Can Male Cockatiels Be Kept Together?

It isn’t possible to deny the fact that cockatiels and budgies are loved the world over.

And the popularity of these birds grows exponentially every day.

But one set of avian enthusiasts appreciate the cockatiel more.

The reason stated by many cockatiel parents is that their cockatiels are loving, enjoy being stroked, and bring tons of joy into their households with their silly antics.

Now if you’re thinking about adopting two male cockatiels

You might be wondering

Can male cockatiels be kept together

Keeping male cockatiels together, it isn’t usually a problem.

The one thing to keep in mind is that if you’ve bought baby cockatiels and raised them in the same cage, there will be zero aggression from any of the parties.

Yet, if you’ve adopted two adult male cockatiels and then try to house them in the same cage out of the blue, you will instigate a fight.

The only way to get the two cockatiels to adopt a friendly attitude towards each other is by introducing the birds to each other gradually.

How do you introduce two male cockatiels?

Let’s find out..

How Do You Introduce Two Male Cockatiels?

Sounds hilarious, but an introduction between two male cockatiels does not entail familiarizing them with their Christian names.

The idea is to get the cockatiels to get to know each other over some time. 

So you start with allowing each bird cage-free time in each other’s company.

At first, you need to keep the time limited for a few minutes.

Each day you will have to invest your own time into the scheme too.

And you will have to increase or decrease their introduction time according to their reaction to each other.

Once you witness mild irritation to zero aggression from your birds, you can then allow the birds some alone time as well.

That is to say, that the birds must only be together when you supervise their interactions.

If you have a large aviary in your house, it may be possible to have the birds in the same place.

But when it comes to cages, the matter becomes entirely different.

Why?

Let’s find out..

Can You Keep Two Cockatiels In The Same Cage?

You can have two or even more cockatiels in the same cage.

But several aspects have to be taken into consideration.

You see, an aviary in the house means you have plenty of space for your birds.

But when you speak of cages, dimensions start to become essential once you speak of more than one bird going into the same cage.

Furthermore, you can easily place more than one bird into the same cage if the birds have been raised in the same environment and same cage.

It is unlikely that two cockatiels that come from the same brood will become aggressive towards each other. 

But, there is always some form of bullying present when you take two adult birds that are strangers and place them in the same cage.

Even when the birds are familiar with each other, there is a chance that the birds will be aggressive when they are forced into sharing the cage.

Moreover, avian vets recommend only placing same-sized birds into the same cage.

If both birds have similar sizes, then there will be little chance of bullying.

Also, the placement of a smaller bird with a larger bird can mean the endangerment of the smaller bird.

If you’re thinking about building an aviary (because you love DIY) then that would be a great idea!

You could build it big enough to put both cockatiels in them

I don’t know how you would build it from scratch (If you can that’s pretty awesome!)

But if you want to follow a guide then I would check out this guide called

How to build an aviary 

It basically teaches how you could build an aviary

If you’re interested then you can discover more by checking out their website by clicking here 

Would be an awesome project to work on!

Me personally, I’m too lazy to build anything!

But I know some bird parents love building things from scratch

Is It Better To Get One Or Two Cockatiel?

It is usually a good idea for first-time parents to begin with the adoption of one bird.

You see, the care for two birds doesn’t automatically become more manageable when you adopt two simultaneously.

You’ll have to invest twice the amount of time and care as keeping two birds doesn’t mean they start to care for each other.

No, that is still going to be your job.

But, it does help if you introduce a companion for your cockatiel if you feel that the cockatiel isn’t doing too well alone.

However, it is wise to wait to see how well your winged baby adjusts to its new settings.

A new birdie in a new home will take its time to settle in.

You see, once a cockatiel gets used to its new environment, it’ll shift its attention to you.

And it is around this time that the bonding between pet and pet parent takes place.

But, if they already have a playmate, then that will undoubtedly divert your cockatiel’s attention from you to its cage-mate. 

Related article – Can cockatiels be left alone?

Will Two Cockatiel Try To Mate?

Birds such as the cockatiel bond with their partners before they mate.

Hence, no bonding, no mating.

Also, you have to realize that birds, like all living beings, have natural needs.

Bonding, mating, and nesting are all-natural needs of a cockatiel.

If you have two birds that have been sharing a cage for long, in all likelihood, they will mate.

And, yes, cockatiels do mate with other male cockatiels.

The great part of the scenario is that same-sex cockatiels even go through the nesting processes, much like a male and female cockatiel does.

Only the male will never have eggs, and the female will have unfertilized eggs. 

Final Words

If you’re thinking about getting two cockatiels at a young age then putting them together in a cage should not be a problem

But if you’re thinking of adopting another cockatiel then I would recommend to slowly introduce them together and not put them in the same cage

Rather put them in different cages because you don’t want any fights or bullying to take place!

If you want to put them in the same cage then I would recommend an aviary and not a cage

An aviary is much bigger and has more room for both cockatiels to have their own space

 

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