I was at a bird show on Saturday and I noticed that in one of the cages they had budgies and cockatiels in together... and they seemed okay.

 

I've also noticed from some of your photo's that you have both cockatiels and budgies...

 

I'm just wondering how they interact? Do they get on? Etc. etc.

 

I can't decide between getting 1/2 female budgies for my males, or a cockatiel instead!!! :mellow:

As a general rule you shouldn't mix parrot species. In the case of budgies and teils the budgies often bully the teil so don't get a teil unless you have another large cage to house it in.

I have 1 tiel and 6 budgies at present the tiel is still in quarantine but will NEVER he housed with the budgies, hopefully they might be able to have out time together but even that might not ever happen, if your not prepared for that stick with one species.

 

Eterri might be able to add to this she's more experience than me!

When I started my colllection, many years ago I was told it was okay to mix budgies with cockateils but not with finches or canaries. So with that I originally had an avairy with 8 budgies and 2 cockateils. I Have nevr had any fighting between the 2. I will agree that by nature the budgies are more adventurous and more bossy, but they do tend to fight between themselves rather than with they tiels.

 

I love the colours of the budgies, but the cockatiels are definatately the most responsive if you call to them. (it may be different in an indoor situation with fewer birds) :blow:

I'm not really considering housing them together... they'd both be in separate cages and I'm sure one or the other would feel invaded if I forced them to live together... I am just hoping that they might be able to get on or at the least ignore each other, if they were let out in the same room... though obviously I would take precautions with this!

 

I just don't want to consider breaking up a bird fight!!!

Should be okay with supervised flight time. I would introduce them carefully, and if it looks like they won't get on, then they will have to have seperate flight times. As long as your prepared for that, should be fine. I've had a tiel and lorikeet (which can be really nasty) get along fine, I've also had budgies and tiels get along fine, but always supervised.

Yep I agree Lin, some of my budgies are VERY boisterous and protective of each other so I wouldn't allow Charlie (tiel) to be out at the same time as those 2, but I will try after quarantine him out under supervision with maybe Candy and Bobby see how that goes. That is of course if Charlie ever decides he wants to be out of his cage. 2 weeks on he hasnt come out at all yet.

As mentioned, they *can* get along okay but should always always be supervised and never ever caged together. I have four budgies and two cockatiels and thankfully they do pretty well together during their out-of-cage time.

 

I know many people mix cockatiels and budgies together in aviaries and with a ton of space it often works out okay. But inside in a cage it's riskier. So just keep them supervised very very closely and you will probably be able to allow them to come out at the same time.

 

Also, be extremely careful with them climbing on top of each other's cages. It's not uncommon for a bird to lose its toes because it climbed on another bird's cage. They seem to go straight for the feet! One of my cockatiels came to me missing the tips of two of his toes and I have a feeling that this is how it happened.

A few authors of the budgerigar books I have, some of them said that it would be fine housing them together. However, never house/keep budgerigar with finches such as zebra finches, canary, etc...