Pet Birds FAQ

We’ve been emailed so many questions about pet birds that we decided to create a Pet Bird FAQ below so you can ask questions and find answers quickly and easily.

Below, you will find a list of questions submitted by other visitors as well as a comment form to ask your own. You can also give a helpful answer to any of the Pet Bird FAQs listed.

So come on… got a FAQ about your pet bird you want to get answered? This is the place to do it!

If you would like to contact us directly with a question, comment, suggestion, or feedback not related to questions about your pet bird, use the form on our Contact Us page.

What Other Visitors Have Asked

Click below to see the questions from other visitors to this page…

Birds and mirrors
Hi I have a 1 year old cockatiel that has become attached to his mirror. I gave it to him not long after I got him so that he would have company when I …

How do you know when birds are sick?
How do you know when birds are sick? Answer: If you have any reason to believe that your bird is sick, you should immediately take him or her to …

Help identifying a bird at our farm
We have a bird that came to our farm. We are trying to catch it. The bird keeps coming close but no success. It’s mostly gray with a large red breast and …

What bird should I get?
I’ve been wanting another bird to add along with my 5 Parakeets. I was thinking if I should get a Parrotlet or a Lovebird. Answer: Hi April, …

Bird in India
Hello, My husband and I are Canadian but moving to India. Once settled there, we would like to get a pet bird. After doing some initial research, we …

How fast can parakeets fly?
How fast can parakeets fly? Answer: We’re not quite sure. It would probably depend on the bird and whether or not his or her wings are clipped and …

What do parrots eat?
I see all kinds of websites that have so much information about parrot diets, foods, products, etc. but I’d just like to know…What do parrots eat? Please …

Which type of parrot is my pet?
Hello!!! I have a pet parrot which one day came to my house and sat on my hand and was hungry. I made him my pet. I don’t know what type of parrot it is. …

I want to buy a Cockatiel
I want to buy a Cockatiel but the problem is that I don’t stay at home for 6 hours because of my school and there is nobody to take take care of the bird …

Housing Two Bird Species Together
Are blue and gold macaws good with smaller size birds? Because we aren’t always home to be with him, so I wanted to know if I could get a Lovebird to put …

Identical Budgies
Hi, I was just wondering how often a budgie will have identical twin babies (double-yolked egg), and if anyone else out there raising budgies has had that …

Parakeet won’t use cuttlebone
Why would my bird not be using his cuttlebone? I have a 2 and a half month old rare parakeet and I have been trying to get my bird to use his cuttlebone …

Taming a cockatiel
I have a young Cockatiel (between 4 and 6 months) and I’ve had him for a week and 6 days. I bought him untame but he quickly got used to me and my family. …

A Canary with a Cat
Hi, My question is: would it be cruel to get a canary if I have a cat? I don’t want the canary to be stressed out, and have no way of knowing how the …

Male vs Female Budgies
I am thinking of getting a Budgerigar, because they are not noisy, yet like to talk and cuddle. Is there any character or personality difference between …

What are the biggest differences between Parrotlets and Lovebirds?
Hello! These birds are about the same size, I think they’re both really cute, and they can be feisty. But what are the differences in behaviour? I want …

Most curious pet bird?
Hi there, I am thinking about buying a bird and I was wondering what the most curious pet birds were. How can you help them be more curious? (I’m looking …

Is it right for me?
I have never owned a bird but I am anxious to own one. I am in school from 8 25 a.m. to 2 30 p.m. but I leave around 7 45 a.m. and get back around 3 00 …

Babies and Birds
I just moved to the UK. I have a six month old baby and my husband is underway for long periods of time. Im looking into getting a pet bird, but i don’t …

Is there such thing as too large a cage?
I’m doing research on lovebird care, hoping to get one of my one, but I want to make sure the bird is comfortable. I’d like to get the bird a large cage, …

Parakeet will not eat
I have two parakeets and one of them eats a lot but the other hardly eats. I have put up two feeding stations but Cloudy still does not eat. Also, I don’t …

My Canary Isn’t Singing
I purchased a male Border Fancy canary mid January of this year and my canary still doesn’t sing. He makes a tweet sound but that’s it. Sometimes it’s …

Parrot Leg Bands
What do the numbers on the ring on a Amazon parrot’s leg mean? Answer: Hi Matthew, This is a great question! The letters and numbers on a parrot …

I have an injured bird
Hello,i have a white asian cuckoo bird which was healthy and quite active before injury ,all of a sudden i found that my bird got injury in its head due …

Smells Sensitivity
What smells or fragrances are not good for sun conures and mini macaws? Answer: Hi Barbara, All pet birds actually have a very sensitive sense …

Jan Gil
I have 3 male zebra finches; is one heated perch enough or do I need to buy one for each bird? Answer: Hi Janet, That’s great that you’re providing …

