i have an eight month old cockatiel and over summer for about a week i was watching my friends bird while she was on vacation and they were fine around each other but sometimes they would get nippy towards each other my friend wants to give me the bird now and im just wondering if they would be able to live in the same cage and not fight.. im pretty sure they are both males...
Answers:
Cockatiels are naturally flock creatures and do not like being alone. Once 2 birds are used to each other they usually get along fine. The one good thing about tiels is they are not vicious birds towards one another meaning it is rarely that a fight will cause serious injury to either bird.
If you get this other bird then let them interact from separate cages initially. Once they are used to each other and you decide to try them in the same cage make sure it is the largest cage you can afford. Small cages and lack of space usually results in unhappy stressed birds that do fight. They each need enoughroom to be able to get away from each other if they feel the need to. With the cage you want to put them both in make sure it is new to both birds. If it is your original birds cage then rearrange it all and maybe place it in a different position in the house. This means that neither bird has claimed it as its own and they both enter the cage as new birds. They will then find their own special places and develop a heirachy between themselves. Keep a close eye on them initially to be certain one is not being bullied or chased away from the food etc.
Just because they will then have each other for company does not mean you don't have to interact with them. Each bird still needs individual time with you and jealousy will arise if this is not done carefully. You cannot show favouritism to one and not the other. If they are just left with each other for company they will bond closer to each other than to you and will not be as friendly as pets.
Do not expect harmony all of the time because it doesn't happen with any creatures. There will be occasional fights but these will probably be little more than wings being spread and beaks open making noise. They do not seem to actively attack and harm one another.
If you think of them as children and think what they would do in similar circumstances you will find most answers about cockatiels and their behaviour are quite easy to work out. After all our pets are our kids.
I once housed 6 Tiels in one large flight cage. No problems, no fights. We currently have 2 males in the same large cage. They sometimes get uppity with each other, but otherwise, no problems yet. Make sure each one has some space to get away from the other if need be and keep an eye on them. After maturity there is no telling how they'll react, but I'd say it could be quite possible to do it without trouble.
Congrats on your birds
Cheers
Yes, I have a 5 year old male cockatiel and a 1 year old male together and they have been great friends since day one (even though I also have a female in there, all three get along, I was lucky).
Each bird is an individual so you can't guarentee certain ones getting along. But since you've already seen these two fine together, it should be alright. All cockatiels, even pairs, will bicker and get nippy every now and then. There's nothing to worry about unless they are full on fighting.
As long as the cage is large enough so that they have their own space and don't have to be anywhere near each other if they don't want, it should be fine.
To minimise fighting when they are first put into the cage together, take your cockatiel out and rearrange all perches, toys, etc to make it look like a new cage. Then your cockatiel won't be trying to defend his territory from the intruder.
I have 2 males and 2 females. The 2 males will cross paths once in awhile and they nip and squak but that seems to be pretty normal. If you take him just keep an eye on them for awhile. If possible start them out in 2 separate cages.
Good luck!!
Please take the cage along with this bird. You can't just think they will get along. Don't be lazy and think you can get out of cleaning two cages. You can't force two birds to live in the other ones cage. This is where one bird will end up dead.
They will bond and then you have two birds that will have nothing to do with you. They will speak "their" language and not your language. This is where people go wrong and then wonder why. If you take on the responsiblity of two birds, don't expect to get out of double duty. Use the two cages, clean two cages, and play with two birds, and there won't be two birds shy of double attention.
Sure they can play with each for a short period of time, but the fact still remains, it's YOUR responsibility to do what it right for "them" NOT yourself. Unless you want to buy a bigger cage, don't put them together to save yourself the trouble of cleaning two cages. Would you like me to move someone in YOUR space and FORCE you to live with someone without giving YOU respect? That's just what you are doing to your bird.
This is where birds fight and one ends up dead or blood starts to happen. Use your common sense and put yourself in your birds shoes. If you wouldn't like it, don't do it to your bird. Use the two cages, and respect YOUR bird. It will take you further then you realize.
Good Luck!
I had 4 cockatiels at once before. They all got along great but one was old and the other 3 pretty much knew each other for years. But they can get territorial. I had another 2 before and the one I had for a longer time would try to bully the newer one I just recently took in. But yeah they should be ok as long as their cage has plently of room to play in.
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