{"id":5247,"date":"2013-06-13T06:03:42","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T06:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/?p=5247"},"modified":"2025-08-04T22:57:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T03:57:28","slug":"budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Budgie Vs. Cockatiel \u2014\u00a0Which Is Right For You?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Two small companion <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/species\/parrot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">parrots<\/a> have consistently been the most popular ones in the United States. For years, <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/species\/budgie-parakeet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">budgies<\/a>, also called parakeets, were the most numerous companion birds, and only recently were overtaken by <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/species\/cockatiel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cockatiels<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking at getting one or the other, how do they compare?<\/p>\n<h2>Similarities<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_43964\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43964\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-43964\" src=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"blue and white budgie climbing on bars inside cage\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-43964\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/parrot-bird-beak-feathers-plumage-5493723\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cockatiels and budgies are both parrots, or hookbills, with hooked beaks suitable for cracking seed. Both live in flocks in the wild and lay eggs in holes in trees, which is a trait shared by many parrots. Budgies and cockatiels are natives of arid, inland Australia. These are common species in their native Australia, and they are quite numerous in aviculture.<\/p>\n<p>Both cockatiels and budgies are desert-adapted birds. I\u2019m convinced that some of their success as companion and aviary birds is due to the fact that they can survive under less than ideal situations. They thrive when fed a <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/product\/cockatiel-tropical-fruit-gourmet-pellets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">formulated diet<\/a> and vegetable treats, with fresh water, and loving socialization. But many have survived all-seed diets and unsuitable environments \u2014 and sadly, even neglect.<\/p>\n<p>Both cockatiels and budgies became companion birds through the efforts of John Gould in the 19<sup>th<\/sup> century. He brought these two species to England and Europe, where they started to become established in wildlife collections. Because of this relatively long history in captivity, color mutations have developed in both species.<\/p>\n<p>Cockatiels in the wild are solid gray with red cheek patches and white wing patches. In captivity, cockatiels can have lacy or pied patterns and a range of colors, from soft brown to gray, cream and white.\u00a0Wild budgies are green with yellow faces, but those kept as pets come in many colors of the rainbow. Common pet budgie coloring is a green bird with a yellow face or a blue bird with a white face. Their bodies also can be patterned or pied, and their colors are myriad and varied.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_43961\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43961\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-43961\" src=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/cockatiel-un-ppGm_wqJiy8-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"cockatiel perched on branch with part of another cockatiel behind\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/cockatiel-un-ppGm_wqJiy8-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/cockatiel-un-ppGm_wqJiy8-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/cockatiel-un-ppGm_wqJiy8-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/cockatiel-un-ppGm_wqJiy8.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-43961\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/black-yellow-and-white-bird-on-brown-tree-branch-ppGm_wqJiy8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allyson Beaucourt\/Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>All of the cockatiels, no matter what color, are not different breeds but only different colors of one species. The same goes for budgies, which are all still budgies. They simply come in a variety of colors (and sizes and shapes, we\u2019ll get to that).<\/p>\n<p>We keep both species as pets because cockatiels and budgies are easily hand-tamed. They are both curious enough to also learn other behaviors and tricks, if their caregiver has the patience to work with them. Budgies have often been thought of as pets for children, but they can be interesting companions for adults and seniors as well. The same goes for cockatiels. They make good, interactive adult companions and can help keep a senior company without the need for walks and without being underfoot with its potential for causing a fall.<\/p>\n<p>In both cockatiels and budgies, it is the male that typically learns to talk, while the females generally do not. Both species adapt well to living in most home situations. You can offer them a roomy cage and a chance to fly free in the average home and apartment, which cannot be said of some larger parrot species!<\/p>\n<p>Since I mentioned apartments, both cockatiels and budgies make good apartment pets. They do vocalize, but generally their calls do not disturb neighbors. And, like most parrots, they are quiet during the night, which makes them good neighbors, too.<\/p>\n<h2>Differences<\/h2>\n<p>Birds have individual personalities, but, in general, cockatiels are low-energy and pacifists. They spend a lot of time sitting and preening. Cockatiels are most likely to vocalize in mornings and evenings; cockatiels are the smallest member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/species\/cockatoo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cockatoo<\/a> family and act like one of them.<\/p>\n<p>Budgies move around and play a lot, as well as keep up a steady chatter while they do so. Budgies are parakeets, a group of long-tailed, slim-bodied birds found throughout the world. You may know of Indian <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/species\/psittacula\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ring-necked parakeets<\/a>, the Carolina parakeet (which became extinct in the U.S.), and the South American native, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/species\/quaker-parakeet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">quaker parakeet<\/a>, for example.