Beginner Pet Birds
March 15th 2009 13:33
Although, when most people think about getting a bird, they think they should go straight for the gusto and get the biggest, prettiest bird they can find, which usually is a cockatoo, parrot, African grey, or a macaw. But, that doesn't mean that those birds are the best beginner birds to keep as pets, especially as these birds need a lot of care and attention.
There are so many other birds that are overlooked that make much better beginner pet birds, that if you have little experience with birds, those should be the ones you check out. I mean, yea it's great to say that you have an African Grey or an Umbrella Cockatoo, but if you don't have the time to care for them properly, you don't need to have one as a pet. The larger birds are essentially two-year old children and it takes hard work to keep them happy and healthy, not to mention they are very long lived.
With that said, here are a few good beginner pet birds that you should consider. These birds do not require as much care and attention as the larger birds, and they are just as lovely to have as pets.
Finches are fairly small birds that require similar care, although that doesn't mean they should be housed together. The birds require a a cage slightly larger than you would think, but that's only because they should be left in the cage at all times, so the slightly larger cage gives the birds room to fly around. Finches can be very colorful birds, and a variety of species are offered in the pet market. They are a great option for someone looking for a small songbird. It is best to keep finches in pairs or small groups.
Canaries Have similar care as finches, in terms of caging and pairs. The main difference is that canaries are a bit louder and noisier than finches; the good thing is that they are known for their songs, making them a nice option as a songbird. Canaries are very bright and colorful, with the more popular color being yellow, although they can come in a peachy color as well. Canaries are perfectly able to entertain themselves with little human contact.
Budgies (Parakeets) are a very interactive little bird that typically requires minimal maintenance and training, but make great pets for children. Budgies are very social birds that are outgoing, talkative, and fairly inexpensive. The nice thing about budgies is that they are not extremely loud, so you not only get the perk of a small and sociable bird, but you get a fairly quiet bird, as well. You will find that if you have a pair or small group of budgies, they are more social and talkative than if you have just one; the downside is that pairs will typically bond with each other versus with the owner.
Love birds can be very aggressive towards other birds and are capable of killing other birds, so if you opt for these brightly colored birds, you'll want just one. Love birds are fairly hardy birds that do not require a very large cage. They are pretty outgoing and talkative, as well.
Cockatiels are a slightly larger bird than what has been mentioned, yet, but that does not mean that they don't make great beginner bet birds. Cockatiels are probably the perfect pet bird, as they have a gentle nature and are easy to train. You can find cockatiels are relatively affordable prices and a variety of colors and personalities. Cockatiels are outgoing birds, but they don't talk very well. Instead they communicate with whistles.
Conures are a bird that I never would have thought to be a good beginner bird, as they are probably borderline two-year olds. These birds are very popular because of their bright colors, social personalities, and and friendly nature. Conures are very outgoing and easy talkers. They can be pretty loud at times, but they can be easily trained. Conures are a medium sized bird, that at times can have a personality of a finch or canary, but they require much less care than a larger bird.
Quakers are essentially parrots in small packages. They are another common choice for a small bird with a big personality. Quakers, like conures, are probably another borderline bird that requires more care than some beginner bird owners would like; they can require more effort in their care that many novice bird owners what to spend the time. Quakers are very social, smart, and talkative birds. They can be escape artists, outgoing, playful, and bossy at times. Quakers can be fairly messy birds that require a lot of toys, nest materials and a larger cage to keep them busy. Quakers can be very territorial towards other house pets, especially when they get to close to their cage, and at times they can even be territorial to the owner. Before getting a quaker, check with your local pet laws, as they can be marked as illegal pets in some states.
* NOTE: As for the size of the cage, you want to get the biggest cage you can. Even for the smallest bird, you want to get the biggest cage you can afford and the biggest cage that you can fit in your home. Birds, especially medium and large sized birds get bored quickly, and because they spend a good bit of time in their cage, should really be offered as large as possible in order to keep mentally stimulated, but doesn't mean that you shouldn't take your bird out of its cage for one-on-one stimulation, as that is very important for many birds (except finches and canaries, really).
