Budgerigars, cockatiels, canaries and finches suit most households; large parrots live for decades and need hours of attention a day. Nearly all pet birds need company and daily flight outside the cage.
Fumes from non-stick pans and aerosols can kill birds, and a seed-only diet is a common cause of illness.
Pet birds range from finches that live contentedly in a small flock to large parrots that are as demanding as a toddler and may outlive their owners. The species decides almost everything about the commitment, so it is the first choice to make.
Almost all pet birds are flock animals. Small species are best kept in pairs or groups; a single bird depends entirely on people for company.
The cage is as large as the room allows, and wider than it is tall, because birds fly horizontally. At the least, the bird must be able to stretch and flap both wings fully and fly between perches. Bar spacing has to be narrow enough that the head cannot pass through.
Birds need time out of the cage every day to fly in a safe room: windows and doors shut and covered at first, fires guarded, other pets excluded, and toilet lids, pans and vases of water covered.
Birds have extremely sensitive lungs. Fumes from overheated non-stick cookware can kill a bird in minutes, and aerosol sprays, scented candles, plug-in air fresheners, cigarette smoke and oven-cleaning fumes are all dangerous. Avocado, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine and salty foods are poisonous to them, and lead and zinc from old paint, curtain weights and poorly made metal toys cause poisoning when chewed.
A diet of seed alone is too fatty and lacks vitamins and calcium, and is a leading cause of illness in pet parrots and budgerigars. Most species do better on a formulated pellet as the base, with fresh vegetables and leafy greens daily, some fruit, and seed as a smaller part or as treats. Finches and canaries eat more seed but still need greens. Cuttlefish bone supplies calcium, and clean water is given every day. Any change of diet is made gradually.
Birds hide illness until it is advanced. Fluffed-up feathers, sitting low on the perch or on the floor, tail bobbing with each breath, a change in droppings, discharge from the eyes or nostrils and loss of appetite all call for a prompt appointment with a vet experienced in birds; not every practice has one, and it is worth finding one before buying.
Psittacosis, a bacterial infection carried by parrots and related birds, can pass to people and cause a flu-like illness or pneumonia. Hands are washed after handling birds and cleaning cages, and a doctor is told about contact with birds if such symptoms develop.
Since 1 October 2024, people who keep birds in England and Wales have been required to register them with the government, as part of measures against avian influenza, and Scotland has its own register. Caged pet birds such as budgerigars, canaries and parrots that live entirely inside the home are exempt; birds with access to the open air, for example in a garden aviary, are not.
Some parrot species are protected by international trade rules, and the seller of such a bird must hold a certificate for it. Buying captive-bred birds from a reputable breeder, or adopting from a parrot rescue, avoids supporting the illegal trade in wild-caught birds.
Birds scatter seed husks, feathers and dust, and many are noisy at dawn and dusk. Neighbours, allergies, holidays and, for parrots, who will take the bird on in later decades all need thinking through first.