Picking Your Bird

En español

Rule of thumb: the bigger the bird, the bigger the commitment from its owner (training, housing requirements and social interaction).

Most experts would recommend novice bird owners begin with a small- to medium-sized bird:

Parakeets (about 6 to 12 inches; live on average 8 – 10 years)

• Can easily entertain themselves with toys
  
• Come in many beautiful colors
  
• Can become "talkers"

Cockatiels (about 13 inches; live on average 12 – 15 years; in the parrot family)

• Can whistle, sing and mimic sounds (males can sometimes mimic speech)
• Have smaller beaks to "discipline" you while you're learning their needs
  
• Are intelligent, with the ability to learn entire songs and tricks like ringing bells, waving bye-bye and playing ring toss

Canaries (5 inches or less; live on average 10 – 15 years)

• Require minimal social interaction
  
• Pay little attention to humans
  
• Lovebirds (about 6 inches; live on average 10 years)
  
• Are intelligent
• Have pleasant personalities

Large-sized parrots (15 – 40 inches; live 3 – 70 years, depending on species; includes African greys and macaws)

• Demand more stimulation as a result of their intelligence
• Form strong social bonds with humans
• Play with toys, which are often torn apart and can get expensive, though you can make your own
• Require a very big cage
• Leave larger messes of scattered food and waste
• Can make ear-piercing vocalization