We're building an aviary into the fernery, it's going to be fairly large, measuring approximatley 3.5-4m long, 2-3m high and 1.5-2m deep and while it will be predominantly budgies kept in there, I would like to also keep a few other species. I've been doing a bit of research and the names that came up most frequently were:

cockateils

bourke's parrot

 

elegant parrot

 

blue-winged parrot

 

rock parrot

 

orange-bellied parrot

 

turquoise parrot

 

scarlet-chested parrot

 

rosellas

 

nutmeg manikin

 

white-backed munia

 

java sparrow

 

double-barred finch

 

zebra finch

 

Does anyone else have/had a 'mixed aviary' and what combinations are/were succesful for you?

 

We have had some of those species in my husbands aviary, but I dont mix any other bird species with my budgies. It isnt often recommended to mix many things with budgies. Some keep tiels with them and they seem to do okay. Of course everything changes if breeding also happens. And space needs to be at a premium for all to exist together. The bourkes and scarlets are quiet birds, so may not like the activity of budgies around them. The java sparrow is a very active lively and energetic bird and when we had those they upset everyone in the aviary

We had a fully planted out aviary when we first put the budgies in there. They decimated everything in a very short space of time. Ate and destroyed the lot.

I agree with what Kaz has said, there are not many birds that will mix well with Budgies, as they are very aggressive, Java Sparrows are in the same league. Like Kaz says Bourke’s are nice passive birds & I would worry about their survival with Budgies. Some of the bigger parrots you mention are also very aggressive especially if breeding & mostly are best kept a pair per aviary. If you wanted a mixed aviary it would be best to keep to some of the finches & with them only one pair of certain varieties can be kept together.

I used to have a friend who had a mixed viary of budgies cockateils and bourkes and turquoisines and they all seem to get along okay.

i have a mixed avairy mostly budgies with zebra finches breeding and a pair of bourkes who are looking for a box and they get along fine.

The age old saying......."SIZE MATTERS".......comes into play here. What seems like a large aviary to some becomes a quite small aviary when it has a certain number and blend of birds in it. Also does Breeding come into the equation ?

My husbands mixed aviary is HUGE...it is 10 metres (33 feet or so ) by 3.5 metres wide by the 2.5 metres high. When we bred the princess parrots we had to sell four youngster as the space wasnt big enough any more for the blend of birds in there ( large parrots, finches and canaries ).

I have a mixed aviary. 9 budgies, 2 red rumped grass parrots, 6 cockateils, and 4 zebra finches. Plus the king and jap quail on the floor. They all have their own little areas and don't bother each other. No problems at all. I don't provide nest boxes which I think is why they don't fight, I just put the pairs I want to breed into the breeding cages.

Thanks guys

 

Hmmmm.

 

Well, I still have a while to think about it, as the aviary isn't completed yet (Laughing out loud).

 

I wouldn't mix with any finches, as we have a seperate aviary with canaries and finches.

 

I'd probably go with bourkes, red-rumps or cockateils.

 

But if I do decide to mix, I think I will follow lullaby's example and not provide nest boxes, but place pairs in breeding cages.

 

Though for the first while, the aviary will only house budgies.

Edited November 12, 200717 yr by Bec Sta