Possible aviary inhabitants

[Birdman696]

I’m not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but I’ve been thinking about turning one of my sheds into an aviary, I don’t have measurements but it’s atleast twice as long as my master bedroom. (I know that probably doesn’t help much) but it is fairly large. I currently have 4 budgies and 2 cockatiels. The budgies will most likely go in and maybe one of the cockatiels (the other is quite hand tame and isn’t really an aviary bird). Though this is subject to change as I know budgies can be little trouble makers and I’m not sure on the cockatiels. Though I do want some other types of birds in there, I know that I’d like some finches in there (probably zebra), I’ve also heard that bourkes are pretty good birds, I also like kakarikis but I’m not sure about how well they’d do with other birds. If you have any insight onto species that work well in a peaceful aviary it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BirdWorld]

@Destiny has a budgie aviary, I don’t know much but you probably shouldn’t mix beak sizes.

 

[Destiny]

I have a large aviary with parakeets, finches, and button quail. They are doing well together so far. The quail do their own thing and avoid the other birds. The finches mostly steer clear of the budgies and hang out together. The budgies rule the roost. I watch them closely, but I have not noticed my parakeets harassing the other inhabitants. Just each other, in typical budgie fashion.

Mixed species aviary can be tricky. Beyond the normal inter-personal relationship drama, cross-species interactions can be additionally stressful for shy or fragile birds. You will want to ensure that all birds have lots of space, extra perches and plenty of places to go when they need to escape a noisy or bossy neighbor.

Some birds should not be mixed at all, like highly aggressive/territorial birds with more passive birds. The gentler birds can end up being driven away from food/water or injured by their more assertive cousins. Likewise, it is potentially dangerous to mix hookbills with softbills or hooknills of different sizes or different BEAK sizes.

Do a lot of research before you put birds together and always prepare for the potential need to separate individual birds that can't be housed together safely.

 

[Destiny]

Regarding the bird species you mentioned, I do not know anything about kakarikis, but I have looked at the other ones.

Parakeets and zebra finches can do well together in a large aviary. Zebras are a fairly sturdy and assertive/semi-aggressive finch. This serves them well when dealing with parakeets. They are still small and vulnerable to attack, if you have an aggressive budgie, but they usually do fine together, so long as there is enough space for both types of bird to do their own thing.

Both cockatiels and bourke's parakeets are less assertive and quieter than budgies. They can get bullied or harassed by the more aggressive and bossy budgies. Some birds will tolerate this better than others. And some budgies are better at "reading the crowd" than other budgies. It might work out or it might not - a lot depends on your birds, your aviary space, and the established flock dynamic.

Cockatiels are larger and dustier than parakeets and finches. They generally don't get bitey unless they are really pushed ... but budgies and zebra finches can get pretty pushy. You'll want to watch how they interact and make sure the cockatiels are doing okay with their roudier neighbors when they move into the aviary. But since you already have the cockatiels, I assume you should have a pretty good idea if they are able to tolerate each other. Just make sure that you provide lots of extra space and additional feeding stations so the birds can all attend to their needs without extra stress from competition.

From what I've read, Bourke's parakeets should not be a problem for the cockatiels or anyone else. They are about the same size as a budgie but with a calmer personality. They don't climb around as much as budgies, preferring to fly instead. And they are more active in twilight hours than other parrots, which can sometimes disturb other sleeping birds in the aviary. Overall, they are a nice little parrot. I don't get the impression that they would start trouble with anyone. That will be the budgies, primarily.

Overall, I recommend caution when mixing birds.

Research each type of bird thoroughly. Quarantine any new arrivals away from the main aviary for at least four weeks and get a vet check. Make sure they are healthy before introducing them to your flock. Monitor interactions and be prepared to separate birds, if there are signs of aggression or stress. Watch out for birds that are unable to access water or food due to bullying or over-crowding. If you are mixing species, aim to significantly under-stock your aviary to reduce stress.

