In our experience, we find that many people who are considering adding a “feathered friend” to their family have many of the same questions e.g.:
- What do they eat?
- How long will they live?
- How big will they get?
- What size should the cage be?
- etc.
Please keep in mind that all the information below refers to species that “Feathered Friends” hand feeds. If it isn’t listed below then we have not deal with that species yet.
| COCKATIELS | |
|---|---|
| Life Expectancy | 12 - 15 years average. In ideal conditions up to 20+ years. Age of Maturity 7 months to a year. |
| Diet | Pellets, seed, fresh fruits and veggies daily. (Go HERE for a list of good and bad foods) |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | Minimum size 24’’x24’’x24’’ This is very small for a cockatiel. They must be able to freely flap their wings without obstructions. As a rule of thumb always buy the largest cage you are able to afford. Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2’’ to 3/4’’ and there should be vertical as well as horizontal bars on the cage to allow the bird to climb. |
| Adult Size | About 12’’ long from beak to the tip of the tail. |
| Disposition | Cockatiels are friendly and cheerful birds and will demand attention from you. Lack of attention could cause depression and other health issues including feather picking. |
| Social Norms | They are extremely social birds. They need to be where the action is. Because of the need for social interaction the bird should be out of the cage no less then 1 to 2 hours a day. This could be just sitting on an external perch or on your shoulder. They love to play with small toys and enjoy being cuddled. The males can whistle and often can be taught to whistle songs and say a few phrases. The females can talk to a lesser degree and are generally not as vocal. |
| CONURES | |
| Life Expectancy | Life Span 10-35 years - Age of Maturity 1-3 years |
| Diet | Foods available for Conures include formulated diets, either pelleted or extruded, seed only diets, and small parrot mixes which offer a mixture of both. There are pros and cons to feeding only a formulated diet as well as feeding only a seed diet. A formulated diet provides a good nutritional base so does not require the addition of vitamins, however it does not contain the phytonutrients (antioxidant pigments) that are found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and seeds. Phytonutrients are believed to boost the immune system, help a body to heal itself, and to prevent some diseases. (Go HERE for a list of good and bad foods) |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | For a small size conure, a minimum of 24"x16"x20" (60 x 40 x 50 cm), and for the larger species, a minimum of 44"x26"x40" (120 x 65 x 100 cm). This will provide room for both horizontal exercise and vertical climbing. As a rule of thumb always buy the largest cage you are able to afford. Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2’’ to 3/4’’ and there should be vertical as well as horizontal bars on the cage to allow the bird to climb. |
| Adult Size | They are small to medium size parrots, ranging from the largest Patagonian conure that gets up to about 19 inches down to the painted variety that is about 9 inches. |
| Disposition | Conures are very friendly, peaceful birds. They live in flocks in the wild, and very seldom fight each other. It is this disposition that makes many of them very atractive to bird owners. |
| Social Norms | Conures need a great deal of exercise, and all conures are chewers. They must have distractions to keep them from becoming bored and lonely. Gnawing and climbing are great activities for this. They will generally chew up anything wooden! Natural perches and fresh twigs from willow, elder, poplar, and hawthorn work well. The larger breed of conure can be quite loud at times therefore an apartment would not be recommended (unless you have accepting neighbours). |
| BUDGIES (Budgerigars, Parakeets) | |
| Life Expectancy | 5 - 10 years generally. 10 - 20 years in ideal situations. |
| Diet | Budgies, like small children, are notoriously resistant to a change in their diet. However, they must eat a varied menu as youngsters to avoid becoming fixated on seed. Seed provides only about one-half of the nutrients that budgies need daily. The Association of Avian Veterinarians recommends that fresh seed, along with other grains and legumes (bread, cereal, peas, beans, rice and corn), make up no more than 50% of the budgie's diet. The next 45% should consist mostly of dark green, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (grated carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe and carrot and dandelion greens, Spinach, Chickweed, and even broccoli which provides nutrients as well as beak activity). The remaining 5% of the budgie diet should consist of meat or meat substitutes, eggs and dairy products. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | Minimum size 18"x18"x24" This is very small for a budgie. They must be able to freely flap their wings without obstructions. As a rule of thumb always buy the largest cage you are able to afford. Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2’’ and there should be vertical as well as horizontal bars on the cage to allow the bird to climb. Obviously it you have more than 1 budgie you will want a significantly larger cage. |
