Can budgies and cockatiels share and live in the same cage?

If you own both species, you’ve definitely thought of housing them together in a single cage.

But is that such a good idea?

This article will explain why it’s best for budgies and cockatiels to live in their own separate cages.

But first, let’s discuss how these two birds act toward each other in the wild.

Knowing how they naturally behave toward each other will give us valuable insight into how they would act when put into a cage together.

Quick Navigation:

• Are Budgies And Cockatiels Naturally Friendly?
• Why You Shouldn’t Put Budgies & Cockatiels In The Same Cage
• How To Successfully Cage Parakeets & Cockatiels Together
• How To Introduce A Cockatiel To A Budgie
• What Other Birds Can Live With Cockatiels & Budgies?
• Conclusion

Are Budgies And Cockatiels Naturally Friendly?

Budgies and cockatiels naturally co-exist in the Australian outback.

These birds mostly ignore each other and are very peaceful, rarely fighting.

The only instances where budgies and cockatiels fight is when there is a bit of conflict around a nesting site or tree hollow.

Both birds get very defensive when another bird invades their nesting site.

They’ll even get aggressive with members of their own species.

These two cockatiels were fighting over the breeding box.

Other than the rare conflicts around their breeding sites, cockatiels and budgies live in peace and can sometimes be found feeding together if food is plentiful.

So what does this mean for our pet birds?

It means that as long as there is plenty of food and their space is neutral (meaning no single bird owns the area), these birds will peacefully co-exist.

And due to their high emotional intelligence, they can even become friends.

However, putting these two birds in a single cage destroys all neutrality…

Why You Shouldn’t Put Budgies & Cockatiels In The Same Cage

Although your cockatiel and budgie might get along when in a neutral play zone, it doesn’t mean they’ll get along as cage mates.

Despite how friendly they are, both birds still have their natural instincts intact.

Those natural instincts will cause them to defend any perceived territory (their cage).

Cockatiels will even become defensive and aggravated around budgies in neutral play zones:

Out of budgies and cockatiels, budgies are typically dominant, clingy, and annoying towards cockatiels.

Cockatiels are a lot calmer and more passive, which makes them polar opposites to budgies in terms of personality.

Related: Ultimate Budgie Vs Cockatiel Comparison

Even in neutral play zones, cockatiels will try to get away from budgies.

Here’s what will likely happen after being put in the same cage:

• They’ll fight over food or water

• They’ll become territorial over their small space

• Neither bird will be comfortable

• Since they can’t get away from each other, they’ll be even more agitated

Even if the budgie is fine, the cockatiel will likely want to get away from this small, dominant bully.

And if the cockatiel gets too annoyed and feels cornered, it may lash out and bite, which can seriously injure the budgie.

These are the most likely results of keeping these two birds in the same cage.

It’s a very rare chance that they’ll get along in the cage.

As mentioned, cockatiels and budgies are mostly peaceful in a neutral space.

But putting them together in one cage will destroy all neutrality and likely any chance of future friendship.

Definitely do not try putting a budgie into your cockatiel’s cage, or vice versa.

The bird who owns the cage will see the newcomer as an invader and will likely become territorial.

If you still want to try caging them together, the following section will increase your chances of doing this successfully.

How To Successfully Cage Parakeets & Cockatiels Together

Full disclosure: The chances of this happening successfully, even with the tips below, are still very low.

Their personalities are simply too different to keep them together in a confined space.

However, I want to give you some tips if you want to try this out.

For the best chances of caging budgies and cockatiels together, follow these steps:

• Initially introduce the two birds in neutral territory

• Make sure they’re already friendly before caging them together

• Have a very large cage (ideally an aviary)

Let’s further break down these tips…

How To Introduce A Cockatiel To A Budgie

In order for two different species of birds to become friends, they need to be introduced to each other in the right way.

The worst way to introduce a cockatiel to a budgie is by putting one in the other’s cage.

If you do this, their first interactions will be negative, which will set the tone for their entire relationship.

The first time a budgie and a cockatiel meet should be in neutral territory.

This will give them the neutral space they need to meet, chat, and inspect each other without needing to feel defensive.

Firstly, bring both birds into a room while they’re both in their separate cages.

