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Many times we have read articles, or received questions, about whether you can put birds from different species in the same cage. To be honest, I still don’t have a definitive answer for this. But I can certainly pass along my observations as a bird breeder who has raised a wide variety of birds.

Whenever you introduce two birds together in the same cage, regardless of if they are the same breed or not, you need to take a slow approach. The birds need to be introduced and observed, and then you can combine them into the same cage.

When you combine birds, there is more of a domination mentality than just fighting with another breed. But you can introduce birds as babies, and they will learn to get along. However, you would not want to put baby birds in with adult birds.

This is especially true with birds that are injured. The other birds will immediately pick on the bird, and even kill it.

But we have not really seen any evidence that one breed of bird will instinctively attack another. As a matter of fact, we have had cases where birds you would never expect to get along fell in love with each other…preening and feeding each other.

LOVEBIRDS

These birds do not live up to their names. They can be very aggressive to other birds. The males are docile, but females can be very aggressive. They have been known to attack any other birds that enter their cage. It’s even dangerous to put two males or two females together.

And there are many cases where a paired up set of lovebirds will seem to get along great. Then, for no apparent reason, they will be fighting to the death! I still have not figured this out! We have lost a lot of lovebirds over this.

LARGE BIRDS AND SMALL BIRDS

From our experience, you can put birds of various sizes together. But the cage must be big enough for everyone to have their own “space”. And remember, they will each have separate diets, so more bowls will be required. The problem with this arrangement is that you can’t put a very large parrot into a cockatiel cage, because they may be able to bend and break the bars. Small birds will get through the bars of large bird cages. So some common sense needs to be practiced.

>>In my ebook “The Easy Parrot System”, not only do I share the EXACT cage sizes but also how far apart should the bars be (this is important- you don’t want your bird’s head get stuck in between the bars). In some instances, you should also know how strong the bars should be. For example, macaws have a crushing power of 2500 lbs (powerful enough to break off a human finger) so having the right gauge bar is crucial. Bird cages are an important and expensive investment so make sure you educate yourself: The Easy Parrot System - Bird Cages

Our aviary had a pair of breeding Blue/Gold Macaws. They were in a very large 4’x8’ cage so they could have lots of room to exercise. We also had lots of finches and lovebirds. And with any large aviary, you will always have escaped finches. You can either run around with a bird net trying to catch them (and maybe injure them in the process) or just let them be. These finches spent most of their time visiting the Macaws.

MALE CANARIES FIGHT

Canaries are not the best society birds. Two male canaries will fight with each other. Females are not as aggressive and can sometimes be kept together. It’s best that you do not put them with other birds (including another canary). Breeding canaries is an art, and you need to do a lot of research before attempting it. We had some follow breeders that love them a great deal! But in their case, canaries is all they breed and that is all they know. Just be careful pairing them up!

JACK AND BUGGY

Let me tell you the story about Jack and Buggy.

Jack was a Senegal Parrot that we rescued from a home where the owner no longer wanted him. Senegal’s are native to Africa, and are related to the African Grey. The owner actually thought he was a Conure. When we picked him up, he was in a cage in the basement. It was cool, humid, dark and dusty. The cage hadn’t been cleaned in months. We actually threw away the cage immediately. We didn’t want Jack to be constantly reminded of his past.

Mentally, Jack was a mess. He was depressed and very angry, launching at me every time I reached for him. After a few days he would come out of his cage, but would go to the top of his cage and stare at the wall, oblivious to everything around him.

Buggy came to us when we purchased our first stock of birds for our aviary. She came along with about 30 large parrots. “Mrs. Buggy” was a Grey Cheek Parakeet. This bird is native to South America, and they are very rare.

Mrs. Buggy was a healthy bird, very happy and friendly. We put her cage next to Jack’s cage, and Buggy would chatter to Jack. Jack showed no reaction or response, just sat staring at the wall. This went on for many days.

One day Buggy opened her cage door, went into Jacks cage, sat next to him and began chatting again. He finally showed signs of noticing her. Eventually they began preening and feeding each other. When Buggy finally went back to her cage, Jack followed her. From that day on, they were inseparable. Several years later, Mrs. Buggy developed some health problems, diagnosed as liver disease. We adopted the birds to a husband and wife who were both veterinarians and were able to take care of them, and promised to keep them together.

Lesson learned: It’s very possible for completely different species of birds to get along just fine. But it’s up to the birds.

>>Check out my ebook at http://www.TheTameParrot.com/cb/ - I believe every parrot owner should have a copy of this. It would prevent so many mistakes that bird owners unknowingly make (in some instances those mistakes are life threatening to the bird)

Do you have any experience putting two birds in the same cage? Or are you planning to do so in the near future? Please post them below - I’d love to hear your feedback and comments! Thank you!

