Types of Pet Birds

Always remember when choosing a pet  bird it is extremely important to pick a species that is right for you and your life style. A species that is perfect for one person might be highly unsuitable for another. Also keep in mind that birds change and develop their personality as they mature, just like us humans. Each bird is a unique individual with its own personality and temperament, but knowing which species you purchase will at least give you some clues at what to expect from your bird. Certain species are probably more suitable for you than others. Also keep in mind that hand-fed or at least captive bred specimens tend to be more tame than animals captured from the wild. The expected life span of a bird is another important factor to consider when choosing a pet bird. Some bird species only live for a few years even under the best of circumstances, but many can live for 25-30 years and quite a lot of species grow even older. The average life span of the African Grey Parrot is for instance 50-65 years with occasional specimens reaching an age of 80+ years.



The most common finches kept as pets are Zebra finches ,Society finches, and Spice finches. The most colorful finches are the  Gouldian finches and Parrot finches.As members of the genus Poephilia, finches range across nearly every corner of the globe. They live on all the continents, ranging as far north as the Arctic in Canada. Their size varies from a couple of inches to over a foot long, when you count the tails of some exotic species. As for coloring, a quick glance in your own backyard will show you the variety of finches. From browns and blacks to brilliant blues, yellows, and oranges, finches can put a rainbow to shame.Finches are known to having strong and stubby beaks; an adaptation to a diet consisting chiefly of hard seeds.  Care & Feeding: Zebra finches come from the arid interior of Australia where they live in the open grasslands. When possible, a pot of organic grass can be kept in their cage. Like all birds, they like an attractive environment, and bird-safe plants can be placed near their cage for a more natural environment. Zebra finches are usually crazy about canary tassel toys. Zebra finches need finch seed as a base diet supplemented ,greens and spray millet. Grit is unnecessary, but cuttlebone should always be available. A well cared for zebra finch can be expected to live 7 to 10 years or more.


Many people know them as “parakeets,” but their real name is “budgerigar”.They come in a variety of all colors.They are very active, playful birds, and they are incredibly intelligent. It’s important to keep in mind that if you have  only one budgie, it’s imperative that you socialize with him or her every day. Budgies, as with all parrots, are flock birds, and it is important to their mental health to have interaction with others.Budgies are notoriously fed a seed-only diet; however these birds can have hearty appetites and should be offered plenty of fresh vegetables, budgie-size pellets. A good trick to get your budgie to eat its veggies is to offer them in chunks pushed through its cage bars. These little birds like to gnaw on baby carrots and a whole broccoli floret.Their life span can be 7-15 yrs.


 The most commonly kept Canary birds are the American Singer, the Border Fancy, and the Red Factor. The American Singer is a song Canary (well known for singing), the Border Fancy is a type Canary (a popular type), and the Red Factor is a color Canary (well known for color–the more red, the more valuable).Today, there are tree main types of domestic canary: song canaries, colorbred canaries, and type canaries (type canaries are bred for their shape).“Their behavior is active, jaunty, alert, happy, The health concerns are where do you place their cage, it should NOT be in front of a window, at least 3 feet away with indirect sun light, due to drafts which is the biggest killer of our little friends. Also Teflon, cooking in small quarters with no ventilation using frying pans made with Teflon can be fatal to canaries, for caution there should be enough ventilation. A good quality seed mixture suitable for canaries can be the mainstay of their diet.Fresh foods and greens should also be offered.Their life span can be 7-10 yrs.


As the U.S.’s favorite bird, the cockatiel’s talent lies in its whistle.Cockatiels can also be the perfect cuddle bug, often preferring to perch on their favorite person’s shoulder, and play with their hair or nibble on their jewelry. Female cockatiels have a reputation for being particularly friendly and easy going. Of course, for your cockatiel to want to spend time with you, you’re going to have to earn and maintain its trust.Cockatiel lifespans in captivity are generally given as 15-20 years.Cockatiels are generally better at imitating whistles than speech. Some do learn to repeat phrases, and the males are generally better at mimicry than the females. Cockatiels can mimic many sounds, for example the bleep of a car alarm, a ringing telephone.However, with both seeds and pellets a wide variety of other foods should complement the diet. A variety of fresh vegetables and fruit should be offered.Color variations include grey, albino, lutino, pied, pearl, cinnamon,whiteface and silver.