Make sure both birds have plenty of food, you don’t want the first interaction between your birds to be one stealing the other’s food.

Next, choose which bird to let out first.

The bird that you open up first will likely be the one to initiate first contact by going up to the other cage.

At this stage, just observe how they behave when one bird is still caged.

If both birds seem peaceful and aren’t showing any signs of aggression, feel free to let the other bird out.

This is where the fun begins!

Now you get to see how they behave without cage bars to keep them separated.

Are they both being peaceful?

Is the budgie being too annoying?

What is the cockatiel’s reaction to the hyperactive budgie?

If the budgie is being too annoying, it might be best to cage him for a while to let the cockatiel meet him at its own pace.

But if everything seems peaceful, there is a good chance the two will eventually become friends.

The friendlier they are, the higher likelihood of them being able to live in one cage.

That’s only a higher likelihood, there are still no guarantees and the chances of them fighting as cage mates will always be high.

Make Sure They’re Friendly Before Caging Them Together

It goes without saying that you should absolutely not make two aggressive birds share a cage.

Even friendly birds often don’t like being cage mates.

If you’re even going to attempt to keep a budgie and a cockatiel in the same cage, they should at least be extremely friendly toward each other.

When I say friendly, I mean they need to be:

• Preening each other

• Always sitting near each other

• Never aggressive to each other

The budgie would also need to have a calmer than usual personality in order to not annoy the cockatiel.

Calm budgies make surprisingly great companions to cockatiels.

If your budgie is calm and the cockatiel is showing affection, there is a higher chance of them being able to live peacefully as cage mates.

Have A Large Enough Cage For Both Birds

Budgies and cockatiels are more friendly toward each other when they have more space.

This goes double if they need to share a cage.

If you plan to have a budgie and cockatiel living together in one cage, then the cage should be large enough for them to each have their own space.

Cages that can barely fit both birds are not big enough.

A cage that’s big enough for 2 cockatiels might not be big enough for 1 cockatiel and 1 budgie.

Not because they can’t fit inside the cage, but because housing 2 species inside 1 cage requires a much larger space to prevent territorial behaviour.

Ideally, different species of birds should be kept in large outdoor aviaries as opposed to just standard-sized cages.

The larger the cage, the more likely the two birds will get along inside.

This is because there is less need to defend space and territory.

Budgies and cockatiels who are put in small cages will fight over the limited space they have available.

Always get the biggest cage you can afford, even if you don’t plan to house these two birds together.

Related: Top 15 Best Cages For Cockatiels In 2022 (+ Travel Cages)

What Other Birds Can Live With Cockatiels & Budgies

Generally speaking, most types of similar-sized birds can live with cockatiels and budgies.

Although they can live together in the same house, they shouldn’t be kept in the same cage.

If you’re going to keep more than 1 species of bird, you should keep them in separate cages with their own kind.

Here’s a list of common birds people keep with cockatiels and budgies:

• Parrotlets

• Lovebirds

• Conures

• Quakers (monk parakeets)

• Lorikeets

• Cape parrots

• Ring-necked parakeets

Some people have even kept cockatoos with cockatiels:

But I believe the best birds to keep with cockatiels or budgies are those of similar sizes.

Conclusion

Overall, putting cockatiels and budgies in the same cage is not recommended.

Despite their similar size and care requirements, their big personality difference makes them unsuitable cage mates.

Budgies, typically being more dominant and clingy, will often annoy the easy-going cockatiel.

Even in neutral areas, cockatiels will try to get away from budgies.

I know, keeping 2 birds in 1 cage would definitely be a lot easier than needing to clean and maintain 2 cages.

However, it’s not in the best interest of the birds.

Here’s a quick reminder of what will likely happen when you keep a cockatiel and budgie in the same cage:

• They’ll fight over food

• They’ll get defensive/territorial over the cage space

• They’ll both become more aggressive (maybe even toward you)

• You’ll likely see behavioural problems

• They’ll both become stressed

It’s just not a good idea, in my opinion.

You can always try for a little while in hopes of them getting along inside a cage, but you’d probably have a better chance of winning the lottery.

If you do decide to try it, make sure you’re supervising the whole time.

Hopefully, this article has shed some light on this commonly asked question.