Cockatiel or Budgie- What should you get?

Cockatiel and Budgie are the most comely parrot species of Australia. They have many common characteristics as well as multiple differences. Both of them are social, active, and playful. They can enjoy their little cages with no issues. An experienced bird owner almost always knows which among both, he wants. But for a newbie, it’s hard to decide which one will prove to be his best companion: a Cockatiel or a Budgie?

To help them decide better, we are here with some interesting, exciting as well as knowledgeable facts to consider before having any one of them.

And the best part is; you can have both of them at a time if you are up for double fun and excitement. The reason being, they both co-exist in groups in Australia.

We are going to cover the characteristics and facts about these two lovely creatures to understand what makes them similar and what sets them apart. Let’s get started to know more about your next loving family member.

Physical Attributes and Appearance

Cockatiel grows more in height and tail. He is a large-sized parrot and may grow up to 12 to 13 inches. On the other side, the cute little Budgie is smaller in size. A Budgie won’t need a spacious cage. He can maintain himself in a small space. Budgies usually grow up to 6 to 8 inches. Obviously, we’re not favoring Budgie. But if you are looking for a bigger bird, Cockatiel is your perfect fit. And if you want a little pet, go with a Budgie.

Talking about the appearance, the feathers of a Budgie are unimaginably beautiful. His feathers may vary in colors from sky blue to lime green. Cockatiel, being a true member of the Cockatoo family, has one of the most prominent crests. This attribute makes him look cute and stand out in a flock. Cockatiels are gray most of the time. They have yellow speckles on their faces and tails and white flashes on both the wings. They look the cutest with those orange circles around their ears. Quite a burst of colors.
Choose the one that mesmerizes you.

Personalities of Cockatiel and Budgie

Talking about the individual personalities of these two affectionate birds, they both own different personalities.

Budgie is always full of energy and playfulness. Whereas a Cockatiel will be down sooner and hence, less playful than a Budgie.

You may see a Budgie prone to flying here and there, and simply indulging in fun activities, while on the other hand, a Cockatiel will only vocalize in the daytime and spend the rest of his time quietly looking at the things around.

So, for your need of having a vibrant bird around, get a budgie, they won’t disappoint you. But if you want a quiet companion who will not seem to annoy you at your lows, you must adopt a Cockatiel.

For the youngsters, a Budgie will be a great mate. He’ll keep you busy in playful activities throughout the day owing to his playful nature. A quick reminder for beginners is that Budgies vocalize a lot. So, if the noise concerns you, it is better to choose a Cockatiel over Budgies. A relatively quiet Cockatiel makes a great mate for the elderly too.

Food and Lodging

When it comes to diet, both Cockatiel and Budgie follow a similar diet. Both of them have hooked beaks, so undoubtedly, they are adept at cracking seeds. Specialized bird foods are also necessary for them. But, they are intolerant to artificial additives and excessive fats. Do not let a store-bought bird food harm your baby parrot.

Parrots are great pets for urban dwellers that have busy lives since they do not demand much maintenance and adapt quickly to their owner’s routine. Keep their food bowls filled and offer them freshwater, and they are ready to love you back. These two cute parrots love treats. Occasional treats like bread, pasta, or whole-grain crackers, bring instant happiness for them.

Budgie and Cockatiel, both are desert-adapted birds. This makes it clear that both can survive, or even enjoy in less than an ideal situation.

Coming to the lodging, both of them vocalize in the day time and fall silent by the night. So if you happen to stay in an apartment, you can choose any of them. Even though Cockatiel doesn’t vocalize as much as Budgies, yet Budgies are not as loud to trouble your neighbors.

Some Interesting Facts

• Both Budgie and Cockatiel are generally curious in nature. This makes them an ideal choice for ‘learning pets’. Teaching becomes easy and enjoyable with these supportive mates.
• A male budgie or cockatiel is talented with entertaining talking-tricks, but the female ones are often shy.
• Besides being adorable, they are very adoptive. They will easily blend and adjust to your home.
• The two birds are native to a completely different continent. This has
• resulted in their mutations of color and the ability to absorb the local
• climate and helped them become hardy.
• Both Budgie and Cockatiel will love to explore their new home. You may often find them playing with new toys and chewing on different things. They majorly chew over bright materials.
• They both will express their emotions, either by vocalizing, chattering, or screeching.
• Both of them are capable of interacting with human beings. They learn too fast.

Conclusion

After knowing a little about both these beautiful creatures, it might have become easier for you to make up your mind for which one to adopt. But don’t forget to consider the facts in hindsight too. The facts like how much you have set aside to bring your feathered friend home? This not only includes the price you’ll pay to the breeder but also costs like cage expenditure, toys, et al. For eg. you require a smaller cage for Budgie, and a larger one for Cockatiel.

The playful budgies would need loads of toys against the quiet and reserve-natured Cockatiel. But apparently, both can make rewarding, loving, and interesting companion birds, even with each other. And that’s another similarity between them.