4,133 answers about birds
Parrots, budgies, cockatiels and finches each come with their own care questions — diet, cage setup, taming, noise and health. This page gathers the bird library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic so keepers can find a straight answer fast. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
496 answers in Home & Lifestyle — page 9 of 21
A Meyer's parrot is a compact, stocky African parrot that needs a cage about 80 centimetres wide, 60 centimetres deep, and 90 centimetres tall, so it can climb, flap, and play without its tail striking the bars. This species is active in bursts and then happy to perch and watch, so pair the cage with a play stand and…
A lineolated parakeet, or linnie, is small and famously calm, but it still needs a cage wide enough to climb and make short flights: about 75 centimetres wide, 45 centimetres deep, and 60 centimetres tall is a sensible home base for one or two. Linnies walk and climb more than they blast around, so fill the width with…
A kakariki needs more space than almost any parakeet its size: this hyperactive New Zealand species flies, scrambles, and forages on the ground, so plan on a flight cage at least a metre long or a small aviary, plus daily supervised time out. Floor area matters because kakarikis scratch through substrate like little…
A Java sparrow is tiny, but it is a flock finch that flies rather than climbs, so it needs length more than height: a flight cage at least 75 to 90 centimetres long for a pair, and longer still for the small group this social species prefers. Keep perches at the ends so the middle stays open as a flight path, and add…
A hill mynah needs considerably more room than its starling-like size suggests: plan on a flight cage at least 1.2 metres long, around 60 centimetres deep and tall, plus a washable area around it for splashed water and soft-food mess. Length matters most, because mynahs hop, bounce, and make short flights rather than…
A Hahn's macaw may be the smallest macaw, but it still needs a genuinely macaw-sized footprint: plan on a cage roughly 80 by 60 centimetres at the floor and well over a metre tall, with room beyond it for a play stand and several hours of supervised time out each day. Keep the cage where household life happens,…
A Gouldian finch needs horizontal flying room above all: a flight cage around thirty inches long or more for a pair, with perches set at the ends so the full length stays open as a flight lane, because Gouldians are active fliers that barely use the height of a tall, narrow cage. Give a small group more length and…
A diamond dove needs floor space more than flying height: a long, low cage of at least about twenty-four inches in length for a pair, with a clear, flat floor area for walking, pecking, and ground feeding, a couple of low, flat-topped perches, and a quiet corner of the room where foot traffic does not constantly pass…
A Bourke's parrot needs length rather than height: a flight cage at least thirty inches long for a pair, with room to make short flights between perches, plus a quiet floor-level corner with a low perch and somewhere to forage. Bourke's are gentle, ground-feeding Australian parakeets that are most active at dawn and…
A blue-and-gold macaw needs big-bird space in every direction: a cage with a footprint of roughly four feet by three feet at minimum and enough height for that long tail to clear the floor of the cage, bar spacing wide enough for a large beak, a play stand outside the cage for daily time out, and room to spread wings…
Month to month, a Java sparrow flock is inexpensive to run: the regular spending is finch seed, fresh greens and occasional egg food, cuttlebone and mineral replacements, cage liners and cleaning supplies, and the slow replacement of perches and feeders as they wear. The monthly figure rises when birds are moulting or…
A star finch's first year usually costs more than a hardier finch's, not because the bird eats more, but because star finches are quieter, shyer, and less forgiving of a poor setup: budget for a roomy planted-style flight cage or indoor aviary, a compatible companion, warmth in a draught-free room, and an avian vet…
A society finch is one of the least expensive birds to buy and keep, and its first year is mostly the cost of a wide cage, a companion or two, because society finches are deeply social and should never live alone, plus seed, greens, and nesting baskets if you keep a group. The hidden first-year cost is breeding:…
A Java sparrow is an inexpensive bird to buy, but the first year is priced by the flock and the flight space, not the individual: Javas are social and happiest in a group, and a group needs a roomy cage or indoor flight, perches, bathing dishes, and a steady supply of seed and fresh food. Add an avian vet check for…
A Gouldian finch's first year costs far more than the bird itself, and the spending falls into three parts: the setup, led by a wide flight cage, warmth, and proper lighting; the bird or, better, a compatible pair, since Gouldians do poorly alone; and running costs for seed, fresh foods, and an avian vet check.…
Keep your zebra finches together in their own flight cage, moved into a quiet interior room before dark, with a soft night light left on rather than total darkness, because a startled finch that can see its perches is less likely to crash into the bars in a panic. Cover only part of the cage, keep the flock's food,…
Settle your Senegal parrot in its own cage in a closed, curtained room away from the street before the first fireworks, check that every latch and feeder door is properly fastened, and keep the bird's favourite person nearby behaving normally, because Senegals take their cues from the one human they trust most. Cover…
Move your green-cheeked conure's cage into the most interior, quietest room well before dark, draw the curtains against the flashes, and settle the cage with its usual cover, familiar perches, and a chew toy so the evening still feels like an ordinary bedtime. Keep the room's soundscape steady with low conversation or…
Prepare a budgerigar for fireworks night by moving her cage into the most sound-sheltered room, closing windows and curtains before the noise starts, and keeping a soft light and familiar background sound on so flashes and bangs feel less stark. Keep her in the cage for the evening rather than out flying, cover part…
Help a zebra finch settle after a move by moving the flock together and changing as little else as possible: transport the birds in a secure, covered cage or carrier, then restore their usual cage layout, perches, and feeding stations in a calm spot in the new home. Keep seed, water, and greens on the same routine,…
Help a Senegal parrot settle after a move by protecting the relationship routines he relies on: travel him in a secure carrier, set his cage up early in a calm spot with its familiar layout, and keep your greetings, training games, and out-of-cage times consistent. Senegals can become wary or one-person focused under…
Help a budgerigar settle after a move by keeping her world small and familiar at first: travel her in her own cage or a secure carrier with a familiar perch and toy, then set the cage up in a quiet corner of the new home with the same layout she knows. Keep feeding times, foods, and her cover-at-night routine…
Bird-proof the room for a budgerigar by working through it as a small flying bird will meet it: close windows and doors, cover mirrors and glass she could fly into, and switch off ceiling fans. Remove or cover standing water, hot drinks, lit candles, and houseplants she might chew, then check for gaps behind furniture…
Yes, a turquoise parrot is well suited to being left during a normal workday, especially in a spacious aviary-style cage with a companion, because this small Australian grass parrot is active at ground level and most animated at dawn and dusk. Provide a long cage with a floor area for foraging among seed and safe…
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