| Adult Size | 6” - 8” long |
| Disposition | Budgies are nothing short of fun loving gregarious little birds who will keep you entertained for hours with their acrobatic play. They typically are not much into being touched or handled by people. Most are just not cuddly at all. They may be small, but there is also great talking potential in every little Budgie. Some of these very talented talkers have been known to rival African Greys in the size of their vocabularies. Just remember these little birds will have a much smaller voice than the larger parrots, but they can be quite clear and distinct in their pronunciations. |
| Social Norms | In the noise department budgies have a pleasant singing voice and normally are pleasant to listen to. But, they will also compete for sound space...if you turn up the stereo or TV your budgie will also turn up the volume of there song. They make great pets for people in apartments. |
| PARROTLETS | |
| Life Expectancy | They have an average life span of 15 - 20 years |
| Diet |
Parrotlets need seed in their diets. The extra fat and energy provided is essential to their high-energy nature. A good small hookbill mix should be available at all times, and daily soft foods are essential -- cooked grains, chopped veggies, leafy greens, sprouted grains, whole-grain breads, fruits, etc. are all highly recommended. Spray millet is a favourite, and provides essential vitamins and protein. New birds should always have spray millet available while settling in to new surroundings, as it is the one thing they are sure to eat, even when nervous. Pellets are NOT recommended in Parrotlets diets; levels of calcium are higher than necessary for small birds, and this combined with their lack of moisture causes stress on the kidneys which can lead to long-term damage. Cuttlebone and mineral blocks should be provided, but grit is not needed and may cause crop impaction if fed. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | Minimum size 18"x18"x24" This is rather small for a parrotlet. They must be able to freely flap their wings without obstructions. As a rule of thumb always buy the largest cage you are able to afford. Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2’’ and there should be vertical as well as horizontal bars on the cage to allow the bird to climb. Obviously it you have more than 1 bird you will want a significantly larger cage. |
| Adult Size | Parrotlets are one of the smallest known Parrots. Pacific Parrotlets grow to an average size of 4 - 5 inches in length. |
| Disposition | Both male and female parrotlets can learn to talk, although their voices are squeaky and robot-like and may be difficult to understand. They are busy and energetic little creatures who love interacting with their humans, snuggling under hair, and being scritched. They can be pocket-trained, making them fun companions even outside the home. Two parrotlets housed together will quickly bond with each other and lose their pet quality, so separate housing for each individual is recommended, although supervised play time together is fine. |
| Social Norms | They do not scream like larger parrots, and a medium-loud chirping chatter is the most noise they will make, which makes them ideal apartment pets. |
| LOVEBIRDS | |
| Life Expectancy | Up to 15 years or more. |
| Diet | Lovebirds should be fed a variety of foods. A good pelleted diet can form the basis of the diet, supplemented by a variety of fresh foods including and some seeds (seeds should make up less than 25 percent of the total diet). A cuttlebone can be provided for extra calcium. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | As a bare minimum, I would recommend a cage at least 24 x 24 24, but a larger cage is definitely better (with the length being relatively more important than the height). Bars should be no more than 1/2 to 5/8 inches apart, and should be oriented horizontally to allow the birds climb the sides of the cage. Avoid round cages. Provide a variety of perch sizes (including natural branches if possible) as this is healthier for a caged bird's feet. |
| Adult Size | Lovebirds are small, compact parrots about 5-6 inches in length. |