Question for the readers:

Do you get an annual physical check-up? Why?

Because you need to be sure you’re healthy and don’t have any diseases or major problems developing. You may feel fine, and you don’t feel the cancer in your colon, or the tumor forming in your chest. That slight cough may be signs of something serious, but you will never know unless someone trained in detecting medical problems can examine you.

You don’t care that it’s going to cost money! If it’s a family member, that doesn’t matter either! You do what is best for them. So once a year you visit the doctor and get a physical checkup.

Why not your bird?

Birds have a very annoying habit of hiding when they are not feeling well. When you finally begin to notice something is wrong, it may already be too late. It will certainly cost you a lot more money in emergency bills, and if you have to hospitalize your pet, that can cost you hundreds of dollars!

LET’S VISIT THE VET…

The very first thing you should do when you purchase a bird is to have it examined. This should always be done within the first three days of having it. You should already have looked around to find a qualified avian vet. Remember, all vets do not work with birds. Many won’t even look at them. Where I live, there are only a few avian vets, and this is a rather large city.

Be prepared to answer questions. The vet will want a full background of your bird. That includes age and sex (if you know it), origin, what you are feeding it, what the cage is like, and how long you have had it. What is the overall condition of the bird? How has it been in action? Be sure that you have observed your bird for a few days so you can answer this.

When you observe the bird, try to stand away from the cage. Sick birds tend to hide obvious problems, and if you are standing close they will disguise their ailments. Are they standing on the perch or on the floor? Are they eating regularly? Have you noticed a change in their temperament? For example, if your bird normally sings and makes lots of noises in the morning, and is suddenly quiet, that could be a sign of something. Tell these observations to your vet.

There are a lot of diseases that your bird can catch. Many can be brought in by the owners on their clothes or hands.

THE PHYSICAL EXAM

Observation of the bird is not enough to identify many health issues. Many times it will require a hands-on exam, allowing the vet to look for internal problems. I don’t know why doctors insist in poking you and asking “Does this hurt”…but it sees to have rubbed off on veterinarians also.

Next do some close visual examinations. Observe your vet! Ask questions! This is where you begin your own education on taking care of your bird. When the vet is looking at the ears, skin, feathers, and vent, what are they looking for? Have them show you how to do these examinations yourself.

DROPPINGS

One of the best ways to identify a potential health problem is by examining the bird’s droppings. Your vet can tell by the color, composition and volume of the droppings if there is a problem. He may microscopically examine a sample. By looking at the sample under a microscope, he can determine if your bird has any internal parasites. Check to see how your vet does this.

We generally recommend taking a white sheet of paper and placing it on the bottom of the cage prior to your visit, and take the sample with you.

WEIGHT

Many times you can feel your bird and find out if it’s overweight or malnourished. If that’s the case, you need to monitor the weight on a regular basis. Your vet will take the weight as part of the exam. Ask him what the normal weight should be. If there is a problem, purchase a good quality gram scale and monitor the birds progress as you work with the diet.

TESTS

Depending on what the vet has discovered, he may recommend certain tests be done.

Psittacosis tests are used for screening “parrot fever”. This should be done on a regular basis, not only for the safety of your bird, but your own. Chlamydia Psittaci can be transmitted from birds to humans, and can be fatal.

Your vet will likely want to take a CBC Blood Test. This is a wide ranging test that will identify many different problems. I encourage this test mainly to ensure the bird’s diet is correct. A CBC will identify if your bird is missing certain vitamins or minerals by checking the biochemical functions, and also identify possible organ dysfunctions.

MICROBIOLGY AND RADIOGRAPHS

These tests are usually offered only by very experienced vets. Microbiology is the art of examining cultures from the throat, vent, crop, or other tissue/fluid samples. These tests will be performed if the vet observes any specific problems, and needs to narrow it down.

Radiographs are very useful for identifying internal problems that are impossible to see from a physical exam. If your vet is trained, he can read the X-Ray to identify not only bone fractures, but internal organs and the presence of foreign bodies.

You will probably want to have your bird vaccinated while you are there. But as a rule, it’s not always necessary. If you suspect there is a chance your bird may have been exposed to a disease, you will want it done. But due to the cost of these shots, it may push your vet visit a bit high. Discuss this with your vet and get his opinion.

GROOMING

If this is your first bird, it is highly recommended that you ask your vet to take the time and show you how to groom your bird. Watch how he does it, and get suggestions. This will include trimming the birds nails, clipping wings, and filing the beak. This is not a difficult procedure for you to do at home, and it should be done on a monthly basis. There is no reason a bird owner should have to visit the vet monthly to do this. Most vets will gladly show you how it’s done.

Remember, pet birds are totally dependent on you for their care. That includes their health and medical treatment!