Can Budgies and Finches Live Together?
Whether you have limited space or you are a bit short on budget, keeping different breeds of birds together is a great way to optimize space and save money. Budgies and finches are two of the most popular birds for cohabitation, and for good reason.
So, can budgies and finches live together at all? Well, yes. But there are necessary considerations to make before putting the two birds together.
Since they are different in breed, it is important to observe, know about their lifestyle, and treat them with special care. For peaceful cohabitation, you have to put in a decent amount of time and effort.
With that being said, we’re here to walk you through everything you need to know to successfully establish a bond between the two birds and keep them from distress. Do stick around till the end.
If the space inside the cage is large enough and the food supply is consistent, budgies and finches can live together inside one cage. There are also other attributes to consider, such as toys, feeding utensils, birdbaths, swings, etc.
Budgies and Finches: Similarities and Distinctions
Though they are not the same breed, they carry a lot of the same features and lifestyle preferences. There are also some very pronounced differences between them, of which you must be aware and careful.
1. Habitat
Budgies generally tend to lay low, so they don’t fly around that much. In the wild, you’ll mostly see them in tall trees. They like to climb and live in a tall, open space.
Whereas finches love to fly. They spend most of their time singing and flying around in the wild, so their nests tend to be really wide and very exposed to the sky.
As for similarities, both of them do prefer open space with plenty of light during the day.
2. Behavior
Budgies tend to be more aggressive than finches. More specifically, female budgies. They are very territorial and tend to engage in fights when they feel like their space is being taken over or hampered. Budgies are also very social birds. They typically don’t like to live alone and are much better off with a pair.
Finches, on the other hand, are very calm birds. They don’t often show signs of aggression unless their or their companion’s lives are threatened.
Speaking of companions, finches mate for life, but they aren’t very social. So, they can live alone just fine as long as they get enough attention from their owners.
The similarity between a male budgie and a finch is much more proactive, so male budgies are more likely to get along with finches.
3. Diet
Budgies mostly live off a variety of seeds. Their diet consists primarily of seeds, but they do occasionally consume fruits and other sweet foods. These would include apples, cherries, bananas, etc.
Finches also have a seed-based diet, but they also like to eat a lot of fruits, especially different types of berries. They’re also really fond of nuts and beans. They are known to drink a lot of water.
Both having seed-based diets means that you almost certainly feed them the same food.
4. Taming
As we’ve stated before, budgies are very social birds. And so, they can also be tamed quite easily. Within a couple of weeks of proper training, you can hold the budgie in your hand, and it will play around with you. It doesn’t take much time for it to recognize you.
However, for finches, that’s a different story. They’re not very well known to be tamed, so it could potentially take you a month before you can open the cage without risking it flying away. But with enough practice and patience, it’s definitely possible.
How to Keep Budgies and Finches Together Properly?
With all the practical things out of the way, now we can talk about the key factors to ensure that the two birds get along.
1. The Dimensions of the Cage
Figuring out the proper cage size is crucial for the comfort and health of the birds. It’s essential to ensure that the cage isn’t overcrowded.
Budgies like to climb, so a tall cage is recommended for them. However, finches normally like to fly, so for them, a wider cage is suggested so they can fly back and forth. With both of these combined, you’ll need a square cage that is decently large.
The preferred minimum cage size for one budgie and one finch is 24×24 inches.
2. Food
As both of them has a similar diet, you can essentially feed them the same food. Commercial seeds are what they will primarily like, but it’s healthier and more sustainable to move them from a seed-based diet to a pellet-based diet.
It is also important to feed them fruits every once in a while and treats every now and then. Chopped up apples and apple-seeds are something that both the birds like, so try to incorporate that into their diet. Don’t forget to provide plenty of fresh water.
3. Necessary Utensils
Food and water bowls, baths, feeding trays, and other utensils in the cage are necessary to prevent them from fighting over food or water.
Make sure to get separate bowls for food and water. Try to separate their bath bowls as well. Provide enough food for both of the birds and equally distribute it.
4. Toys
In order to keep the birds entertained and stress-free, you need to incorporate a number of toys inside the cage. Try to get one for each bird to avoid fighting.
Some of the mainstream toys include swings, chewy toys, perches, and some destructible things like ropes or acrylic.
5. Observation
This is the most important thing for safe cohabitation. You, as the owner, need to keep the birds under observation for the first couple of days. See how well they are getting along or how often they are fighting. Also, notice the activeness and the vocalization of the birds.
After you’ve prepared the ideal place for them, all you need to do is observe and figure out the shortcomings to fix them. For example, if you notice them fighting for food, provide separate bowls.
Irregularities: Fighting and Stress
It’s not too rare to see budgies and finches not getting along and fighting from the get-go. It would be wise to get a different pair of birds to match together, but if you’re set on taking care of these, here are some things to look at.
Preventing Fights
It’s a good idea to get both of the birds at the same time inside the cage so that none of them become territorial and show aggression. If they’re fighting from the start, you can keep them side by side in separate cages until they get comfortable with each other.
Ensuring each of them their personal space is a pretty good way of maintaining peace. Giving them separate toys, utensils, and foods should help them feel more secure. You could also try putting the items on opposite sides of the cage so they can maintain that distance.
If you ever spot them fighting, stop them immediately or they might get severely hurt. And if nothing seems to work for you, then going to the pet shop and replacing the birds is also a good option.
Overcoming Stress
Some birds, when they don’t feel comfortable, instead of fighting, they start feeling stressed. This is particularly the case for finches. A common symptom of stress in birds is plucking out their own feathers.
If you see any of your birds doing this, reconsider all the aforementioned processes and take the necessary steps. A stressed bird is a sick bird, and its lifespan is cut short.
Crossbreed Cohabiting
Finches and budgies both have their respective sub-breeds. All of them are very similar in characteristics. However, there are a few minor differences that might affect our cause.
Can Budgies Be Kept with Zebra Finches?
The most notable distinction between a zebra finch and a zebra chick is that neither can be tamed. If you’re planning on taming the budgie, it might be a bit difficult to keep them together as you cannot keep the cage open. However, there are human-raised zebra finches that are already tamed, so that’s an option.
Can You Keep Gouldian Finches with Budgies?
Gouldian finches are arguably the most beautiful variety of finches. They are very vivid and colorful, but they require a lot of attention and care. They tend to get stressed out easily, so if you’re committed enough to take care of it with a budgie, then you can definitely keep them together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do budgies and finches get along?
Due to the certain similarities in their behaviors, lifestyles, and diets, budgies and finches do get along. But it sometimes depends on the individual bird. Some birds are just very reluctant to get along with birds of different breeds.
Can finches and budgies be tamed?
Almost all breeds of budgies can be tamed. However, when it comes to finches, only a few can really be tamed. And even so, they take an immense amount of patience and effort. Since they’re normally very antisocial, it can be hard to tame them.
What breeds of finches can live with budgies?
If you’re willing to put in the work, you can make almost any breed of finch live with budgies. However, there are a few things to consider. If you’re planning on taming the budgie, getting a zebra finch is probably a bad idea because they cannot be tamed whatsoever. So, it would be a lot more difficult to keep the cage open.
Conclusion
If you are willing to put in the patience and knowledge, you can keep budgies and finches together. By following our detailed guide, hopefully, you have found your answer to whether or not can budgies and finches live together. Make sure to emphasize observation and prevent fights as best as you can.
Related Posts:
