If his favorite budgie, Pixel, is out of his sight, he uses a budgie chirp to call back and forth to her. Pixel also feeds him in a very motherly way.

 

Cockatiels (especially males) are very good at becoming obsessed with something and then having their life revolve around it. For Pika, it's the budgies. He is genuinely lost and miserable without them. Still, I would not house them together if I felt it was a threat to either species' well-being. They also have plenty of room in the cage to get away from each other. Pika is flighted as are most of the budgies (Arctic and Crystal are certainly getting there).

 

As I said earlier, this is still not something I would recommend purely because not everyone is aware of the risks. It's very important to know what to look for if you even attempt it. Had Pika not grown up alongside the budgies and demonstrated over a long amount of time that they can all live harmoniously, I wouldn't have dreamt of allowing him to stay with them. But because this happened gradually and because I am aware of the risks and what to watch for, I am comfortable with this decision. I'm also in the position to be home most of the day and observe them.

 

So, should your cockatiel live with your budgies? Most likely not. Can it be done without bloodshed? With care and observation, it definitely can. Never throw them together and expect them to hit it off though. Take the time to watch your birds interact. Most importantly, is this going to be a situation where one species merely tolerates the other or are they truly happier being housed together? How does one species take to the other during hormonal periods? Is one fearful of the other? (Fear can lead to biting). Is there adequate space for one species to quickly and easily escape from the other? Have you had each species long enough to know the signs of stress, aggression, and fear in each one? If one does become aggressive, how much damage can be done?

 

If you are breeding birds, it's probably not a good idea to mix species of conflicting temperment and beak size. In fact, breeding birds should really have their own little space so that they do not feel threatened to the point of becoming aggressive or stressed.

 

The purpose of this post is NOT to encourage mixing species and when the question comes up again, you'll likely see me advise against it, I always have. I just feel it's good to explain WHY something is risky and point those risks out so that if someone decides to go through with it, they can do so informed. I know of quite a few people who successfully keep mixed species but they have all done this gradually and with a good deal of knowledge on each type of bird they keep as well as the individual. I also wanted to make it clear why I made this particular decision with Pika. If anyone has any questions or concerns about my decision then please feel free to ask. I don't mind at all, and given how often I question the practices of others, I'm not about to refuse being questioned that same way.

 

And on that note, I'll link to a video of Pixel feeding Pika.

your article has alot of good points .

when l get my tiels , l don't even think of caging them together but l also realize that your case is totally different then mine .

l had a friend who kept one budgie and one lovebird together but they grew up together since they where babies and they where very bonded to one another and they where never a threat to each other , but l also would not recommeed doing it either .

 

the video is great , l love watching it , so cute .

Yeah, I think it really helps when they've grown up alongside each other. And most cockatiels do really well with having out of cage time with budgies. Molly would tolerate the budgies but I have a feeling his patience would've worn thin if he had been kept with them all the time. Pika's just plain PLEASE BAN ME!! and really thinks he's a budgie. I almost feel sorry for him sometimes. (Laughing out loud).

 

Another thing I forgot to mention is that even if birds have to be caged separately, they can get some enjoyment from watching each other during the day.

Chloe my tiel lives in her own cage but when she comes inside she plays with Chucky. Chucky has even started making the tiel whistle. Usually they sit on the birdy gym and sleep or share a seed block!! The other week they woke up at the same time yawned at the same time and then did the bird leg stretch thing. It was soooo cute!!! Totally in sync with each other!! When Chloe came to us she was a little intimidated by Chucky who can be a real bully when she wants to be but as they got to know each other they have become great pals. But this is just my story and my birds. And as said earlier each bird is different.

I completely fell head over heels in love with that video! They were so cute!!!

we discussed this before so you know my thoughts

 

the video is so funny, he has truly mimicked a bugdie and begs like a hen .

 

Glad to see you posted your thoughts and your situation.

I've always wondered about diet in a mixed species aviary? Different species have different seed mixes right? And different needs in terms of fat and protien, etc? So how does one get around this?

this one too for housing budgies, I good information. I know that is asked alot for FAQs.

I've always wondered about diet in a mixed species aviary? Different species have different seed mixes right? And different needs in terms of fat and protien, etc? So how does one get around this?

That is a really good question.

 

To an extent, enough variety in the diet can meet all the needs of very similar birds. For example, you can mix together high quality budgie and cockatiel seed mix and not really have many worries so long as you feed a variety of other things as well. My budgies and cockatiels get such a seed mixture (newsong organics for each species mixed together), cooked foods (usually just a bit of what was prepared for Poe), fresh vegetables, and pellets. Most pellets, including the ones I currently feed (TOP and Foundation Formula) are not species-specific because of the ingredients inside. They are adjusted by size to suit the size of the beak for each species but the recipe stays the same. Cockatiels and budgies can both eat similar-sized pellets so no worries there. At this moment in time it is thought that both of these species NEED some seed in their diet and cannot handle the protein content of an all-pellet diet (though no bird should eat ALL anything). As far as fat content, fortunately, it's very easy to monitor whether or not your bird is getting too much. Lots of exercise can even balance this out if adjusting the food isn't possible. I try to weigh all of my birds at least once a week.

