Cockatiel or lovebird??

[animallover14]

I have 2 male budgies, but I just love birds and I really want to get either a cockatiel or lovebird. I heard that there is NO way that lovebirds should be allowed to interact with budgies, but also that it might be ok under supervision. I'm dissapointed because I was hoping I could get a bird that was more friendlier to budgies, which, not to mention would convince my mom more to get one! Cockatiels get along better I heard, but I was hoping to get a more playful energetic bird. Which do you think is my best bet??

[Cottontail]

Keeping lovebirds and budgies is not recommended. Because the lovebirds will often feel they're isn't enough room and attack the budgies. Cockatiels and budgies make great friends. Also, zebra finches, nutmeg mannikins, white-backed munias, java sparrows, double-barred finches and cordon-bleus make great friends with budgies. Finches are brilliant creatures and love to play and sing. Good luck :D.

[Tirilliel]

Iv had both lovebird’s budgies and cockatiels...

Has far as lovebirds and budgies, I agree its not recommended but that inst to say that it cant be done. I got my lovebird Houdini as a young fledgling because I wanted to hand raise her myself so that we would be really bonded. At that time I had a budgie. Houdini being young seemed to want to be near them allot and was generally nice but as she grew and matured some I noticed her getting a bit more rough with them, she would literally shove them around and this was even before her first molt! I no longer have that budgie, just Houdini and I wouldn’t think of getting any other bird unless it was another lovebird, but even then Houdini and I are very bonded I don’t know that she would even tolerate another of her own species around, Its not a risk I want to take.

On another hand, I had cockatiels and budgies in the past. One male tiel I had was aggressive toward my budgies and would chase them from off their budgie cage and knock them onto the floor. In another instance I had a cockatiels that was terrified of the budgie and that budgie beat him up..

So really it can also depend on the birds personality and how you go about taking leader roll of your own flock. How you handle all the birds can also affect how they reacted to one another.

To play it safe get a cockatiel rather then a lovebird. It’s to bad you have budgies around, because I prefer lovebirds much over cockatiels. :P

[Gigi3]

For sure, I had a cockatiel and it was SOOOOOO STUPIDD!!! omg :eek: I much prefer my pied lovebird over that stupid bird, the trick is to get it when its young so you hand feed it yourself and create a bond with the bird, I have had my lovebird for almost 4 years and he hasnt bitten anyone, he is realy a sweet mannored bird, also there are diff types of lovebirds, The peachface are bigger/ more aggressive, the Pied, Fishers are a different, they are smaller/ sweeter personality. Trust me iv been throo it all.

[Tirilliel]

the trick is to get it when its young so you hand feed it yourself and create a bond with the bird, I have had my lovebird for almost 4 years and he hasnt bitten anyone, he is realy a sweet mannored bird, also there are diff types of lovebirds,

Hmm I’m going to have to disagree with you. :confused:
My first bird that I owned was store bought and was not previously hand reared or hand tamed, I did that on my own and that bird and I were very bonded. It would fly all through the house just to land on my shoulder, it went everywhere with me. Parent-raised bird can be hand tamed and you can bond with each other so long as you are persistent enough to gain its trust.

Houdini was hand reared as I mentioned my me, But I ended up have some pretty bad aggressive behavioral problems with biting and still occupationally get bit. That also happened with one of my teils in the past, we were both bonded closely but he started to become too aggressive, Fortunately I learned from the experience and have almost completely corrected the aggression in my lovebird Houdini.

I just don’t want people getting a false notion from your comment about hand raise birds being they key to having a closely bonded relationship. Although its true a hand raised bird will take to you faster.

[animallover14]

For sure, I had a cockatiel and it was SOOOOOO STUPIDD!!! omg :eek: I much prefer my pied lovebird over that stupid bird.

Thats really mean... the poor bird D:

How is it "so stupid"? Because it doesn't "talk" or it doesn't "play with you"? I would love my bird to death even if it did nothing and just sat there contently. (pretty much what my budgies do...XD)

But really..what did you not like about your cockatiel?

[wingnut]

My 2 cents' worth, as usual: My first cockatiel was not hand-raised, and was completely bonded to me. It does take time and patience, but if you love the bird and work with it, and especially, treat it like the royalty it is, bonding is certain to happen. I also rescued a hand-raised but abused cockatiel hen that took an entire year to let me scratch her head...kindness and patience. Cockatiels are anything but stupid, though, and I'm curious what makes Gigi3 think so. They are whimsical and each one an individual personality, though.

[Tirilliel]

I’m just not going to take anything Gigi3 says to seriously, from seeing Gigi3's posts and interaction here with other people its my opinion that Gigi3's lacking some important social skills and isn’t very good at expressing themselves in a mature fashion. I just don’t think that Gigi3 is good at communicating with others. Gigi3 use bad choice of words which is quite apparent and uses them in wrong contexts but I don’t think that’s what Gigi3 necessarily are trying to say.

Anyway, hopefully this person can learn from these experiences and gain a more “mature expressive” nature to avoid all the misunderstandings.

[animallover14]

I actually have lately been thinking about getting a cockatiel, and I'm curious about their personality. Are they playful? Cuddly? Fun to be around? Just curious what kind of traits you would use to describe them. :)

[Tirilliel]

I actually have lately been thinking about getting a cockatiel, and I'm curious about their personality. Are they playful? Cuddly? Fun to be around? Just curious what kind of traits you would use to describe them. :)

Both can be very friendly and cuddly birds, although I personally find the lovebird to be cuddlier then cockatiels. I had a few cockatiels in the past and although we were bonded they did not "cuddle" the same as my lovebird Houdini. Of course the cockatiels will love you and want to be with you and sit on your shoulder, but in my experience I find that lovebirds really CUDDLE with you, Houdini nuzzles the side of my neck, hides under my air, and likes falls asleep under my shirt collar or sweatshirt hoods. Iv never had a cockatiel do this.

This behavior in lovebirds probably has allot to do with their nesting behaviors, plus Iv heard arguments about cockatiels being apart of parakeet family rather then the parrot family like the lovebird. But I’m not certain about that myself.

Either way both are very friendly and loveable, but if you really want a bird that literally cuddles with you I recommend a lovebird. However I think the birds personality and how you interact with it can make a huge difference, in which case its un fair to say one is better then the other.

For a beginner I feel a cockatiel may be better then a lovebird, since lovebirds are pretty brave in personality and for little things can be quite the handful since they do seem to act much like that of their larger cousins. :)

[animallover14]

Ok, thank you. :)

[Sorathien]

lovebirds like to hide in your clothes and cuddle, cockatiels will sit on you and like to have their heads scritched, but mine at least HATES to have anywhere but his head and neck touched at all. and he doesn't like to be resctricted or covered up. my aunt has a lovebird and she rides around in her purse or in her shirt. she takes her lovebird everywhere with her, even outside to the market and everything (she lives in florida, so it's warm)

[animallover14]

lovebirds like to hide in your clothes and cuddle, cockatiels will sit on you and like to have their heads scritched, but mine at least HATES to have anywhere but his head and neck touched at all. and he doesn't like to be resctricted or covered up. my aunt has a lovebird and she rides around in her purse or in her shirt. she takes her lovebird everywhere with her, even outside to the market and everything (she lives in florida, so it's warm)

Aww thats sweet. :)

I would get a lovebird, but like I said, I have two budgies and it wouldn't be fair if I couldn't give them both the attention that they need at the same time, as I would never be able to take them out at the same time. With a cockatiel, it would probably ok, I believe, under strict supervision.