Look at this little beauty

[birdguhl]

She's on the SSPCA's rehoming page. If she wasn't a bit too far away I'd be tempted - although probably a parrotlet not at all practical with budgies even with separate cage etc.

[willowsmum]

Oh, she's gorgeous birdguhl. I need to stop looking at that website!

[Deleted]

I've seen someone who keeps both but I guess it depends on their personalities.

[tweetiepiesmom]

A beautiful little one, gorgeous color!

[birdguhl]

She really does appeal to me but it has to be a no.😢

I’ve never seriously considered mixing species before but I am wondering about a cockatiel now too. Only if there is a good chance of them getting on ok though. If a cocky appeared on the site who had previously lived with buds then it would be hard to resist.

There is a lovely little bud hen on there too:

www.scottishspca.org/rehome-a-pet/4084-limon

But I’m cagey (!) about getting a hen in case I am forever heading off attempts at breeding as a free range hen would have a lot of potential nest sites in my living room. And Tony would be right up for it!

[Deleted]

I believe tiels get along well, but can sometimes be bullied by the more boisterous budgies. I've seen plenty of them together though.

[Hezz]

Tiels and budgies can certainly get along, but agree it is often the budgie who is the bully. birdguhl, if you think budgies are needy though, they are nothing compared to a cockatiel.

[Deleted]

I slightly miss the neediness...
If I get my own place and possibly a Mon-Fri job then I might be tempted... but only after a great deal of research.

[birdguhl]

Hezz and Ira, what do you mean by neediness?

[Deleted]

I'm sure Hezz knows more than me, but all the cockatiels I've seen want a lot of fuss and attention.

[Hezz]

Budgies are great at entertaining themselves, and give them a budgie companion and they really only need you for food and water, if you get caught up in the maelstrom that life can be at times. A budgie will happily go about his budgie busyness without feeling left out. It's a different story with a cockatiel, or really most of the larger parrots, particularly if that parrot bonds with you. If it doesn't get the interaction (and that can be all the time for some) it will scream and it will bite out of frustration. I would say a lot would depend on where you were up to in your life, whether it would be a good fit or not.

Another thing to consider is the amount of space you have, both for a cage (much larger for a cockatiel) and flying room. It is easy for a budgie or two to take laps of an open area, but much harder for a bird that much bigger. I have a very large open space that the birds can fly in but I couldn't say that Loki has an easy time maneuvering within this space. He is a bit bigger than a cockatiel, but not a lot.

[Deleted]

Very true. A single budgie, personality depending, can still be very independant.

Munchy and I had a good bond. He was excited to see me coming home and would run along the windowsill to keep pace with me as I passed to enter the house. He picked up words quickly, always wanted my food, and would stand on the arm of the sofa to chat to my hand or request scritches. He was quiet after a while if left alone, but as long as people were present he was happy to play by himself, he didn't necessarily look for direct interaction.

Larger birds seem to require that one on one an awful lot more.

Plus space is a big issue as Hezz points out. Possibly why those harnesses are quite popular.

[birdguhl]

Thanks for further explanation, Hezz and @sillycat84. Space would definitely be a limiting factor for me.

I think I am just flirting with the idea of diversifying!

But the SSPCA bird rehoming section isn't helping:



And then there is this little lovely. I assumed canary until I looked closer. She is described as a parakeet which is a bit vague. Apparently she is very nervous around people and I feel the stirrings of a rescue attempt. But I won't. (Maybe encourage me not to...)

[Deleted]

birdguhl That's a kakariki, I do believe

[blue48]

You've started me off now ..

www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/details/-/Animal/QUILL/ref/BSA2099658/rehome

Pity he's so far away.