Playful, fun-loving, bold and inquisitive are all traits that describe a conure, but one word is true for them all: loud! Native to South America, conures come in all shapes and sizes, and depending on the conure, they range from an average of 9 to 21 inches long and have a life span of 20 to 30 years.Conures have very busy beaks and will make sure any toy knots are undone by the day’s end. A well-socialized conure looks forward to spending time with the family. They can be very cuddly, and don’t be surprised if yours climbs in your shirt, poking its head out of the collar! Conures are also very rhythmic birds, and will typically sway back and forth.They like a very varied diet and should be provided with foods and seeds that give a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Colored pellets that come in different shapes are preferred over plain ones.Fresh  Fruits and vegetables should always be a part of a Conure’s diet. 



African greys are often referred to as the “thinking man’s” bird. These birds are known for their intelligence and their ability to show empathy. African greys typically favor toys that challenge them, such as puzzle toys, foraging toys and interactive toys, such as rattles. Go slow with introducing new toys, however, because African greys can be timid when new items are first introduced.These birds are not only one of the best talking parrots, they are also one of the best sound mimics.There are two types of African greys: the timneh grey, which is a darker shade of gray, with maroon-colored tail feathers; and the Congo African grey, which is larger and lighter colored. The Congo African grey has a red-colored tail. African Greys tend to be one-person birds, so it is important to socialize them with more people on a regular basis. Greys need plenty of interaction and things to do. Many become feather pluckers simply out of boredom. It is not uncommon for an African Grey to not utter a word until they are approximately one to two years. A varied seed diet with nuts,dried fruit and vegetables is the most common for parrots also have fresh fruits and vegetables available for them.


Cockatoo’s make exceptional companion birds, if their needs and requirements are adaquately met.  They are affectionate, funny, comical, mischievious and generally easy to get along with.  Their requirements, however, are rather complex and many.Cockatoos, can be quite vocal.Companion cockatoos come in two sizes: large cockatoos and small cockatoos. Large cockatoos are noticeably bigger, and include the umbrella, Moluccan, greater sulphur crest and triton. Smaller cockatoos include the bare eye, slender bill, Goffin’s, rose breast, lesser sulphur crest and citron. With proper care, cockatoos can be expected to live from about 40 years (smaller species) to 80 years or more (larger species).A varied seed diet with nuts,dried fruit and vegetables is the most common for parrots also have fresh fruits and vegetables available for them.


Macaws are often described as people’s “dream bird;” The macaw’s larger size means a louder vocal volume, and its large beak can be downright intimidating, especially to nonbird people.  A well-socialized macaw can be affectionate, yet ready to rumble if in a playful mood. You’ll get satisfaction in knowing that the toys you buy for your macaw will not be ignored, especially those incorporating wood elements. Blue & gold, scarlet, green wing, military and hyacinth, to a lesser degree, are the macaw species you’re most likely to encounter as pets, and all are native to South America. These birds are very intelligent and can learn to talk and learn tricks very easily.Be sure to have lots of toys, they love to chew!. Macaws are often mistakenly thought to live up to 75 years or more, but this is incorrect. The actual lifespan of a Large Macaw and Hybrid Macaws is between 35 – 60 years.A seed only diet offers much more variety but requires additional vitamin and calcium supplements. Macaws need not only nutritional requirements met but also variety for psychological enrichment.A Macaw diet consisting of a good parrot mix which includes formulated foods, a variety of seeds, dried fruits, and nuts is generally regarded as a suitable base to provide nutrition and variety. Along with this, provide a daily supplement of fresh fruits and vegetables.


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