Keep in mind that your birds are going to be happiest with more of their own kind. The addition of other species are unlikely to improve their quality of life and might have a negative impact instead. Proceed with caution and consideration for your current flock.

 

[Birdman696]

Regarding the bird species you mentioned, I do not know anything about kakarikis, but I have looked at the other ones.

Parakeets and zebra finches can do well together in a large aviary. Zebras are a fairly sturdy and assertive/semi-aggressive finch. This serves them well when dealing with parakeets. They are still small and vulnerable to attack, if you have an aggressive budgie, but they usually do fine together, so long as there is enough space for both types of bird to do their own thing.

Both cockatiels and bourke's parakeets are less assertive and quieter than budgies. They can get bullied or harassed by the more aggressive and bossy budgies. Some birds will tolerate this better than others. And some budgies are better at "reading the crowd" than other budgies. It might work out or it might not - a lot depends on your birds, your aviary space, and the established flock dynamic.

Cockatiels are larger and dustier than parakeets and finches. They generally don't get bitey unless they are really pushed ... but budgies and zebra finches can get pretty pushy. You'll want to watch how they interact and make sure the cockatiels are doing okay with their roudier neighbors when they move into the aviary. But since you already have the cockatiels, I assume you should have a pretty good idea if they are able to tolerate each other. Just make sure that you provide lots of extra space and additional feeding stations so the birds can all attend to their needs without extra stress from competition.

From what I've read, Bourke's parakeets should not be a problem for the cockatiels or anyone else. They are about the same size as a budgie but with a calmer personality. They don't climb around as much as budgies, preferring to fly instead. And they are more active in twilight hours than other parrots, which can sometimes disturb other sleeping birds in the aviary. Overall, they are a nice little parrot. I don't get the impression that they would start trouble with anyone. That will be the budgies, primarily.

Overall, I recommend caution when mixing birds.

Research each type of bird thoroughly. Quarantine any new arrivals away from the main aviary for at least four weeks and get a vet check. Make sure they are healthy before introducing them to your flock. Monitor interactions and be prepared to separate birds, if there are signs of aggression or stress. Watch out for birds that are unable to access water or food due to bullying or over-crowding. If you are mixing species, aim to significantly under-stock your aviary to reduce stress.

Keep in mind that your birds are going to be happiest with more of their own kind. The addition of other species are unlikely to improve their quality of life and might have a negative impact instead. Proceed with caution and consideration for your current flock.

Thank you. Would it be a better idea to not put in the budgies and instead of getting zebra finches, get a less aggressive species, and put them with the cockatiel and bourkes?

 

[AussieBird]

@Ali might be of some help.

 

[Destiny]

Since you already have budgies and cockatiels, I think it makes the most sense to build an aviary that is well-suited for your current birds and consider additional birds based on what is practical for your situation, your current flock, and your own preferences.

I point to the budgies as the most likely trouble-makers, but even if you remove the budgies, it is still problematic to mix finches with cockatiels or bourke's parakeets.

The simplest mixed species aviary would probably be a finch aviary with non-aggressive finches. They will get along well and enjoy each others company. The most challenging mixed species aviary involves trying to mix hookbills with softbills and birds of significantly different size and aggression levels. That is much more of a balancing act. The birds will be very different from each other and they are more likely to come into conflict or stress each other out because they do not "speak the same language."

You mentioned that the shed that could become an aviary is pretty large. Could it be divided into several smaller sections? Perhaps instead of one large aviary with mixed species, you might divide it into three sections, so the budgies could have their own space and the cockatiels could have theirs. And there could be a third section for finches.

This would eliminate many of the concerns associated with mixing birds of different sizes and activity levels while still allowing your birds a lot of freedom and space.

Alternatively, keep the aviary as a single open space, but limit the total number of birds and avoid mixing too many different types of birds to keep things more manageable in case something does go wrong.

I can't tell you what would will work out best in your situation, because I honestly don't know.