Written by Administrator. Posted in Buying Guides

When choosing a cage, size is a critical factor. The internal living area of the cage needs to be big enough to allow adequate movement and flapping of wings. Bar spacing is a critical consideration, your parrot should not be able to put its head through and get wedged in the space between the bars. Additionally, for the larger bird species the diameter and strength of each bar should be large enough to ensure that the bars can not be bent or broken by your bird.

Bird Species	Recommended Bar Spacing/Bar Diameter	Minimum Internal Width

Finch, Canary	1/4" - 1/2"	18"
Parakeet, Parrotlet, Lovebird	1/2"	20"
Alexandrine, Cockatiel, Conure, Caique, Quaker, Pionus, Senegal	5/8" - 3/4" (3mm)	24"
African Grey, Amazon, Eclectus, Small Cockatoo, Mini Macaw	3/4" - 1" (4mm)	32"
Large Cockatoo, Large Macaw	1" - 1 1/4" (5mm)	36"

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Perch Material Comparison

Written by Administrator. Posted in Buying Guides

perch materials

Perch Type	Advantages	Considerations

Natural Wood	Built in grip variety, birds love to strip bark, provides chewing outlet.	Make sure wood is pesticide/insecticide free and is a safe, non-toxic wood for birds.
Rope	Soft, comfortable and irregular gripping surface.	Maintenance or replacement required if excessive fraying occurs.
Conditioning	Reduces frequency of beak and nail grooming.	Can irritate feet if alternate perch surfaces unavailable.
PVC/Acrylic	Durable and easy to clean.	Often too uniform in size, slippery if not textured.
Leather	Soft, comfortable grip. Provides chewing outlet.	Difficult to clean.
Milled Wood Dowel	Inexpensive	Size uniformity and smoothness doesn't exercise feet. Not recommended if additional perch alternatives not provided
Rubber/Latex	Soft, good traction, colorful.	Destructible by large beaks.

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Perch Size - One Size Doesn't Fit All

Written by Administrator. Posted in Buying Guides

bird perches When choosing a perch, size is a critical factor. Incorrectly sized perches can be a source of pain and discomfort in a bird's legs and feet.

Good foot health is promoted by having multiple perches of varying diameters available with your bird's cage. The generally accepted rule of thumb is that your bird's feet should wrap between 2/3 and 3/4 around the perch.

Diameter Range	Appropriate for:

3/8" - 7/8"	Finch, Canary
1/2" - 1"	Parrotlet, Lovebird, Parakeet, Cockatiel
3/4" - 1 1/4"	Conure, Caique, Meyers, Quaker, Pionus, Senegal, Timneh Grey
1" - 2"	Eclectus, Congo African Grey, Small Cockatoo, Small Macaw, Amazon
2" - 3 1/2"	Large Cockatoo, Large Macaw