Choosing a Pet Bird

Many birds were once brought from foreign countries. Today, it is illegal to bring birds from many countries. Taking wild birds out of their natural habitat can make them become endangered. You should buy only birds that are bred and raised here in the United States.Some types of finches also make good pets. Many people keep chirpy zebra finches as pets.


They are very small birds with orange feet and bright red beaks.Zebra finches should be kept in pairs so that they won’t get lonely.Canaries are another popular pet. The male canary has a lovely singing voice. Although canaries come in many colors,the most common canary color is bright yellow. Unlike zebra finches, canaries like to live alone.Before you bring your pet bird home,you need to have a place for it to live. You need to get a cage. The cage should be large enough so that the bird can hold on to the bars and easily flap its wings. Cages with a rectangular shape are best. The bars should be spaced so that the bird can’t poke its head between them.

Your bird should have several different perches in its cage. This will allow the bird to stretch and change positions on perches of different sizes and shapes.Remember, your bird will stand on its perches twenty-four hours a day.For your bird’s comfort, be sure that the perch is neither too narrow nor too wide. The perch is the right size if your bird’s toes just barely go around it. The perch should be made from edible wood so that your bird can chew on it. Some birds need to chew on things so that the upper parts of their beaks do not grow too long.Your bird also needs toys. Playing with toys gives birds exercise, as well as something to chew on.


Many birds like bells, mirrors, light balls, rings, and swings. All bird toys should be safe to chew on. Your bird’s toys should hang from chains, not from string. String can get tangled around your bird’s feet or neck.