| Disposition | Very active, curious, and playful, lovebirds pack a lot of personality into a small package. They are also feisty little birds. They are very social and form deep bonds with their owners and are sometimes very cuddly birds, but their intense personalities can also make them prone to nipping and territorial aggressiveness and jealousy. Hand-raised babies make the best pets. Some experts believe that females are more prone to jealousy and territoriality than males. |
| Social Norms |
A common myth about keeping lovebirds is that they should always be kept in pairs. If you have more than one lovebird they may become more deeply bonded to each other that to you. A single lovebird will do well, as long as it gets the social interaction, contact, affection, and attention that it needs from its human family members. If you are short on time to spend with your lovebird, then it is best to get him or her a companion. While not as loud as some larger parrots, lovebirds can produce a loud high pitched screech, especially if looking for your attention. Their normal chirps and squawks are not overly loud, but they do like to chatter. As a general rule, they are not known for their ability to mimic speech or sounds, although there are exceptions. Some say females are more apt to mimic sounds or speech than males. |
| LINEOLATED PARAKEETS | |
| Life Expectancy | Their life expectancy is 15-20 years. |
| Diet | As with most pet birds they should have fruits and vegetables, some of the favorites are apples, pears, papaya, corn on the cob, peas, beans and broccoli. They also eat a premium parakeet and cockatiel seed mixture, sprouted seeds, cooked bird bread, millet and cuttle bone. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | 18"x24"x18" minimum with bar spacing of no more than 1/2”. They must be able to freely flap their wings without obstructions. As a rule of thumb always buy the largest cage you are able to afford. Bar spacing should be no more than 1/2’’ and there should be vertical as well as horizontal bars on the cage to allow the bird to climb. |
| Adult Size | The adults will get up to 6 - 7 inches long making them a “small” bird. |
| Disposition | Linnies are birds with a quiet, gentle, calm personality and large soulful eyes. They are active and love to run, hop and climb. They can mimic and some have been known to talk. These parrots often use their feet to hold food or play with toys. A single Linnie kept as a pet will enjoy spending a lot of time with his flock of people! |
| Social Norms | Linnies have a pleasant voice and are suitable for apartments. They have a chattering call and usually vocalize in the morning and evening. They are usually quiet between these times. Their call can become louder if frightened by something unfamiliar. |
| QUAKER PARROTS | |
| Life Expectancy | Quaker Parakeets live from 20 to 25 years. |
| Diet | A base diet of pellets is ideal; there's various brands to choose from (Kaytee Exact, Pretty Bird, Roudybush, Harrison's, and Zupreem just to name a few), but it doesn't really matter, and young Quakers are not usually picky. Quakers will eat either a cockatiel sized pellet or a larger parrot sized pellet; some birds prefer one over the other. Besides pellets, a wide variety of other foods should be offered; fruits, vegetables, breads and grains, and some seeds as well, although seeds should not form a large part of the diet. The more variety in the diet, the better; it's easier to say what not to feed than to try to include everything that should be fed. Never feed chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or avocado, all of which are toxic to birds. Some things can be fed, red meat, and dairy products (like cheese) but never milk. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | Quakers require relatively large cages, the larger the better of course. Preferably at least 24" x 24" x 24". Look for a sturdy, easy-to-clean cage that you have every reason to believe will last your bird's entire lifetime; be prepared to spend some money. Quakers have a tendency to be territorial and nippy around "their" space, and this is usually their cage. To prevent this, try providing a "bedroom" area within the cage; a Happy Hut, sleeping box or similar product is ideal. The idea is to allow the bird to have their space to be territorial around, but not have that space be the entire cage. Quakers usually love toys, however many are not as rowdy and acrobatic with their toys as conures are - there are exceptions to this. Get your Quaker used to a variety of toys at a young age, or they're liable to be afraid of them later in life. A good playstand or playgym type thing equipped with food dishes and toy hooks is a wonderful thing; it's just someplace to keep your bird when he's not in his cage and you don't want him right on you, as well as additional space to explore and play in. |