 

If you were to feed only seeds and sparse amounts of veggies then yes, this could quickly become an issue, especially for birds who weren't getting the proper amount of exercise. Many people do feed seed only diets, unfortunately. This is why I've mentioned dietary needs of the two separate species in the past when asked if they should be mixed. Cockatiel seed mixes (especially lower quality mixes) contain more sunflower seed and often more safflower seed. This can quickly make a budgie fat if it makes up too much of the diet. Budgie seed is okay for cockatiels to eat but they really do enjoy having those odd larger seeds in their mix.

 

If you were housing something like a green cheeked conure (south american parrot) with a budgie (australian grasskeet) you'd have more difficulty. Aside from the fact that the budgie could likely get ripped apart, green cheeks don't need the amount of seed in their diets that budgies require and it would be very hard to monitor their intake in an aviary setting. Again, offering a large variety of foods would really be the only way to get around this. Not everyone has the time to do this though.

 

Another example, african greys and eclectus parrots are very similar in size and intelligence. Their dietary needs though, are extremely different. Eclectus parrots need a diet like no other, and often cannot tolerate formulated diets such as pellets. Their diet must consist of mostly fresh fruits and vegetables and a large variety of them. Greys, on the other hand, are known for being prone to calcium deficiency. Ekkies are prone to vitamin A deficiency as well as a need for higher amounts of fiber.

 

The only way to get around a situation like that (being if you really wanted to house an ekkie with a grey) would be to incorporate meal feedings. You would prepare the food at the same time each day but give each bird his/her own dish so that you could be sure they were each getting the right type of food. Ekkies can eat a small amount of pellets so diving into your grey's pellet stash wouldn't kill the ekkie. But a watchful eye would be needed to make sure each bird was also eating a majority of what's best for them.

Edited December 12, 200618 yr by eterri

Do tiels need grit?

No, all parrots hull their seeds and do not have to have grit.

okay, they why do they have it?

Short answer: Because people are ignorant.

 

Long answer: Because many of them have been doing it for years and haven't noticed issues. So, a lot of it comes back to "tradition" so to speak. Many old-school parrot owners and breeders won't change something unless they see it needed. There are also articles which point out some benefits of adding grit.

 

Still, in the end, it's just not needed. And it poses a risk, no matter how small. As I always say, why add that risk unless the benefits outweight it? There are no detrimental effects to leaving grit out of the diet so in my opinion, even that minimal risk outweighs the benefits (which I don't fully agree with anyway).

I notice you have this in the FAQ already but you may want to add from your info about Terri because it is excellent.

:hap: Love that video! I think it is like cats and dogs, historically they don't get along well but then you see cases where they are are the best of buddies and sleep and hang out together. I have to let some of my birds of different species out at different times or there would be problems; my Rosey Bourke is minus a toenail courtesy of the budgies and my lovebird Phoebe has been a killer in the past (and although she is cuddly/kissy with me, she would have no hesitation in attacking another bird). Also, I have to keep certain budgies apart for their propensity to breed. So you just have to evaluate your birds and observe them as to their ability to get along with species other than their own kind. :greenb:

Very good points. About 20 + years ago, I had 4 budgies, a sun conure, and an orange fronted conure. The conures lived together with no problems. All the birds had seperate out of cage time too. But the sun was incredibly jealous of budgie out of cage times, because that meant he had to stay in. Plus the budgies could fly, and the conures couldn't. The orange front didn't care, he loved everything about life, but the sun was a different story. One day, he got on the budgie cage. Of course, being budgies they tried to bite his toes. In a split second, one of the budgies began screaming, then wouldn't use one of her legs. You guessed it, the sun bit her foot instead. The budgie ended up losing one of her toes. Even if caged seperately, birds must be carefully watched when mixing species.

Birds eat grit to help aid in digestion. it is used in the gizzard and the grit grinds down the food particles kinda like a mortle and pestle style. the grit isn't needed but cuttle fish bone is not only used for calcium but it is a style of grit.

hope this helps

Sco-tie

The difference is one is soluble and one is insoluble. Insoluble grit, which is often marketed as gravel and is NOT cuttlebone will remain in the body until expelled. It has been known to cause crop impaction.

 

Soluble grit, like cuttlebone, can be broken down and digested. Cuttlebone is a good source of calcium.

 

Because budgies hull their seed, they don't need insoluble grit. Other birds such as pigeons and doves eat entire seeds, shells and all. This is why they must also have grit, it helps break these foods down for them.

 

Just wanted to clarify.

Edited December 14, 200618 yr by eterri

Neat video! I've seen a lot of feeding videos, but this is the first from two different species.

 

You know what's really funny? When I first started reading this post I was thinking, "What is she doing?!", because I would never have thought of mixing species to be a good, or safe, thing.

 

Though as I read, it really started to drive the point home that you can't always go by the rulebook and have to make changes from common sense.

 

I could never seperate those two after watching that video! Look how he follows her when she moves!

That's so true, Weather. I don't think it's possible to say that one way is ALWAYS going to apply. There are general guidelines but always exceptions.

 

And yeah, it's insane how much Pika loves his budgies. :(Laughing out loud):