There are so many other birds that are overlooked that make much better beginner pet birds, that if you have little experience with birds, those should be the ones you check out. I mean, yea it's great to say that you have an African Grey or an Umbrella Cockatoo, but if you don't have the time to care for them properly, you don't need to have one as a pet. The larger birds are essentially two-year old children and it takes hard work to keep them happy and healthy, not to mention they are very long lived.
With that said, here are a few good beginner pet birds that you should consider. These birds do not require as much care and attention as the larger birds, and they are just as lovely to have as pets.
Finches are fairly small birds that require similar care, although that doesn't mean they should be housed together. The birds require a a cage slightly larger than you would think, but that's only because they should be left in the cage at all times, so the slightly larger cage gives the birds room to fly around. Finches can be very colorful birds, and a variety of species are offered in the pet market. They are a great option for someone looking for a small songbird. It is best to keep finches in pairs or small groups.
Canaries Have similar care as finches, in terms of caging and pairs. The main difference is that canaries are a bit louder and noisier than finches; the good thing is that they are known for their songs, making them a nice option as a songbird. Canaries are very bright and colorful, with the more popular color being yellow, although they can come in a peachy color as well. Canaries are perfectly able to entertain themselves with little human contact.
Budgies (Parakeets) are a very interactive little bird that typically requires minimal maintenance and training, but make great pets for children. Budgies are very social birds that are outgoing, talkative, and fairly inexpensive. The nice thing about budgies is that they are not extremely loud, so you not only get the perk of a small and sociable bird, but you get a fairly quiet bird, as well. You will find that if you have a pair or small group of budgies, they are more social and talkative than if you have just one; the downside is that pairs will typically bond with each other versus with the owner.
Love birds can be very aggressive towards other birds and are capable of killing other birds, so if you opt for these brightly colored birds, you'll want just one. Love birds are fairly hardy birds that do not require a very large cage. They are pretty outgoing and talkative, as well.
Cockatiels are a slightly larger bird than what has been mentioned, yet, but that does not mean that they don't make great beginner bet birds. Cockatiels are probably the perfect pet bird, as they have a gentle nature and are easy to train. You can find cockatiels are relatively affordable prices and a variety of colors and personalities. Cockatiels are outgoing birds, but they don't talk very well. Instead they communicate with whistles.
Conures are a bird that I never would have thought to be a good beginner bird, as they are probably borderline two-year olds. These birds are very popular because of their bright colors, social personalities, and and friendly nature. Conures are very outgoing and easy talkers. They can be pretty loud at times, but they can be easily trained. Conures are a medium sized bird, that at times can have a personality of a finch or canary, but they require much less care than a larger bird.
Quakers are essentially parrots in small packages. They are another common choice for a small bird with a big personality. Quakers, like conures, are probably another borderline bird that requires more care than some beginner bird owners would like; they can require more effort in their care that many novice bird owners what to spend the time. Quakers are very social, smart, and talkative birds. They can be escape artists, outgoing, playful, and bossy at times. Quakers can be fairly messy birds that require a lot of toys, nest materials and a larger cage to keep them busy. Quakers can be very territorial towards other house pets, especially when they get to close to their cage, and at times they can even be territorial to the owner. Before getting a quaker, check with your local pet laws, as they can be marked as illegal pets in some states.
* NOTE: As for the size of the cage, you want to get the biggest cage you can. Even for the smallest bird, you want to get the biggest cage you can afford and the biggest cage that you can fit in your home. Birds, especially medium and large sized birds get bored quickly, and because they spend a good bit of time in their cage, should really be offered as large as possible in order to keep mentally stimulated, but doesn't mean that you shouldn't take your bird out of its cage for one-on-one stimulation, as that is very important for many birds (except finches and canaries, really).
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