| Adult Size | They are about 11" tall |
| Disposition | Quakers have a kind of self-assured, "loud" personality. They're the kind of bird that will always let you know what they're thinking. They aren't quite as playful and cuddly as the conures, or quite as gentle and sweet as the Poicephalus (Senegals, Meyers etc.) but they have all of those characteristics in one package, along with the talking ability and the "I know what I want" attitude of a miniature Amazon. Quakers can be stubborn, and rather exasperating birds. They're extremely smart in a clever sort of way, and have a definite sense of humor. They can be nippy and downright mean if they're not properly socialized and/or have decided they don't want people near "their" space or talking/touching/looking at "their" human(s). They have definite opinions on all subjects and will willingly let you know what they think, whether you care to hear or not. At the same time, Quakers are exceptionally loyal birds and love their "chosen" with all their heart; they are big sweethearts and always want to be near you, loving you, cuddling you (well, except when they're not in the mood...). They're adventuresome but always ready to run back to mommy should things take a scary turn. They're bullies with birds smaller than themselves but usually scared of or perfectly accepting of birds their size or larger. Properly socialized, Quakers get along with a variety of people, and make good kids' pets (with lots of supervision); not properly socialized, they may hate everyone but "their" person. In the end, everything said here is a generalization and each Quaker has his/her own personality, but it's a good generalization. |
| Social Norms | Quakers can be very noisy birds. The noisiest Quakers, still don't reach the volume and "screechiness" of a Sun or Nanday conure. They can, however, be very loud. Quakers love noise; that's what makes them good talkers. But not all of their noise is talking, and they will make a variety of louder noises, some of which can be quite annoying. If you or your close neighbors are very noise-sensitive, a Quaker may not be for you. However, most Quakers are not as loud as they *can* be. A single pet Quaker will be much quieter than a pair of Quakers, because a single pet Quaker will talk back and forth with you, whereas a pair will YELL back and forth to each other. Quakers are probably the best talkers among the mid-sized birds, although there's a few others that come close, including Indian Ringnecks and certain individual conures. But, there's few birds that can be counted on to talk like a Quaker; it's very rare to hear of a Quaker that doesn't speak at least one or two words. Some become very good, and most will say their words in context ("hi" when you come in, "good night" when you cover the cage etc.), just so long as that's the way it was taught to them. |
| COCKATOOS (Umbrella and Goffin) | |
| Life Expectancy | 75 - 90 years. |
| Diet | A Cockatoos' diet consisting of a basic large hookbill seed mix with supplements of sprouted seeds and all sorts of fruits and vegetables is generally regarded as suitable. Some examples of supplements are apples, pears, plums, raisons, oranges, bananas, peaches, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, chickweed, dandelions, and lots more! Do not feed avocado as it is toxic to birds! Occasional proteins can be offered such as cottage cheese, bits of cheese, hardboiled eggs, canned dog food, and cooked meat bones. Stay away from highly seasoned, fatty processed meats. Vitamins and minerals should not be necessary with a good varied diet except in times of change or stress. If your cockatoo has a tendency to destroy calcium blocks, as an alternative, calcium can be sprinkled on their food about once a week. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | Your cockatoo is very social and inquisitive, so the room you house your pet in must be a room that gets visited frequently by the family. Place the cage at eye level in a quiet sunny area away from drafts. A minimum size cage to house a small cockatoo in is 36"x36"x42". A larger cage for larger cockatoos must be considered. Horizontal bars are important as your cockatoo needs to climb. Keep in mind that because of the strength of their beaks, cockatoos are able to bend bars and pop the joints on cages. For additional security on the cage door, a snap lock is recommended. A suitable indoor aviary should be 39"x39"x78". Perches should be 1" (26-30 mm) for a small cockatoo and 1 1/2" to 2" (35-45 mm) for a larger cockatoo. Branches from fruit trees are excellent and provide varying widths for foot exercises as well as roughness for beak and nail trimming. Food and water dishes need to be ceramic or stainless steel. An outdoor or breeding aviary needs to have a protected shelter that can be heated and cooled where necessary and have a sand floor. An attached flight cage should be 78"x117"x78" for small cockatoos, and of course bigger for larger cockatoos. One third of the flight cage should be covered. Equip the flight cage with a perch at each end. A climbing branch and a bird bath are nice additions too. |
