A bird cage should be seen as a safe enjoyable place for your bird for when you are unable to supervise them. Unfortunately lots of products promoted for birds are not safe or suitable.
Parrots in the wild forage for food, chew and land on a variety of different surfaces. Our pet birds are only a few generations removed from the wild and are not domesticated. A birds environment should mimic how they live in the wild.
Cage:
The cage you choose should be made of safe materials (not rusty for example) and as large as possible keeping withing your species appropriate bar spacing and wire gauge. The less time you have your bird out of the cage the bigger the cage should be however all birds have a minimum cage size. I personally always recommend larger than the minimum as minimum sized cages are only suited for your bird to be able to spread its wing and turn around. Generally good quality cages will be on a stand, have a secure lock and wide sturdy door.
Perches:
Inside your birds cage should be predominantly natural wood perches as they have varying shapes, sizes, twists, bumps and widths. They can make a fun toy if you get perches with bark on them. Natural perches with bark can help blunt your birds nails. If you make your own perches make sure any hardware is made from bird safe metals and the wood you choose is bird safe and thoroughly cleaned. Dowel perches (smooth thin straight perches) that typically come with your cage have no variation and can cause pressure sores, arthritis and an infection called bumble foot.
Bowls:
Your best option for bowls for your bird are stainless steel. It is recommended to have 3 bowls; one for water, one for dry food and one for chop (vegetables).
Toys:
Safe bird toys are essential for your birds mental health. Remember parrots in the wild are chewing and foraging majority of their day so your pet parrots NEED toys that mimic these behaviors to keep them mentally stimulated. Birds who do not have enrichment can develop an array of behavioral problems such as excessive screaming, pacing, plucking and aggression. Foraging and shredding toys are the most important for your bird. Choose materials that your bird loves to destroy and remember a messy bird is a happy bird!
How to put it all together:
- You will want to put your food bowls higher in the cage to avoid them becoming contaminated with poop
- Your bird will be spending most of their time in the top half of your cage so make sure there is lots of variety and texture in the top half perches
- Try not to overlap any perches and place them at different angles and heights to encourage exploration
- I recommend 1 toy by each perch and do not put toys above food bowls
- You will want about 5 to 10 perches in your cage