5 Best Pet Birds For Beginners (Updated: )

The 5 Best Pet Birds for Beginners

1. Conures

Various species of tiny parrots found in South and Central America are referred to as conures. The origin of the word “conure” is the Portuguese word “Conuro,” which means parrot.

There are several conure species, including, to mention a few, the Green-cheeked Conure, the Lilac-crowned Parakeet, the Jenday Conure, the Sunburst Conure, and the Nanday Parakeet.

These birds make wonderful pets since they are intelligent and incredibly active. Additionally, they may live up to 30 years, giving you plenty opportunity to bond with them.

Because conures are rather large (they average 15 inches in length), they require a spacious cage or aviary in which they may fly freely.

Feeding

Conures must eat hard-shelled fruits, raw vegetables, and pellets. Expect to spend some time cleaning their cage or aviary, but if you don’t mind, this is the ideal bird for you. Always provide fresh water for them to drink in their cage or aviary.

Training

In addition, training your conure is extremely straightforward. Ensure that its cage or aviary is kept in a peaceful, distraction-free place so it can concentrate. They are intelligent enough to learn tricks using simple training equipment like clickers.

Some conures may be taught to imitate human speech and dance (when trained with dancing toys).

Pros

• Easy to maintain
• Quite tame
• Effectively interact with humans
• Enjoyable to possess

Cons

• Sloppy eaters
• Loud at times (depending on the species)
• Large birds require a spacious cage or aviary

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2. Cockatiels

The crest distinguishes cockatiels, which are noisy birds. They originated on the Australian continent, but their popularity has taken them over the world.

Cockatiels are exciting pets since they are energetic. You may easily teach them skills such as chatting, singing, whistling, etc., because they like interacting with humans.

Additionally, they are relatively simple to feed because they only require water to drink and seeds and vegetables to consume. As these birds like chewing, be careful to maintain their cage clean at all times and change their toys frequently.

Consider purchasing a bird stand or an extra cage and storing it in a room of your home to aid your new pet’s adjustment to his new environment. Place his cage near your television or computer so he may see you during the day and become accustomed to your face, voice, and scent.

Feeding

In addition to pellets and fresh fruits and vegetables such apples, oranges, grapes, berries, cantaloupe, and carrots, cockatiels should be given pellets to help them develop robust.

As a reward, you may also give them millet spray, but be careful not to overdo it, as millet sprays are extremely high in calcium, which can cause renal problems in cockatiels.

Training

Due to the fact that cockatiels enjoy interacting with humans, it is simple to teach them things such as chatting or whistling after some practice. However, if you want him to perform more sophisticated feats, you should invest in a training device like as clickers or whistles.

Pros

• Long-lived
• Simple to manage and train
• Talkative

Cons

• They munch heavily!
• Larger than average, so requiring more area

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3. Canaries

Canaries are a popular pet for beginners due to their low maintenance requirements. They consume largely fruits and vegetables rather than pellets and require less care, as all you need to do is routinely clean their cage.

Canaries seldom survive beyond ten years, which is little compared to giant parrots, who may live up to one hundred years! This is a far lesser commitment, but it also leads to a heartbreak that occurs much quicker.

These birds are also quite sociable, therefore if you want them to be happy, you should acquire them a companion, since they want constant company.

Canary birds, like their parrot counterparts, have a beautiful singing voice despite their diminutive size. Nonetheless, there is a method for making your canary sing: Simply placing him on a swing will generally start him moving.

Feeding

Canaries prefer fruits and vegetables, so you may feed them seeds in addition to fresh fruit and vegetable delights. Choose a diet that is well-balanced and rich in vitamins, minerals, and the nutrients they provide.

Training

Canaries, like other pet birds, are intelligent enough to learn simple tasks such as singing and whistling with practice. Consider acquiring clickers or whistle devices if you want your pet to do more intricate tricks or songs.

Pros

• Simple to teach
• Exist for 15 to 20 years
• Quite inexpensive to acquire and maintain

Cons

• Small and delicate, so inappropriate for young toddlers
• Sensitive to variations in temperature and noise

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4. Budgies

The Budgerigar, often known as the Budgie, is a tiny, extremely low-maintenance pet bird. They are reasonably priced and available in several hues, allowing you to select the right match for your house.

They will be more lively if they believe there is another budgie in their cage, which may be achieved by placing a mirror in their cage. As with other parrots, these birds enjoy interacting with humans, therefore you can easily teach them skills such as chatting (which is optional but nonetheless enjoyable).

Since they like chewing, you should supply your new pet with several toys. Constant cage cleaning will be necessary to remove debris that might injure your pet.

Feeding

Budgies must be fed a diverse and balanced diet of pellets, mixed seeds, leafy greens, and vegetables. If you are concerned about him becoming bored in his cage, provide him with enrichment items, like as wooden puzzle puzzles that require him to earn his food.

Training

Training a budgie is not as difficult as training larger species, but they are still rather intelligent. They may rapidly learn their names and adore interacting with humans.

Consider purchasing a whistle or clicker for your budgie if you want to teach him tricks or songs (like the canaries) so that he can learn them more quickly. You may also do pranks in front of him so he can imitate you.

Pros

• Simple to maintain
• Up to 10 years of age
• Come in different colors (with prices varying)

Cons

• Require many social connections; dislike being alone
• Chewing is a normal behavior for them, but it can escalate to aggressiveness when they are upset.

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5. Lovebirds

You should consider keeping lovebirds in pairs since, as their name suggests, they are highly playful and gregarious. They are quieter and less dirty than other parrots, making them an ideal choice for apartment dwellers; they also require less toys than larger birds, making it easier to clean up after them.

It is quite a sight to observe them flying freely in the open, what with their vibrant colors and little stature. Consider purchasing a lovebird toy, which can be trained to perform tricks, if you’re searching for something to keep you occupied at work.

Feeding

A lovebird’s diet includes seed blocks, pellets, millet spray, vegetables, leafy greens (such as parsley), and an abundance of fruit delights like berries and melons.

You should not worry too much about their nutrition, since most lovebirds will consume (healthy) practically everything you feed them.

The only thing you need to look out for is their gaining too much weight, which is pretty unlikely given how naturally slender they are.

As long as the bird maintains a healthy weight, free-feeding is permitted. If you detect additional fluff, remove the food dish for a short time (at least two days), and he will lose weight.

Training

The intransigence of lovebirds makes teaching them more difficult than with other tiny birds, but not impossible. If you choose to attempt, you must first acclimate them to your presence.

Next, gradually begin lifting them up and engaging with them while at home (this will make them more comfortable with your touch). Let him out of his cage for a few minutes after being touched many times, and he will soon be following you around the home. Rest depends entirely on how much time and effort you invest.

As long as they have adequate human engagement, they should not bite as frequently. Nevertheless, if your lovebird begins biting excessively, there is an issue in its habitat.

Pros

• Easily maintainable
• Live in little cages to make cleaning easier.
• Typically do not require toys and are quieter than others.

Cons

• Can be food-selective
• Can become hostile if handled roughly.

Conclusion

If you decide to obtain a bird as a pet, be sure to conduct sufficient study about them and their needs so that when the time comes, the transition is seamless for everyone.

As birds are very sociable creatures, you will need to spend time with them; therefore, you must be prepared for this.

The purpose of having an animal in your home is not only to have something to look at, but rather to have a companion who will keep you happy and be there for you when times are bad.

Choosing a pet bird involves careful consideration and preparation; if you need assistance with this, please consult “5 Best Pet Birds for Beginners” by BestForPets (bestforpets.org) on the bird species of your choice.