Lovebird by itself
What would a lovebird do if I left for a few hours? Answer: Hi Finn, Just make sure that your bird is secure in his cage and he will be fine. …

Round Cages
Are round cages good for small birds such as Lovebirds? Answer: Hello Finn, Absolutely! Round cages can be used for Lovebirds as well as long …

My bird won’t eat vegetables
My budgie refuses to eat anything but seed. Ever since she was little I’ve tried and nothing works. I’ve tried clipping spinach onto the cage but she won’t …

Can I leave my bird alone when I go on vacation?
Can I leave my bird alone when I go on vacation? Answer: Hello Sharmon, If your bird is able to use a cage water bottle and can eat non-perishable …

Conure not stepping up
Hi, For Christmas I adopted a young green cheeked conure, that was not hand reared and was in a small cage with lots of other birds. I had been thinking …

Cockatiel living space
I need to know if a cockatiel can fit in a 16×14 inch cage. The cage is about 17 inches tall. I have had experience with other birds (as pets) in my house. …

How is the noise level decided on the Parrot Comparison chart?
I have been looking at the Comparison Chart and I not sure how the noise level is decided. First the lilac-crowned Amazon is at a low noise level but I …

Bird Cage Lining
Is it okay to just have the grate on the bottom of the cage or does paper go over it or in the tray below it? Answer: Hi Kath, You would probably …

My Parrotlet is Stripping His Feathers
Hello! I have a 1 1/2 year old Parrotlet that started to strip his feather from too much preening. I read that it could be caused from boredom. I didn’t …

Getting a Cockatiel
I really want a cockatiel. but my parents said that when you take them out of the cage they will do their business any where that they are. Is their any …

Lonely?
I want to get an African Gray Parrot but I am away at school for 6 hours and don’t want it to chew or pluck itself. Should I get one? Answer: Hello, …

Expense
Would it be really expensive to own an African Grey (Timneh)? With all the toys, cages, vet care, and food? Answer: Hello, Owning a pet bird …

Won’t play with toys
My African Gray is very tame and interacts with me and almost anyone else. My problem is she gets bored when on her own and does not seem interested in …

Sex of a Lorikeet
How can I tell what sex a Lorikeet is? Answer: Hello Daniel, Unfortunately, Lorikeets are monomorphic, so there is no way to tell the sex of …

How to stop my Parrotlet from biting
Hello, I have a Parrotlet that is just under a year. Although he always wants me to hold him, he has been nipping and biting when I hold him. Is there …

Age of parakeets in pet stores
How old are most young parakeets when they are sold to pet stores? Answer: Hello, Young parakeets in pet stores are usually 6-12 months old. …

Single or Double Pet Birds?
I am thinking of getting a Brown-Headed Poicephalus, but there is a couple (male and female) at the petshop right now, and they seem very involved with …

The chained street parrot of Hanoi
I had recently visited Hanoi in Vietnam and came across this colorful red parrot chained to its perch on the footpath of the main road. It was the noisiest …

Thinking of getting a bird in my apartment…
I’m trying to decide and plan ahead what kind of bird I’d like once I get an apartment in college. I’m most attracted to cockatiels, but what species …

Potty Training a Parrot
How do I train my Alexandrine Parakeet in toilet training? What is the secret? Tin Tin is about 7/8 weeks old. And do both sexes talk? Answer: …

Strawberries for Indian Ring Neck Parrot
I checked your food list on the website, but I’m unable to find strawberry. Please clarify whether or not it is advisable to give strawberries to an Indian …

Nuts for Parrots
I need to know if the following nuts are toxic or nutritious for any of my birds. I have two cockatoos, Two Red Lure Amazons, a jenday Conure, and a cockatiel. …

Transport Cages For Macaw
hi all we are rescuing a blue and gold macaw and need to purchase a transport cage (for visits to the vets ect ) can anyone reccomend a good strong one …

Mexican Redheaded Amazon
So I have a beautiful Mexican Redheaded Amazon parrot and I was just wondering if I could ask a few questions. My first question is how long do they live? …

How many hours do parrots need to sleep?
How many hours sleep does the bird need to sleep? Answers: Hi Tracy, Parrots need 12-14 hours of sleep per day. If they don’t get enough sleep, …

Do Parrotlets Have A Distinct Smell?
I was wondering if parrotlets have a distinct or offensive smell. I used to own ferrets and was told they had a “slight musky smell to them”, this was …

New Parrotlet Mama
I just brought 2 parrotlet male and female. The pet store said they have been weaned for 3 weeks but I don’t know if they have been hand raised the one …

Training videos
I am looking to buy videos. I have a Love bird I want to train. Answer: Hi Mark, This is a great training program and we highly recommend it: …

Conure Training Video
I want to buy one or more training videos to train our Sun Conure. All conure sites refer to a site Parrot Training 101 that makes you sit through a lengthy …

Have a question of your own?

Do you have a pet bird question you need answered? No problem! Use the form below to ask your question: