Which birds can live together?
Some birds can be kept together, but there are things you need to know and things you must do before trying this. Our handy guide below explains what works and what does not. Our advice on giving your bird a good place to live is full of important, practical tips that you should also follow.
Colony-breeding species
Such as cockatiels, canaries, zebra finches, galah cockatoos, lovebirds and budgies.
Can they live together?
Yes, in social groups.
Where should they live?
In a large aviary, adapted to the species
OR
In a large cage adapted to the species
What to watch out for
Make sure any species kept together are compatible (can get along without fighting)
All the birds in the cage or aviary should have enough room to fly
There should also be enough room for them to get out of each other’s space if they need to
Any birds kept with other birds who can fly should be able to fly well, so they look normal to other birds
Large, non-colony breeding parrots
Such as Amazon parrots, African grey parrots, cockatoos and macaws.
Can they live together?
Yes, in a single pair only.
Where should they live?
In a large aviary , adapted to the species
OR
In separate cages
What to watch out for
If you put two large parrots together in a cage, they are likely to fight or hurt each other
You can put them in separate cages in the same room, so they can see and hear each other
Cover the top of each cage, so the parrots can’t land on their companion’s cage and bite through the bars
Don’t put more than one pair together in an aviary – your aviary is not likely to be big enough for more than one pair
Birds of any type who can’t fly
For example because their wings have been clipped.
Can they live together?
The same rules for different species as above, but only put them with other birds who also cannot fly.
Where should they live?
In their own specially adapted cage(s) or aviary.
What to watch out for
Putting birds who cannot fly in the same cage with other birds who can could make them vulnerable to attack or aggression
Hand-reared birds of any species
Can they live together?
Hand-reared birds might prefer human company and not get on well with other birds.
Where should they live?
In their own specially adapted cage(s) or aviary.
What to watch out for
Birds wearing a closed ring have probably been hand-reared
Birds with no ring or a split/sexing ring have probably been raised by their own parents
If you have two parent-reared birds of the same species and opposite sexes, they will probably be able to live together. But if one has been hand-reared, they may not.
Putting birds together in an aviary
You will need to take care when introducing birds to an aviary for the first time.
Do's
Spend time watching from a distance to see how new birds get on in the aviary, especially where the other birds feed or roost on high perches. If they start preening (cleaning their feathers) or feeding together, they are probably going to get along fine.
If the other birds are aggressive towards the new ones, take the new birds out and introduce them again another time, gradually increasing their time in the aviary until they are accepted.
Take a lot of care with cockatoos. The males can be extremely aggressive to their mate, and can severely injure or even kill them. This can be especially true if the cockatoo has been hand-reared and prefers human company to other birds.
Don'ts
Avoid having any dark, enclosed spaces in your aviary. They could encourage your birds to start nesting, which might make them aggressive towards other birds.
Don’t put non-flying birds into an aviary with birds who do fly. New birds should be able to fly well, including being able to fly upwards easily. They need to look normal to the others, or they might not be accepted and could even be attacked.
Putting birds together indoors
You cannot keep larger parrots together in cages, but you can keep a pair of birds in two cages in the same room, so they can see and hear each other.
Introduce the birds to each other gradually and carefully, watching to see their reactions.
It can be hard to tell at first whether the birds are getting along – friendly and unfriendly reactions can seem very similar. Don’t worry too much if the birds don’t seem keen at first – they might just need time to get used to each other.
What does it mean?
Being noisy - if your birds are adults of opposite sexes, they might make a lot of noise the first time they meet
Flashing eyes, fanned tails and strutting - these are signs that they are excited
Holding body feathers down tightly and looking ready to fly away - this can mean they are not interested in the other bird, or scared of them
Lunging at the other bird with beak open and eyes looking wild - this is showing aggression to the other bird
One bird copying what the other does - this shows that the birds are beginning to accept each other
How to introduce pet birds
Start by putting the two birds’ cages – with the birds inside – half a metre apart. Walk a short distance away, so they aren’t distracted by you, and watch how they behave.
Try several more sessions with the birds in their own cages, moving them a bit closer together each time. Eventually, they should be about 10 cm apart. If one bird starts to copy the other – perhaps preening or feeding – they may be beginning to accept each other.
If they are both well trained enough to be handled and they are starting to get along, you can try letting them meet each other outside their cages. Our advice on training your pet bird can help you get to grips with the basics.
Choose a neutral place, away from their cages. Put out several food containers for each bird. Make sure you and another carer are there and no other birds.
Introduce the birds on stands at table-top height, for just five to 10 minutes the first time. The birds might show some excitement, but – as long as they don’t show aggression – you can repeat the sessions, making them a little bit longer each time.
If they are a bit aggressive, as long as the aggression is mild, just calmly take one bird out of the other’s sight and try again the next day. It’s really important that both carers stay very calm and chilled, whatever happens. Keep repeating the sessions over a few days. If there are still problems, try different times of day or different places.
If your birds are doing any of these, it’s a good sign they’re getting on well:
feeding in each other’s company
Preening - like cleaning each other’s feathers
shake all of their feathers
scratch their head with a foot
stay calm when feeding
regurgitate food from mouth to mouth
‘flash’ their eyes, like this bird in the following clip.
No matter how friendly your larger parrots may be with each other outside their cages, remember they cannot be kept in the same cage together. They must each have their own cage where they can go to rest or be on their own.
If nothing is working after you’ve tried several times to introduce the birds to each other, then they are simply not compatible and will need completely separate living areas.