Ask Lafeber

Pair or Trio

Can three tiels live happy or should they be even numbers?

Hi Tom,

It is generally not a good idea to have an odd number of birds in the same cage. Even if they are all the same sex, they will tend to bond in pairs, leaving the odd bird out. The odd bird is often chased and bullied. There are other things to consider. If these are tame birds, then each bird should have its own cage. In that case, three birds are fine. But even if you only got two, if kept in the same cage, they will most likely end up bonding and losing interest in humans. If you have two or three tame cockatiels, each in their own cage, they can usually interact with each other outside of the cage, such as on a play stand, as long as you are supervising them. Birds should never be left out of the cage without supervision.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda