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Keeping Different Birds Together

It is always best to speak to the breeder you are buying your birds from, they will usually know which birds get along and which don’t. In theory, if given enough space, almost all of the species mentioned in this guide can live together, there will however always be the more aggressive birds and the more passive birds. There are a few species that are usually seen as too aggressive to be kept with other birds.


Bengalese finch and Zebra finch
Zebra and Bengalese finches can live together happily, as long as they have plenty of room

The general rule is to keep pushy birds with other pushy birds, timid birds with other timid birds and so on. Use the guide below as a general guide on which birds should get along fine, though always double check with the person who is supplying your birds.

  • In general the following birds can live othetterh with little to no problems: Gouldian Finch, Double-Barred (or Owl) finch, Bengalese (Society) finch, Plum-headed finch, Red-headed Parrot Finch, Chestnut and Scaly-Breasted Munia.

  • The Star Finch needs extra space and cover due to its timid nature. They will be happier if kept in flocks of their own kind.

  • Canaries need large aviaries to be able to coexist with other species. In general they are happier on their own or in pairs.

  • The following can live together if given enough space, but look out for the bullies: Zebra Finch, Java Sparrow, Strawberry Finch, Lavender Waxbill.

  • The real bullies of the finch world are the Diamond Firetail and the Cut-Throat Finch.

  • Keeping a single Finch

    Finches will not be happy or healthy if kept alone. The one species that can be kept alone is the Canary. All other species of Finch will need to be kept in at least pairs. Infact, keeping finches in pairs is the ideal setup for many owners, as it does not require a large cage and as a result saves on space. This being said, there are some species that will only truly thrive in a flock.


    Black-throated finch
    This Black-throated finch doesn't want to be alone!

    Keeping Males or Females Together

    Finches are best kept in Male-Female pairs. Single birds are fine in a larger flock of at least 3 pairs and juveniles will happily perch and feed together right up until the hormones kick in (around 9 weeks old). It is at this point that same sex pairs will begin to fight of they are being kept togther with no other birds.

    Any unpaired birds will opt to live alone rather than with the other unpaired birds. In some cases cock birds can cause problems when they try to court a female who has already chosen her mate. Zebra Finches and many other species only have one partner at a time, so the not-so-lucky birds will have a long wait ahead of them unless some new additions to the aviary turn up.

    Keeping Canaries with Other Birds

    Canaries are kind and easy going birds. Birds kept in Male-Male or Female-Female pairs, just like the other finches, will squabble but pretty much any other combination is fine. For example, several males should be able to coexist without being at one another's throats all the time. The easy-going nature of these birds makes them good mixers, they are unlikely to intimidate any other species.


    Canaries and other birds
    Although Canaries prefer their own company, they can still thrive in a mixed aviary

    However, even with all this being said, it is important to remember that there are two sides to the coin. Problems with Canary cohabitation seemingly always come from the other species. More aggressive species will pick on a less aggressive bird like a Canary. Also, a mixed aviary will be detrimental to the bird’s breeding prospects, as they need their peace and quiet to be able to fledge their young.

    There are two factors that come into play when trying to establish a peaceful and harmonious community of birds - space and species. In large aviaries, the bullies and the victims will be able to stay out of one another's way- the dominant bird will be able to keep other birds away simply with body language. Be sure to keep at least two feeding stations, as a dominant bird may try to claim one as his own and not let other birds near. You will also have to provide plenty of perches and space to roost high up in the cages. Birds will fight over who gets the top perches, so having lots of them helps ease the tension of settling-down for the night.

    As the bird keeper, it is up to you to examine and control the behaviour of your birds. Of course the occasional peck or half-hearted chase around the aviary is nothing to worry about, but if these actions become persistent and prolonged you will need to intervene by isolating the bully.

    Canaries and Other Finches

    Of all the Finches mentioned in this guide, the most easy going ones are Canaries, the Star Finch and the Bengalese Finch. Whilst the Zebra Finch seems to be the obvious choice thanks to its widespread availability and popularity, this species is on the more aggressive side of things and you will need a large cage if you plan on mixing Zebra Finches with other Finches.


    Zebra finch and Canary
    Canaries and Zebra finches can only live together if there's lots of space

    Even if you have a mix of docile birds, they still need their space and the cage should be no less than 45 inches in width, preferably more. In a cage like this you will be able to house the following finches together: Canaries, Bengalese, Star, Gouldian, Double-Barred and Plum-Headed, Chestnut Munias and Parrot Finches.

    Canaries and Budgies

    These are, along with the Zebra Finch, the most popular cage birds, so it comes as no surprise that people have tried keeping the two together. If you do plan on keeping the two species together, you’ll need a cage which is at least 30ft in width.

    Canary and budgie
    Canaries and budgies need lots of space, including separate feeding and roosting areas

    Budgies don’t have a problem with canaries and most of the time will leave them be, yet they will still defend their perch or feeding station with a peck - budgies have a relatively powerful peck alongside a hooked beak - which can cause a lot of damage to a fragile bird such as the Canary. Budgies and other parrots also have the tendency to peck at other bird’s legs and they could easily snap the leg of a canary or other finch.

