Explore the compatibility of parrots and parakeets and learn if they can peacefully share a living space
I’m not sure why most people consider parakeets and other parrots as different birds.
Just because budgies are tinnier, with a fantail tail configuration, does not mean they are any lesser parrots, than say, African greys, conure, or cockatiels.
Thats aside, parakeets will get along with other parrots species depending on the individuals involved. Your parakeets will even get along with other pet birds like finches and canaries, as long as none in the group is an overly aggressive oddball.
Even so, you will need to consider size and space.
You do not want your tiny budgie sharing a cage, aviary, or compound with a larger parrot, such as an Eclectus, Amazon parrot, African grey, macaw, cockatoo, or even a conure or Quaker.
Reason being, even if the stronger candidate does not attack the tinnier budgies, it will outcompete him for resources.
A tiny or mid-sized parrots combination will work a lot better.
My tiels and conure get along great outside their cage, but I do not house them together. It all depends on the individual birds.
Can Parakeets (Budgies) and Parrots Live Together
Parakeets and parrots getting along is different from keeping them together. Housing them together (in an aviary) is not prohibited, but its a stretch and is discouraged.
If you really want your birds to live together, for whatever reason, I recommend first housing them separately (with cages close to each other) for a while, and if everything is ok, put them together for short, supervised periods before integrating them fully.
Depending on your birds’ temperaments, it might only take a pretty short time for them to get along, but it may also take a while.
Plus, you need to keep in mind some birdies are not meant to be together and may never get along no matter how much hard you try.
Another thing to note is when keeping your birdies together, you will need a sizable aviary, such that every individual has enough space to play.
Your aviary should be sufficient for your birds, that even if they decided to form turfs, they don’t collide. Resources like toys, perches, food bowls, and water stations should be enough for all your birdies.
Plenty of hiding places and obstacles to break a clear line of sight within the aviary also goes a long way. They will help your birdies avoid each other.
What Birds Do Parrots Get Along With
All birds live in flocks in the wild, meaning your parrots will get along with other birdies in a home environment, as long as there is enough space for all of them.
The fact that parrots are intelligent birds that need to socialize further justifies keeping them with other birds.
I imagine if a parrot and pigeon have pleasant dispositions, they can not only coexist in the same aviary but enjoy each other’s company.
However, not all bird species can live with parrots, plus it is not all species of parrot that can live with other feathery companions.
Some birds are too aggressive, while others are too small for your average parrot. Even within the parrot family, not all species will get along.
Usually, size, temperament, disease, and parasites will dictate what birds you can (or cannot) keep together. You do not want quarrelsome or birdies prone to a particular ailment living together.
Now, in terms of size, smaller birds are far less likely to attack one another hence better kept together than large ones. While cockatiels or budgie will live together even with birds like sparrows and finches, a cockatoo won’t live with a macaw, leave alone a budgie.
The only way to have two large birds together or with smaller birdies is when maintaining them in different cages or aviaries.
Still, for tinny birds, make sure the pen is sufficient for all your birds.
With that said, here are a few birds parrots will get along with.
Parrots with Finches
Housing parrots with finches in the same aviary is achievable, but you should only attempt it with specific species and a great deal of care.
According to Aviculture Hub, moderately sized parrots, such as cockatiels and Plum-headed parakeets, can be maintained with finches depending on individual aggression levels.
Domesticated budgies are often aggressive and not a suitable pairing for finches.
Even so, wild types like bush-budgies and shell parakeets are less belligerent and do better with finches.
Scarlet-chested, Turquoise, Elegant, Rock, Blue-winged, and Bourke’s parrots are arguably placid and perhaps the best pairing for finches in a community aviary.
Smaller lorikeets like little-lories and Purple lorikeets may also work, but similar to cockatiels, individual temperaments matter a lot.
Please remember to place your birds in adjacent cages first to evaluate how compatible they are before housing them in the same aviary.
Parrots and Canaries
Canaries can live with budgies, finches, and cockatiels. You can also house them with most parrots that can live with finches (mentioned above), but you’ll need to test your pairing before adding them in the same aviary.
However, note that keeping your parrots and canaries in a cage is not feasible. They’ll need a large aviary with plenty of hiding places with no clear line of sight and enrichments like toys, perches, and what have you.
Can Parrots and Pigeons (or Dove) Live Together
Pigeons and parrots can be kept together, but as with the other two pairings, you can only house specific species together.
Cockatiels and Bourke’s parakeets are two parrots compatible with pigeons. Both birds are good-natured, easy-going, mellow, and not prone to bursts of aggression like other parrot species.
However, things could change over time, more so when your birdies are breeding.
Even tiels at times get aggressive, which may end fatally for your pigeons since non-hookbills cannot stand the attack of a hookbill.
Parrots, including tiels and budgies, have claws and a decent bite that can cause damage to a pigeon or dove.
In an aviary large enough, parrots (tiels, Bourke’s parakeet, and some lories) and pigeons (and doves) can find a way to put up with each other even if they don’t get along that well.
My Two Cents Worth Advice
All that talk aside, you need to appreciate that birds, same as humans, need some time away from companions and flocks to unwind, sleep, and recoup some energy.
As such, I do not recommend having one cage for all your birds regardless of the size. Each should have a solo aboard and only hang out outside the cage, perhaps around you or a member of your family they like.
They could share toys and treats outside the cage (I mean, they are gladly sharing your attention equally), or even an outdoor aviary when they are out for some basking, but at night, let everyone retreat to his own bedroom, cage thingie.
Speaking of aviaries, the rules are somewhat different from those of a cage. Well, they are not rules per se because they do not fit all situations, but the short of it is, you can have more than a couple birds in an outdoor aviary without too much drama.
You often find you can even put different species together, especially outside of the breeding season, as long as there are enough places for your birds to nest and feed.
Small birds should not have to go to the same area to feed as your large ones.
Thats all for this post. See you in the next one.
Have fun keeping birdies🦜🦃🦚🦢🦆.