9 replies to this topic

[hamsteresque]

Ok so today i was doing some research and I saw that If you choose to get a companion, it doesnt have to be a cockatiel, most birds that size can get along with a cockatiel. Can parakeets be with cockatiels??

I'm also joining a parrot forum because I've gotten loads of info there and I see lots of cockatiel owners!

[MerryBB]

Ok so today i was doing some research and I saw that If you choose to get a companion, it doesnt have to be a cockatiel, most birds that size can get along with a cockatiel. Can parakeets be with cockatiels??

I'm also joining a parrot forum because I've gotten loads of info there and I see lots of cockatiel owners!

 

Joining a bird-specific forum sounds like a great way to get better answers! Hopefully it'll have up-to-date and complete info

 

I found this article that might shed some light on the question at hand: https://birdtricks.com/blog/can-i-keep-my-budgie-and-cockatiel-in-one-cage/

 

 

TL;DR

 

Tiels and Parakeets do flock together in the wild, and they have been known to enjoy eachother's company when outside of their respective cages in domestic situations: but birds can be really territorial about their cages & nests. This means that there is much more of a risk of aggression developing between the two different species birds if they are kept together in the same cage.

 

The article also mentions the significant size difference between Budgies and Tiels. If a Tiel was to become aggressive towards a budgie, the budgie would be in pretty serious danger of injury &/or death.

[hopefulhamfam]

It's always better to have a same-species companion, in my opinion.

 

Not sure if this has come up in your research, but cockatiels live 10-14 years, and some other pet bird species even live decades. If you have plans to go to college or move away from home in a few years, it's worth thinking about whether birds are the right choice for you, since all species have fairly long lifespans. 

 

I think it's great you're joining a parrot forum! Doing as much research as you can is the best way to go about getting a new pet. There have been so many pets I wanted until I researched more and realized they weren't a good fit, either because of care requirements, lifespan, or my living situation. Good luck with your research!

[nebit]

I would not ever keep two different species in the same cage, and cockatiels are actually particularly ill suited to this. As somebody else pointed out, Cockatiels are MUCH larger birds than a budge, a cockatiel could very seriously injure a budgie without much effort, maybe even on accident. However, Cockatiels are actually a fair bit slighter in build than other parrots of their size- a small conure, while the same length as a cockatiel, is a much stockier bird that can again, severely injure the Tiel without much effort, and maybe even on accident.

 

It's also important to realize that birds are different species- not just varieties of the same species. A labrador can get along with a great dane because they "speak the same language"- they're both dogs, just bred for very different characteristics. Sort of like a thoroughbred and quarter horse are both horses. But a donkey is not a horse, it doesn't speak horse, it has very different characteristics from a horse. In the same way, humans, orangutans, and gorillas are all apes. But you wouldn't be able to communicate with an orangutan in your house, and he could easily kill you, even on accident, just by trying to play like an orangutan.

 

Likewise, birds are vastly different species, from all over the world. They don't speak the same languages, have the same behaviors, or even eat the same diets.

[hamsteresque]

I didn't think about how budgies only live 5-12 years and say the cockatiel did get a bond with it, it would be so devistated when it passes

[IsAnyoneThere]

I didn't think about how budgies only live 5-12 years and say the cockatiel did get a bond with it, it would be so devistated when it passes

 

That is a part of the problem, but I think nebit and Rosemary hit the more important one: the size difference could so quickly result in serious injury for the smaller bird.

 

My two budgies squabble all the time, whether it's just both of them trying to shred the same toy, or "chasing" each other around the room from perch to perch - nothing that is meant aggressively or maliciously, but if one was significantly larger than the other then I can see how so easily this would result in injury or worse :( 

 

I think it's honestly one of those "why bother" issues: okay yes technically birds of different species could be kept together, but why would you? It's far easier (and cheaper) to get two of the same species and cater for their needs, than it is to get two different species, tailor a diet that suits both, get toys that suit both, etc. *shrug* in my opinion, not worth the added hassle (and worry) for absolutely no gain.

 

One thing to consider on a bird forum, is that a lot of people there are avid owners and might well have a massive outdoor (or even indoor) aviary housing many birds. I would be a lot more comfortable housing them together if I had a flock of 8+ birds in a very large outdoor aviary with trees and stuff. Inside, in a pair, in a small cage... not so much.

[hamsteresque]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to risk injuring a birb! Ok thanks for the answers, I continue to do my research in like bird forums and YouTube until it's bird time :p

[MerryBB]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to risk injuring a birb! Ok thanks for the answers, I continue to do my research in like bird forums and YouTube until it's bird time :p

 

Okie doke, and remember to take YouTube videos with a grain of salt: a lot of pet care videos are outdated &/or have bad info. You'll see that sort of thing with every species of pet, really, even from recent videos & popular YouTubers (usually not the ones who gained their fame from pet care info..).

[hamsteresque]

Okie doke, and remember to take YouTube videos with a grain of salt: a lot of pet care videos are outdated &/or have bad info. You'll see that sort of thing with every species of pet, really, even from recent videos & popular YouTubers (usually not the ones who gained their fame from pet care info..).

Yeah I'm relying more on cockatiel owners on forums, I've seen some stuff on YouTube.. bad stuff. This one girl [Faith's furry critters or something] was giving out all this wrong info like how you have to clip their wings, which I ehard is really cruel in Cockatiels, ands jsut a lot of wrong info.

[Cuddlyhamster123]

With budgies and cockateils I wouldnt worry too much about the budgies getting hurts as they tend to be the bullies as they are fast and quick while cockateils are more chill. They could play together outside I wouldnt worry about it as both are pretty friendly birds not saying accidentally wont happen but very rare, it's mainly parrots as they tend to be more aggressive towards smaller spieces.