<\/p>\n<p>There is a difference in size between these two species. A cockatiel is generally 12 to 14 inches from the top of its head to the ends of its tail feathers. Budgies vary in size from 5 to 11 inches.\u00a0 Why is there such a big difference in budgie size? The budgies most often raised as pets are called \u201cAmerican parakeets\u201d and are about 5 to 6 inches long. Budgies bred by exhibitors to be larger are called \u201cEnglish budgies\u201d and are 10 to 12 inches long. The biggest English budgies and the smallest cockatiels are similar in size. Despite the size difference, American parakeets and English budgies have the same DNA; the show birds have just been selectively bred to be bigger and to have a certain conformation.<\/p>\n<h2>Which Bird Is Right For You?<\/h2>\n<p>You may have a preference for a budgie or a cockatiel because of their size. Budgies are smaller, and so their cage could be slightly smaller than suitable for a cockatiel environment. Which bird would you rather handle? And how do you propose to handle your bird? Budgies are very trainable and can become hand-tame. If you want a bird to interact with vocally and to fly after you in the house, the budgie is a good choice. A budgie is not, however, as tolerant of petting as a cockatiel can be.<\/p>\n<p>Many cockatiels love to be petted behind their crest feathers and over their ears (marked in many colors by that fiery red cheek patch). A budgie typically does not like this type of interaction. Choose the bird to match your personality: cockatiels tend to be more low-key and touchy-feely, while budgies are high-energy and will perch on a finger but generally don\u2019t like to be touched.<\/p>\n<p>Size in companion birds correlates with age span. A budgie can live 10 to 15 years, while a cockatiel can live 15 to 20-plus years. Of course, sadly, accidents may happen, or a bird could get a disease that shortens its life. By the same token, each species can outlive its projected lifespan by many years.<\/p>\n<p>Both species make rewarding, interesting, and loving companion birds. That\u2019s something else they have in common!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For years, budgies, also called parakeets, were the most numerous companion birds, and only recently were overtaken by cockatiels. If you\u2019re looking at getting one or the other, how do they compare?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":43964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,170],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavior","category-housing","bird-type-parakeet","bird-type-cockatiel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Budgie Vs. 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If you\u2019re looking at getting one or the other, how do they compare?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lafeber\u00ae Pet Birds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-06-13T06:03:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-05T03:57:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Diane Grindol\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Diane Grindol\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Diane Grindol\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lafeber.com\\\/pet-birds\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0b44ffa682bce7703f0149b91ed2ba3d\"},\"headline\":\"Budgie Vs. 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Cockatiel \u2014\u00a0Which Is Right For You? &#8211; Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/budgie-vs-cockatiel-which-right-for-you\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/budgie-cage-px-5493723.jpg","datePublished":"2013-06-13T06:03:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-05T03:57:28+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#\/schema\/person\/0b44ffa682bce7703f0149b91ed2ba3d"},"description":"For years, budgies, also called parakeets, were the most numerous companion birds, and only recently were overtaken by cockatiels. 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Cockatiel \u2014\u00a0Which Is Right For You?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#website","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/","name":"Lafeber\u00ae Pet Birds","description":"Two Generations of Veterinarians Caring &amp; Working for the Health of Animals","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/#\/schema\/person\/0b44ffa682bce7703f0149b91ed2ba3d","name":"Diane Grindol","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/DianeGrindol-hs-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/DianeGrindol-hs-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-content\/uploads\/DianeGrindol-hs-96x96.jpg","caption":"Diane Grindol"},"description":"Diane Grindol grew up in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, in a 1950's postwar planned community where most of the streets were named after birds. She attended college in Fulton, Missouri, spending her junior year abroad in Nantes, France. Diane moved to the Monterey Peninsula on California\u2019s Central Coast in 1982, where she acquired a gray cockatiel hen named Dacey, her companion for the next 22 years. She raised seven generations of Dacey's chicks and exhibited some of them in bird shows. Dacey inspired Diane to write for the American Cockatiel Society, American Cage Bird Magazine, the American Federation of Aviculture's magazine's AFA Watchbird and eventually Bird Talk magazine. She briefly published Bird World Magazine in the 1990s. Diane wrote Bird Talk magazine's \"Small Birds\" column from 1988 until the magazine ceased publication in 2012. Her passion for educating bird owners resulted in numerous bird leaflets and fliers, in talks given to bird clubs and at seminars, and eventually led to writing books. She is author of \"Cockatiels For Dummies\"\u00ae, and co-authored \u201cBirds Off The Perch,\u201d \u201cParrot Tricks\u201d and \u201cTeaching Your Bird to Talk,\u201d as well as a few other bird-care books. Diane self-publishes books, the most recent being a series of books featuring haiku poems and her photos of pets, including Dogku, Catku, Birdku and Horseku. See many of her books at her Amazon author page. Diane resides on the Monterey Peninsula with several cockatiels, a canary and a blue-headed Pionus parrot. She has been a full-time pet sitter since 2002.","sameAs":["http:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/diane-grindol\/"],"url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/author\/diane\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5247"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44168,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5247\/revisions\/44168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}