| Adult Size | Depending on species from 12 - 30 inches long |
| Disposition |
Exercise and play are important activities for the physical well being and psychological health of all cockatoos. They are extraordinarily playful and will play all day long with only short breaks for rest. Getting out of the cage onto a playpen with lots of climbing branches is also very important for the emotional well being of your pet. These activities help deter distress and prevent the problems of screeching and feather picking. Provide your parrot with lots of activities in the form of large link chains, bird ladders, parrot swings, ropes, fresh branches for gnawing and chewing, and rotate new bird toys on a regular basis. When a new toy is introduced, your cockatoo will approach it warily.The bird will examine with caution and observe it from all sides. Once it has done this, it will accept and play with it for hours. Cockatoos that have flight feathers will fly if out of their cage. If you have a flight aviary, your cockatoo will love to fly between perches widely spaced apart. A cockatoo that is clipped cannot fly so it cannot use a flight aviary. It will take about a year for it's feathers to grow back. |
| Social Norms |
Many Cockatoos end up in bird rescues because the owners cannot handle the responsibility of a cockatoo. PLEASE do tons of research before choosing a cockatoo!! The cockatoo is highly intelligent and their ability to repeat some words or sounds can be accomplished with repeated training, but this is not the cockatoo's strength. Their outstanding ability comes from being great performers! This is demonstrated by such antics as dancing, playing tug-of-war, climbing, and shaking. They will use "tools", various objects and toys to play and perform with, such as roller skating. They are very inventive and if toys are not provided they will use what is at hand, often that takes the form of their food dishes and perches. |
| ROSEY BOURKE’S PARAKEET | |
| Life Expectancy | 10 - 15 years average. |
| Diet | Bourke's need to be fed a varied diet that may should consist of pellets, a high-quality seed mix, and fresh dark leafy greens, corn, carrots, and other green, orange, and yellow veggies, and grains such as quinoa and brown rice. Fruit is a nice treat but is not necessary. |
| Cage Size (1 bird) | Bourke's Parakeets should have a fairly large cage, lengthwise, to allow space for flying. A cage 24x24x30 inches high should be sufficient, though a larger cage would always be appreciated. If you should decide to get a larger cage, length is more important than height. The cage must have a bar spacing of no more than half an inch and have horizontal bars as well as vertical. |
| Adult Size | They are relatively small, measuring approximately 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) in length, though females tend to be smaller than males. |
| Disposition | Bourke's Parakeets are relatively hardy birds and are an excellent choice for beginning breeders. The Bourke's Parakeet has a gentle disposition and does well in aviaries with other bird species such as cockatiels and finches. These parakeets are usually most active at dawn and dusk and their sweet voices are usually heard then. If they are kept in an aviary, these are the times they usually fly. During other parts of the day they remain relatively sedentary. When compared to some other parrot breeds, the Bourke's is relatively non-destructive and can be housed in a planted aviary. If you decide to keep one as an indoor pet, a handfed individual is recommended. |
| Social Norms | As pets they are reported to be affectionate and relatively quiet, making them quite suitable to apartment living. Their calls are typically only heard when they fly in the wild, and are often described as a melodic soft tinkling. They may also give a sharp high-pitched alarm call if they are startled, and some may twitter cutely when they eat. The Bourke's Parakeet is not as active as many birds, and to some this may be a drawback, but if you are looking for a fairly inactive parrot with a sweet and gentle disposition this may be the perfect bird for you.The Bourke's Parakeet is quite distinct in that its primary plumage is not green. Instead they range from grey to a beautiful sunset pink. It is the only member of its genus (Neophema) that lacks green primary plumage. |
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