If your budgie seems a little lonely at times or you simply want another lovely little friend, getting a second bird can be a fun and rewarding choice regardless of whether you want a growing baby or an older bird in need of a good home.
Budgies are highly social birds and often do well with companions, but choosing the right one is important.
One common question is whether or not budgies of different ages can live together.
Can Budgies of Different Ages Live Together?
Budgies of different ages typically do very well together. In the wild, they tend to live in large flocks with birds of different ages. This instinct makes it fairly easy to introduce them to each other at any life stage.
Introducing adult budgies to each other can sometimes be a little more difficult, however, so you might want to consider a baby bird if you already own an adult budgie.
Younger birds tend to be a little more adaptable and submissive, so they might seem less threatening to an adult bird.
Budgies under eight months old are often a good choice for a second companion.
Overall, age is a fairly minor factor in whether budgies get along. It’s more important to introduce them carefully.
The animal’s gender and the living environment also play a significant role.
Male vs. Female
Your budgie’s sex is a more important consideration than age in most cases. It can affect everything from the strength of their bond to whether they’ll tend to fight.
Budgies mate for life, so keeping a male and female together is one of the easiest ways to ensure your budgies get along.
However, this can result in unplanned chicks, so it’s important to plan and ensure you can care for and find homes for any babies that result.
Budgies that lose a mate can also become depressed, so it’s best to keep together males and females of similar ages and health to reduce the risk of losing one prematurely.
Another concern is that if your female budgie lays eggs, the male can become aggressive toward the eggs or chicks due to jealousy.
If that happens, you might need to separate the birds until the chicks have gone to new homes.
Same-sex pairs can also get along very well, so they’re often a safer choice for the average budgie owner even if they might take a little more work to introduce at first.
Males tend to be more submissive and less territorial, so they’re often friendlier from the start and can be a little easier to manage.
However, female budgies can do well in pairs as long as they have enough space to get away from each other if they start squabbling.
How to Introduce Budgies
Whether you get a baby bird or a full-grown adult, you must take some time to introduce your budgies gradually.
This is especially important if you have owned a single budgie for a long time, as they can get a little territorial.
If you simply put an unfamiliar bird in the same cage, your current budgie might become aggressive toward the newcomer. This can result in injuries and stress-related illnesses.
Start Slowly
To prevent this, keep your birds in two separate cages at first. Set them up in a place where they cannot see each other but can hear each other.
This allows them to gradually adjust to the idea of having another bird nearby. Most birds will start to become curious about the newcomer.
After a few days, let them start interacting a bit. Start by moving the cages next to each other, which allows the birds to see each other while still keeping a safe barrier between them.
Birds communicate primarily through sound and body language, so this lets them start getting to know each other.
Allow Some Interaction
After a few days have passed, let out your first budgie while still keeping the new budgie confined.
Your older budgie will typically fly around the newcomer’s cage and might try to reach through the bars to interact.
This is a good sign, especially if the new budgie responds and they seem to be getting along well.
One handy trick to help them start forming a bond is to place a nice treat, such as a chewy vegetable, through the bars of the cage so both birds can eat it.
Shared feeding is a great way to start a friendship, and the treat will help them create a positive association with each other.
Next, let them interact directly in a more neutral area. Ensure they have plenty of safe space so they can avoid each other if need be.
Letting them fly free around the room is a great way to do this if both budgies are tame, but if you have a young or somewhat wild budgie that needs more handling to get comfortable with people, a large cage is a good option.
Moving In
Once you see that they’re getting along, you can begin keeping them together.
For the first few days, it’s a good idea to let them live together only during the day, when you can check on them periodically, then put them back in their separate cages at night or when you’re gone for long periods.
If that goes well, it should be safe to let your budgies live together full-time.
If you are introducing a baby bird to an adult budgie, follow the same basic process.
However, you might want to be a little extra cautious to ensure the birds don’t fight.
Budgies have sharp beaks that can cause injuries, and young juveniles can be a little more fragile.
However, they are also less likely to be seen as a threat by an adult, so there’s less of a chance of a fight breaking out at all.
Location Is Everything
Regardless of your budgies’ ages, it’s important to provide them with plenty of space and toys.
Most fights between budgies start because they are crowded into too small of a space, so be sure to get a large enough cage for your birds.
The cage should include multiple perches at different heights and on different sides so that the birds can get some distance from each other.
While it might be tempting to get a smaller space for a juvenile budgie due to the animal’s smaller size, you should invest in a full-sized cage right from the start.
Young budgies need just as much room to get away from their companions at times.
Also, ensure your birds have plenty of toys and easy access to food and water.
Their cage should contain more toys and chews than the number of birds, and it’s a good idea to have multiple food and water dishes for them as well.
The goal is to avoid forcing your birds to compete over resources, which can lead to fights.
How Old Should Your New Budgie Be?
While keeping two budgies is more work than having just one bird, you can help them stay happy and healthy by providing plenty of social interaction even when you’re away from home.
When you’re selecting a new budgie, age is a less important consideration than environment and gender.
Budgies of every age can get along very well together.
Read more:
- Keeping 4 Budgies in One Cage – What You Must Know
- Can 2 Male Budgies and 1 Female Live Together?
- Can You Bond With Two Budgies?
My name is Niels Joensen, and I’m the creator of Wings and Beaks. I got my first two budgies at the age of 13, and right away, I fell in love with these beautiful tiny birds. Wings and Beaks is where I share my knowledge and passion for budgies with other bird owners.
