Size Does Matter... Cage Size That Is
Hello! It's Melanie Canatella with Fluff and Feathers! It's the end of the warm season in Maryland, and I am doing all the chores related to it. I am in desperate need of some interns to come and help me with training, cleaning, and enrichment making to help last us through the winter. If you know of an animal lover who is in/around the Maryland area, have them check out my internship opportunity.
This week I wanted to talk about parrot cage size. This is a topic I talk a lot to clients about, and people who inquire about the aviaries I have for my parrots. The current parrot cages sold on the market are not suited for our parrots. You'll see cages marketed as a "conure" cage, or an "amazon" cage. Sometimes it's by size like a small, medium, or large parrot. Pet stores, rescues, and people on the internet alike will recommend these cages and sizes when they are not species appropriate.
With the increase in education and understanding of how to make parrots thrive in our care, the minimum cage size requirements have significantly changed. Back in the day, I even put my own birds in those small Petco cages, fed them an all seed and peanut diet, and even clipped their wings. As I grew in understanding avian needs, and as the community as a whole improved the quality of care we give our birds, we modified the care we provide to they can succeed in our care. Look at where I am now!
When I talk to clients about cage size, I always recommend this general rule to determine the minimum size of cage for the species you have. This unfortunately does not take into consideration species-specific requirements in dimensions, but it is a good and easy place to start.
Fluff and Feather's Minimum Cage Size Requirements
Length: double your birds wings span
Width: your bird's wing span
Height: Double your bird's height including tail
I love to use a macaw as the example for this because a lot of people would love or have a macaw, and utilizing this large species really puts things into perspective. A macaws cage following this chart should be 8ft in length, 4ft deep, and about 5ft high unless you have a scarlet or a hyacinth as their tails are longer. My aviaries are 5ft squares and 6ft high which is not reasonable for my macaw, but it is the best I can do for now. When I went to big name parrot cage websites, the largest cage one company sold marketed for hyacinth macaws (it said it on the website) is 5ft by 3ft by 5.8ft high. Another company with the same species listed for their biggest cage (though this site called them "breeds" which parrots do not have) was 4ft by 3ft by 6ft high. I'm leaving cage company names out of it, but these are the two biggest and main retailors of cages. Cage companies do not set your bird up for success by not offering larger cage options.
My cage sizing is not unreasonable! Below is a sizing chart the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) recommends. This was taken from their website.
Photo from AAV!
Cage size is not really just some template of "I have this species so this is the cage I get." Rather, you need to find a cage for the individual in front of you while meeting the minimum cage requirements. My macaw Merlin is not very active due to old age and arthritis. Having that slightly smaller aviary works for him as an individual, though eventually he is getting an upgrade. If you have a higher energy bird, you must go above the minimum for your species to provide ample room for movement!
On the other hand, if your bird is older or special needs, then you may not be able to meet the minimum requirement for their species. Take my 60 plus year old red lored amazon Rukkas. She is in a very small cage that is not as high because she falls. She is arthritic, deformed, and old, so a larger cage doesn't suit her needs. Actually, when I first got her years ago, I combined two cages that were not very high to give her a large cage. After about 6 months, I took it apart and gave her the cage she currently has because she never used the other half of the cage. Even my Mealy Amazon Calvin, who has since passed, was out into a similar small cage because of his disabilities. This is why it's important to assess the needs of your individual bird rather than strictly following a chart. What shouldn't happen is you not following the chart because the appropriate cage size is inconvenient to you.
A big reason for the cage size is to allow for species-specific behaviors, movement, and appropriate set up. A cage should have about 5 perches in it of varying textures, diameters, and complexities. You want wood with a lot of variation to the perch, like Java, manzanita, or other natural woods. What you don't want are those wooden cheap dowels that come with cages. These are notoriously bad for your parrots foot health leading to bumble foot and other issues. I believe that at least one of those perches, or an addition to the 5, should be a moving perch. This will help in confidence, exercise, and provide great enrichment for your bird. I sell some moving perches found here. Your bird should also have a minimum of 5 toys in their cage. If you are looking for parrot foraging toys, then feel free to view my shop! This is a lot of cage furnishings! On top of all of that, your bird should still have an area in their cage where they can stretch both wings out and do a full flap without hitting the cage bars, perches, or toys.
The best cages are the ones you can afford financially and space wise. You can always improve from there; I know I have!
I understand we are in all different stages of our parrot care. I also understand that people have different budgets and abilities. Working towards getting a bigger cage is no big deal, but neglecting getting a larger cage to at least meet the minimum when you can is a different story. I know I am vey fortunate to have been able to put an addition on my house almost the size of my house just for my birds so they can have aviaries. I worked really hard to be able to provide that for my birds. Before that, they were in too small of cages. I recognized that, saved my money including sacrificing going out and doing a lot of fun things, and I was able to get larger cages. I started my bird career with conures in carriers to now flight aviaries. We all start somewhere, and it is our job to continue to provide the best care possible for our birds!