Can Budgies and Cockatiels Live Together?
Both budgies and cockatiels live in flocks in the wild, so sharing a habitat may seem natural. However, they can be aggressive towards each other. The larger cockatiel could injure the smaller budgie. Both birds can talk and imitate sounds. Nevertheless, they don’t make ideal cagemates. They can coexist if they are housed in big flight cages with dividers.
Size
Budgies are small companion birds and can be handled by most people. They can perch on a finger and love to be petted behind their crest feathers or over their ears. They also enjoy flying around their cages and need lots of exercise to stay healthy and active.
Cockatiels are larger than budgies and may be more aggressive or territorial. They are also more likely to get frightened and thrash in their cage during nighttime. These movements can easily frighten or injure a budgie.
It is not recommended to house cockatiels and budgies together, especially if you are an inexperienced bird owner. If you do decide to house them together, make sure that they have a large cage with plenty of space for each bird and a separate play area. Also, provide each bird with their own food dishes and water bowls so they do not mix. If the two birds do not fight, they can live happily together in a neutral cage.
Feeding
Budgies are very picky eaters and if not fed a balanced diet they can suffer from obesity, crop infections and other health issues. They should never be fed fried food, salt, caffeinated drinks or bread. Fruit and vegetables such as apples, bananas, pears, carrots, peas and cooked pumpkin are all good and should be offered to your budgie. Avoid feeding them treats like honey sticks which are high in sugar and can cause obesity, crop infections and diabetes in budgies.
It is not advisable to house a cockatiel with a budgie without proper quarantine and introduction. They have very different personalities and the cockatiel could see its cage mate as competition for food or water, leading to fighting and stress. In addition, the cockatiel could get spooked and its thrashing during a nighttime fright can injure or even kill its smaller cage mate. If introduced correctly, budgies and cockatiels may be fine together but it really depends on the individual bird.
Habitat
Cockatiels have a more varied diet than budgies and require a mix of seeds, fruits, and vegetables to meet their nutritional needs. Providing them with a separate seed mix will help to prevent the cockatiel from eating the more nutritious budgie seeds, which could lead to obesity and heart problems in budgies.
Cockatiels are generally more mellow than budgies, but their personalities can vary greatly. You should carefully observe your birds’ interactions before making a decision about housing them together.
If you do decide to house the two species together, be sure to provide each bird with a cage that is large enough to allow for ample movement and stretching of their wings. Having plenty of open space in the cage will also help to prevent territorial disputes and aggression between the two pets. In addition to adequate space, both birds need plenty of toys and perches to keep them occupied. This will prevent boredom and aggressive behavior that may result from a lack of mental stimulation and environmental enrichment.
Training
Budgies are a subspecies of parakeet, meaning that all of the different colors you see are just different varieties of the same species. Cockatiels are the smallest members of the cockatoo family, and they’re actually a type of parrot.
Both species require plenty of open space and perches to move around in and play with each other. They also need plenty of toys and other enrichment activities to keep them stimulated and happy. This can help minimize territorial disputes and stress that could lead to aggressive behaviors.
Cockatiels do best with a bird that’s quite similar in temperament to themselves, such as another cockatiel or a Bourke’s parakeet. They can handle a touchy-feely bird like a budgie, but they’re more comfortable with birds that don’t fly very high or have big wings. Cockatiels need a much larger cage than a budgie, which may frighten or stress out the smaller bird. Their food requirements are very different as well, so it’s best to feed them separate diets to avoid nutritional issues.