Thoughts on getting a different specie companion for a tiel...

[melb]

In the future I plan on getting a companion for my male tiel. I was thinking of perhaps a parrotlet or a lovebird. How well do tiels react to a new bird being introduced? And should I carefully consider the gender of the new bird for better compatibility and prevent other issues?

[Peanutbutter]

Pretty new to bird care, but here's what i've read recently:

Gender isn't a large factor unless you are getting another tiel & want to avoid babies.... tiels are pretty calm w/ other tiels & usually do okay w/ same sex friends.

Not recommended to keep a 'let or a lovie in the same cage w/ a tiel... 'lets and lovies are more aggressive--despite their smaller size.
They may or may not like each other out of the cage... that depends on the bird.

Its been said that lineloated parakeets (not budgies!) have about the same temperament as tiels... I love their personalities. But they are kinda hard to find & cost around 150+. Probably couldn't share cages, but I think they stand a better chance being friends w/ the tiel. Not that I own one... lol. I haven't even MET one, just what i've read.

[tielfan]

There are individual exceptions, but in general parrotlets and lovebirds are NOT good companions for a cockatiel. Parrotlets and lovebirds are feisty, aggressive birds that don't much care for other species, and the much gentler cockatiels aren't well equipped to defend themselves against them. Lovebirds have been known to kill cockatiels. A parrotlet might want to kill the cockatiel but may not be big enough to get the job done.

There's a better chance that a budgie would get along with a cockatiel, but even with these species one is sometimes too aggressive for the other.

[prettypenguin]

My 2 tiels get along with my 2 budgies, but they have separate cages & I MUST keep an eye on them because the budgies will bully the tiels or bite their feet if they land on the budgie cage. They do preen each other & get on well most of the time, but I wouldn't leave the 4 together when someone isn't home to supervise.

[christie99]

While there will always be stories of two different species of birds getting along and sharing cages, it is never a good idea to mix species. As seen with most tiels and budgies, while they live in Australia together, they do not, as a general rule, get along in a cage together.

If you want a different species as a companion, have a large cage with a divider, or two cages that are next to each other with play time out of the cage supervised together.