The Eternal War between Budgies and Cockatiels

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More on this topic: can budgerigars and cockatiels live together?

Top 5 Companion Birds

In case you want a feathered and singing companion in the house, consider the top 5 popular pet birds to start. These 5 pet bird species are the most popular among bird lovers who are after colorful, entertaining, happy birds that are easy to keep. Some of these birds are also suitable for children.

5. AFRICAN GREY

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The African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus), also known as the Grey Parrot, is a medium-sized parrot found in the primary and secondary rainforest of West and Central Africa. Experts regard it as one of the most intelligent birds. Their overall gentle nature and their ability to mimic speech have made them popular pets all over the world.

4. LOVEBIRD

Image ©Wikipedia

A Lovebird is one of nine species of the genus Agapornis (Greek: αγάπη agape 'love'; όρνις ornis 'bird'). Their name stems from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods in which paired birds will spend sitting together. Although small, they’re intelligent and very fun to watch. They’re not too noisy like other birds, so they’re ideal as pet birds in apartment or small house. Lovebirds are very colorful and they possess the same personality as their larger cousins, the macaws.


3. FINCH / CANARY

Image © cutehomepets.com

Image ©Wikipedia

With most varieties measuring 5 inches or less, finches (Fringillidae) and canaries (Serinus canaria) require less space than most other bird species. These little birds thrive in small flocks, and generally pay little attention to humans. This makes them perfect pets for those who love to watch birds, but would like a pet that requires minimal interaction. A healthy finch or canary can live for up to 10 years.

2. COCKATIEL*

Image © palbes.com

 The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as the Quarrion and the Weiro, is the smallest cockatoo endemic to Australia. They are prized as a household pet and companion parrot throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed. Cockatiels love to imitate all sounds from cat meows to telephone ringing. As a caged bird, cockatiels are second in popularity only to the...

1. BUDGERIGAR

Image © geekadelphia.com

The budgerigar makes a wondeful pet for children or those who are new to keeping birds. These hardy little jewels come in an array of beautiful colors, and require less space and maintenance than larger bird species. They are quite intelligent in spite of their small size, and while most are content to whistle and sing, some have been known to learn a more than just a word or two. Average life expectancy is 12 to 14 years.

* Some sources claim that lovebirds are the rightful owner of the second place. Whether this is true or not, is up for discussion.

Source: Wikipedia, birds.about.com, cutehomepets.com

Can budgerigars and cockatiels live together?

As a general rule, people advise not to mix any parrot species at all, due to various reasons.

The majority of people who've had both cockatiels and budgies in the same aviary, say the following things (based on personal experience) :

• Cockatiels have a different diet and need more space than budgies
• Budgies would play with the cockatiel, while cockatiels prefer to be left alone (this may result in a fight)
• A weak or breeding bird of one species will be teased by the birds of the other species
• Any conflict between a cockatiel and a budgie is in the budgie's disadvantage, since cockatiels are bigger and generally more aggressive (one example is the horror story of a cockatiel who bit off a budgie's foot during a fight)

So it's probably not a good idea. Of course, each bird has its own personality and some are more peaceful and tolerant than others. If you want to take the risk to keep budgerigars and cockatiels together, you should introduce them slowly to each other on neutral ground. This way, none of the birds will see each other as an intruder and start a fight. Keep them in apart cages and take them out together so that they can play and become friends. When everything goes well, you could risk putting them together, as long as you make sure there is plenty of space in the cage. When they fight, you will have to keep them apart because they might not stop and hurt each other. But it's not all bad news. Some people had a budgie and a cockatiel. The cockatiel loved to preen the budgie and talked to it a lot. He even taught the budgie to sing a little. So it really depends on the personality of the bird, and how careful you are as an owner.

Other posts in this series:
Can budgerigars and lovebirds live together?
Can budgerigars and canaries live together?