Tweety seemed lonely, so you found a feathered friend to keep him company. Although budgies are naturally social, don't ruffle his feathers by putting that new bird into his cage too quickly and intruding on his territory. Gradually introducing the two parakeets is the best way to make them BFFs.
Step 1
Keep the new parakeet quarantined in a separate area of your house for 30 days to make certain he has no contagious diseases or parasites. Feed the parakeet water and food from his own bowls, and thoroughly clean his cage daily. Don't allow him to play with toys that your other bird uses.
Step 2
Move the parakeets into the same room, but keep them in separate cages. They'll be able to size each other up, but your original parakeet's territory will be protected. Give both parakeets equal amounts of affection. Showing favoritism to the new parakeet could upset your existing bird. Attend to the older bird first to help him remain confident and ward off any feelings of jealousy. Leave the parakeets in separate cages for one week.
Step 3
Close the doors and windows. Allow the parakeets to fly around the room and enjoy hanging out with each other. This will give them time to bond on their own terms and build trust without feeling intruded upon in their cages. Return the parakeets to their cages if they show signs of any aggression toward each other, such as lunging, squawking, screeching or nipping.
Step 4
Place the parakeets in one cage that's big enough for both of them, once they've gotten used to each other's presence and they're digging each other's company. Give each bird his own water, food bowl and perches to make sure they don't have anything to squabble over, and they'll know they're equally loved and cared for.