    This setup can work if approached correctly. You may even see other aviares with even more risky finch cohabitees such as cockatiels, parakeets and lorikeets. These types of setups only work in very large aviaries, the types you find in parks or zoos. Anything smaller than 30ft in width is not large enough for you to be mixing finches with parrots.

    Keeping Zebra Finches and Budgies Together

    As mentioned above, Canaries, Zebra Finches and Budgerigars are the three most popular cage birds throughout the world. Because of this one would assume that they will all get on well together. Zebra Finches, being more confident in themselves, actually fare a lot better with Budgies than the Canary does and in an aviary or bird house the two species will go about their days seemingly without noticing one another.Again, be sure to provide enough space in your cage or aviary.

    Budgie and Zebra finch
    Zebra Finches and Budgies, both natives of Australia, thrive together in a large, mixed aviary

    Keeping Finches and Quail Together

    Seeing Quail in mixed aviaries is not an uncommon sight. If you’re keeping your birds outside, then finches should have no problem with quail. It helps that the quail is a ground bird, as they take little notice of the finch world above them. Some of the most popular types of quail are the tiny Chinese Painted Quail (also known as the button quail or King quail) asn the Japanese Quail.

    Keeping Finches and Doves Together

    Doves are not usually kept in mixed aviaries. Some keepers mix them in with their finches and parakeets, though, and they are placid - and large - enough to thrive in most aviary setups without causing problems for their cage-mates.

    Canary and dove
    Finches and doves mix well in an aviary, each respectfully ignoring the other

    Common dove species in the pet trade include the Ring-necked dove (Streptopelia capicola) and the Diamond dove (Geopelia cuneata). The latter bird is popular due to its tiny size (by pigeon standards) of 8 inches, whereas the Ring-necked is a sleek but substantial 12 inches. Both birds (like all members of the pigeon family) need plenty of grain in their diets, so a standard finch or parakeet mix will not provide them with what they need.

Customer Images

Zebra Finch

Comments

Phillip, 16 October 2022

I have a fife canary who got along very well with my old fifes that died. She is in a good sized cage for her size, and I was wondering if I could keep a budgie with her or not? Every article I've seen pretty much says to do it at your own risk, but I would like a definitive answer from someone more experienced than wikihow. The cage is 3 feet across, 2 1/2 back, and 3 feet tall. I would be able to take the budgie out every day and would have seperate waters and foods for them both. TL;DR can I keep a budgie with a passive but friendly canary?


Nathan, 2 March 2022

I am just wondering what birds can live together as I have button quail. Zebra finches, lovebirds, budgies, cockatiels. What out of them can be in a large avairy please


Cherry, 7 February 2022

Sorry - just to clarify: the Bengalese is the English (UK) name for the finch that is referred to as the Society in some other parts of the English speaking world! The biological name of the bird I am referring to is Lonchura striata domestica, though it is not always regarded as a full subspecies and is sometimes listed simply as Lonchura striata.


Cherry, 7 February 2022

For Wendy, in case it is still useful, and with apologies if I'm repeating things you already know: The short answer is that the Bengalese finch is indeed extremely social and company is better if at all possible. In the type of situation you describe, it would probably be worth trying to pair the bird with another, possibly an older, weaker bird, of either sex. If that doesn't work, then keeping her within sight and sound of others while out of beak reach, may be the best solution - plus talking to her as much as you are able. It might also be worth trying to pair her with a bird of a different species of similar temperament, but that's obviously more complicated in practical terms. The long answer is that a lot of flocking animals are gregarious rather than social, and will pick on a sick or otherwise "abnormal" individual: it's supposed to be because it's liable to make the flock a target for predators. This may be less likely to apply if you have only two together out of sight and sound of others, but it is hard to know. This is why finding another bird which is not in the absolute prime of health may have a better chance of working. I have never actually tried keeping two females in one cage, but I would do it without hesitation, and without expecting the birds to have any issues - the only thing to be aware of is that it is likely to be noiser than a male and a female or two males. Females have a tendency to squawk for male attention (as far as I can make out), and it is both louder and a less "aesthetic" sound than the males singing. As far as setup goes, the standard advice is that visual barriers and more than one food and water source generally help reduce aggression; I have the impression that the more enrichment they have - whether it is interesting food or swinging perches or live plants - the better they tolerate each other, but I haven't done any sort of controlled experiment on the subject. (They seem to like an approximately equal mixture of open space and plant clutter, though again, that is only an impression). I have found, with mine, that they will try to breed relentlessly if you keep males and females together, and even if you want to breed them, it's necessary to impose some restrictions. If you're happy taking eggs away, that does work, and I've found I can usually stop them laying by repeatedly disturbing the nest they are trying to build - though they do just start again. They have a dreadful habit of nesting in food bowls: tube feeders or wild bird feeders are normally ok, but I don't know if that would work for your particular bird. I currently have a pair nesting (with permission) in a grass dome in one of the flowerpots! Anyway, hope that is of some help and hope your bird continues to enjoy life :-)


Wendy, 5 May 2021

Hi so I have a society finch, she’s all white. Her siblings pecked her pretty bad and kinda kicked her out of the flock… she does have a messed up foot she was born with but she’s thriving with it, she is alone in a 30 inch flying cage and loves it. my question is… should I get another society finch since I keep reading they prefer company, I do not want to breed them so I want to know do I put a male in there or can I have 2 females together?