Choosing a cage for your pet bird is one of the most important steps in caring for him or her. You will want one that is built especially for the type of bird, that provides enough room, and that provides protection from other household animals.
If you have a parrot, cockatiel, cockatoo, or any of the hooked billed birds, you will want a different cage than if you have a canary or finch. If your parrot or related bird is going to be allowed outside the cage, having a flat top is important so they can sit on top. Having a perch with food and water cups is also nice.
We have a cockatiel who spends 90% of the day on a family member’s should. He has a nice-sized cage with a flat top, and he even has a play yard that we keep on top of the cage. But he still prefers to be with someone (which is fine with us, we love to carry him around).
What Type of Bird
You first need to consider the type of bird you are buying. If you have any type of parakeet, cockatiel or another long tailed bird species, you will need a long cage so that your bird can get plenty of exercise.
A bird with a stocky body, such as a lovebird or a Senegal parrot, gets a lot of exercise by climbing around in the cage. These birds do well in a cage that is taller than it is wide. A canary or a finch needs a cage that is big enough to fly around inside as you will not be letting these birds out of their cage.
What Size is Best for Each Bird Breed
Next, you should consider the size of the cage. While you usually should plan to buy the biggest cage you can afford for your bird, a newly weaned handfed baby bird may feel lost and frightened in a large cage. He also may have trouble locating his food and water dishes. If you have a baby bird it is usually a good idea to buy a small cage for his first few months and then switch him to a larger cage when he is older.
Spacing between the bards is another thing to consider when choosing a bird cage. A beautiful $300 cage isn’t very useful if your bird can fit through the bars anytime he wants to.
If you are thinking about using a cage with wire mesh, you should compare the size of the hole in the mesh with the size of your bird’s head before you make your selection. A cage made with one inch mesh is just the right size for a cockatiel to stick his head through.
Instead of pulling their heads back in through the same hole, cockatiels have been known to bend their necks into a ‘U’ shape and stick their heads into a different hole. You definitely don’t want your bird killing itself because the mesh was too big.
Cage Tray for Catching Seed Hulls and Feathers
Once you have decided on the cage size and bar spacing, you should consider a few other aspects of bird cage design. Take a look at the cage tray.
When you pull it out to clean it, is there a grate in the cage to keep the bird from escaping? Is the tray deep enough to catch most of the mess your bird makes?
If you have had a bird before you probably know what a mess they can leave on the carpet or flooring beneath the cage. Every time they flap their wings more feathers and empty hulls fall down to the floor. One of the things to look for is a cage that has high sides that help keep that mess in the bottom of the cage.
Even if the cage has a deep tray, you still may find that your bird scatters a lot of seed hulls and feathers on the floor if there is no cage apron. While you can place your cage in a plastic apron base or cover the bottom of the cage with a cloth apron, a built in metal apron is a really nice feature.
Here’s a video on keeping the cage clean:
Feed and Water Cups
Lastly, do not forget to take a look at the cage cups. I highly recommend you get a cage that has outside access to the seed and water cups. That way you do not have to open the cage and reach through to give your bird fresh water and food.
This is especially important for birds you do not want flying lose. If a finch escapes from his cage it is very difficult to catch him and put him back.
If you are buying a cage for a bigger bird, the cups should actually bolt to the cage unless you want to spend every morning and afternoon for the next 50 years reaching for cups that your bird has tossed onto the bottom of the cage.
You will probably want to cover the bird at night to protect it from drafts and to help it get regular hours of sleep. So select a cage that will allow you to easily put a cover over it, whether it’s a towel, a fitted cover, or just any cloth.
Depending on the cage, you might be spending $50 or $500, so you don’t want to get a cage home and after a few months decide it is not the right one for your pet. You can ask the people at the pet shop, ask friends who have a bird similar to what you are going to get, and anyone else who is experienced with birds. You want your pet to be happy.