Can different kinds of birds share a cage?

I currently own two budgies, and I am considering getting a parrot. Something like a Conure or an African Grey (I'm still undecided) and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with mixing different kinds of birds in the same cage. I'm afraid that they won't get along, but it would be much simpler to have one big cage instead of one big one and a small one

It really depends on the species of the birds, the gender of the birds, and the size of your cage, plus some other facts. Some birds are more passive than others. Some other birds are born territorial and aggressive. Sometimes passive birds can become more aggressive when there isn't much space for everyone.

I have had trouble adding a new bird into my cage of two parakeets a little over two decades ago. The new bird was bullied immediately, but I can't blame the two older ones who were just annoyed because the new comer was jumping around like if his feather was on fire. I'd be annoyed too if there is a person running around like nuts in my room nonstop.

Sorry I do not have any experience with parrots.

As Ram said, it depends on the type of bird. When I adopted my cockatiel, he was actually houses with doves, and they got along fine. I know of some people who house cockatiels and budgies together and they do okay, but others say the budgies bully the cockatiels, believe it or not! I would personally never house a larger parrot such as an African Grey with a smaller bird. I probably wouldn't risk it with a conure, either. Those large parrot beaks can do a lot of damage to a little budgie.

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*housed with doves (hate when I find a typo in my post after the editing time limit has expired!)

Anyway, I just thought I'd add - I had my cockatiel in at the vet's office for a nail trim, and a man in the waiting room with an African Grey told me that he's heard of African Greys actually biting off the beaks or legs of smaller birds, so please don't put a Grey in the same cage as your budgies!

Parrots and parakeet type birds are territorial and aggressive birds, and they will fight for their own space. If you should put a Budgie and a Lovebird together the feathers will literally fly. They are just not compatible.



Cockatiel and budgie fighting as a demonstration of possible fight that might happen.

Finches and doves on the other hand are mostly not aggressive or territorial and you would be able to house some of the species together. Though even in these sweet looking species you will still find some kids of finches that are not compatible with each other, for instance a Java Finch will bully another finch with a less aggressive demeanour like a Star finch.

Rather keep the parrots apart, it will only hurt them and your heart.

I agree that a parrot the size of an African Grey should be kept apart from your budgerigars. A parrot would need a large cage of its own, preferably one with wider spaces between the bars than a budgie cage.

Compatible birds can share a cage, and some species of small finches can get along with each other in an aviary. A parrot is more of a companion pet for humans and will benefit from more personal attention. It will probably interact more with you than your budgies do.

It's tempting to put different sized birds in the same cage, but it's not a good idea. Many parrots are aggressive, and don't like other parrots. At one point I had 17 birds -- finches, parakeets and parrots. The finches all lived together in a large aviary. The parakeets lived together in large cages. Each parrot had its own cage. The birds were all let out at the same time. My Meyer's parrot had always gotten along well with all of the smaller birds. But that changed during his first breeding season -- he bit off toes of two of my smaller birds. I had to keep him away from all of the other birds, because he was aggressive.

(08-14-2013, 10:35 AM)SueA555 Wrote: It's tempting to put different sized birds in the same cage, but it's not a good idea. Many parrots are aggressive, and don't like other parrots. At one point I had 17 birds -- finches, parakeets and parrots. The finches all lived together in a large aviary. The parakeets lived together in large cages. Each parrot had its own cage. The birds were all let out at the same time. My Meyer's parrot had always gotten along well with all of the smaller birds. But that changed during his first breeding season -- he bit off toes of two of my smaller birds. I had to keep him away from all of the other birds, because he was aggressive.

OMG! Toes bit off? It sounds horrible!
I am curious. What happened to the two smaller birds after they lost their toes to your Meyer Parrot?

When you said you let all our birds out, did you mean you let them all flying free in your house? If it's the case, how did you get them all back into their own cages when you had 17 birds flying around? lol

By the way, it is nice to have someone here with so many pet birds. You must be a very experienced bird keeper.

(08-14-2013, 12:00 PM)Ram Wrote: OMG! Toes bit off? It sounds horrible!
I am curious. What happened to the two smaller birds after they lost their toes to your Meyer Parrot?

When you said you let all our birds out, did you mean you let them all flying free in your house? If it's the case, how did you get them all back into their own cages when you had 17 birds flying around? lol

By the way, it is nice to have someone here with so many pet birds. You must be a very experienced bird keeper.

The birds did okay -- it was just the first part of their toes that got bitten off.

The finches -- and that was the majority of the birds, weren't allowed outside of their cages. They had pretty big flight cages. The rest of the birds had clipped wings and couldn't fly.

I am down to one bird now, after several years of having four parrots. They were all relatively old when they died.