Care guide

Caring for a pet bird

Birds are social, intelligent and long-lived. Before you bring one home, make sure you can offer daily company, a safe home, a varied diet and care from an avian vet for many years.

A long commitment

Many small parrots live 15 to 30 years, and finches and canaries often 5 to 15. Think about where your bird will live if you move, travel or your family changes.

Birds are flock animals. Most do best with daily time and attention from people, a companion of their own kind, or both.

Diet

Most pet birds do well on a quality pelleted or seed-based diet made for their species, with fresh vegetables and leafy greens every day and fruit in small amounts. Clean water should always be available.

Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or very salty or sugary foods. They can make birds seriously ill.

Change food gradually. Ask the seller what your bird eats now, and keep feeding that at first.

Housing and safety

Choose the largest cage you can, with bar spacing suited to the species, several perches of different thicknesses, and room to stretch and flap. Daily time out of the cage in a bird-safe room matters too.

Fumes from non-stick (PTFE) cookware heated too hot, aerosols, scented candles and smoke can kill birds quickly. Keep birds out of the kitchen and away from these.

Keep other pets, open water, ceiling fans and open doors or windows in mind whenever your bird is out.

Company and enrichment

Offer toys to chew, shred and forage, and rotate them so they stay interesting. Most birds need 10 to 12 hours of quiet, dark sleep each night.

Signs of boredom or stress include feather plucking, constant screaming and repetitive pacing. Talk to an avian vet if you notice them.

Vet care

Find an avian vet before you bring your bird home, and book a check-up in the first few weeks. Birds hide illness, so a fluffed-up bird that sleeps a lot, eats less, or has changed droppings needs a vet promptly.

Ask the seller for any health records, such as disease test results, and bring them to the first visit.

Ongoing costs

Plan for food, toys that will be destroyed and replaced, cage cleaning supplies, an annual vet visit, and an emergency fund. Vet care for birds can cost more than for cats and dogs because it's specialized.