Hi,
This is a situation that I refer to as an exception. The advice I give is based on what is most likely to happen. I would never keep lovebirds and budgies in the same cage. Lovebirds tend to be very aggressive and will usually kill budgies. I’m surprised they have gotten along all this time, especially if the cage isn’t very large. I would suspect that they are all males. I say this because male budgies and lovebirds tend to not be very aggressive. The females get aggressive and territorial. I think a female budgie would have already been fighting with the lovebird, whether it is male or female. And I think a female lovebird would have already killed the budgies. Again, there can be exceptions. But this is very much an exception because I never recommend having an odd number of birds in the same cage. So here you have an odd number and two species that should never share a cage. If they were young birds, I wouldn’t be so surprised. But if these birds are the age they told you, they are sexually mature and this is when the trouble begins. Again, if they are all male, this can explain why they all get along. Should you keep them together? I tend to say no. It’s hard to say how they will react when they are in a new home and a new cage. Maybe the larger cage will be good. If you are generally home, you can try it and keep a close eye on them. Split them up at any signs of fighting or chasing each other. Make sure you have at least 3 food and water stations in different areas of the cage. But understand if hormones kick in, either species can badly injure or kill the other with little to no warning. If none of these birds can be handled, they need companionship. If the lovebird can be handled, then probably go ahead and separate him. But if he is wild, and you separate him, you need to see about DNA testing to determine his gender, and then try to get another lovebird of the same species and age to see if they get along. If he is a male, I would recommend another male because they are more likely to get along and you won’t have to deal with breeding or egg laying. I’m sorry I can’t give a definitive answer – you will have to assess their bond and decide based on how well they get along or whether you want to take the risk of what might happen if they stop getting along.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
