Birds & Parrots

Keeping Birds

We have a wide range of bird species so their husbandry needs are very different. Some are better suited to aviaries, some are great talkers and others might be very noisy and unsuitable for those with neighbours. We are experts in bird keeping, and will be able to discuss the pros and cons of the different species with you, to help find you the perfect feathered companion to suit your life-style, budget and needs.

Variety & Enrichment

All bird species require variety and enrichment in both their environment and their food.

As a minimum, your bird should be able to perch high enough that the tail feathers do not touch the floor of the cage, and should be able to spread its wings in either direction without touching the sides. An enclosure large enough to enable flying is ideal, and allowing them supervised free-time outside of their cage on a daily basis in a safe and secure room is even better.

Providing the opportunity to fly keeps a bird's cardio-vascular system healthy, and develops confidence and provides enrichment.

Enrichment can include providing natural perches from fruit or willow trees of different widths, providing leafy twigs, chewable or interactive toys or nesting materials to shred and collect.

Food enrichment can be provided by using a good quality dry seed mix, along with seasonal vegetables and fruits, either placing them in a bowl or making 'veggie kebabs' that hang in the cage, or using puzzle-feeders. Try varying the type, texture, shape and taste of the food that you offer them.

Which bird should I buy?

There are many smaller birds that can make ideal companions, and some have huge personalities in a small, compact (and more 'manageable') body! Some believe that only the larger parrots can talk and perform 'tricks', whereas there are videos of small finches and budgies performing 'obstacle courses', cockatiels dancing and reciting beautiful tunes, cheeky Ring-Necked Parakeets chatting to their owners and the forever-entertaining Caiques performing a whole bunch of amusing antics!  

We do not recommend the larger birds such as cockatoos and macaws to novice bird keepers. An adult macaw has the intelligence of a five year old child, and they require a lot of attention, company and enrichment to keep them happy. Macaws and cockatoos can be extremely noisy, and because they are demanding, they often develop behavioural problems to compensate for insufficient attention. They are also extremely destructive and can crack a walnut with very little effort; they see no difference between this and your door frame or antique dresser! 

Why is it difficult to buy African Greys now?

In an effort to protect wild-caught African Grey parrots from entering the pet trade , they were added to the CITES protected list several years ago. This has resulted in the need for them to have DEFRA paperwork to prove that they are captive-bred when they are bought or sold, and either a closed leg-ring or a microchip, which is implanted under the skin using a general anaesthetic with a specialist avian veterinary surgeon. These procedures can be very expensive to the breeder, along with the risks of anaesthetising birds, and this cost is then passed on to the buyer. Many breeders did not want to invest the finances and time required, and stopped breeding. Now African Grey breeders are difficult to find, and the cost of a single, hand-reared African Grey has risen from £800-£900 to £1500-£2000 or more. If you are offered one for much less than this, I would be wary of scammers or illegally smuggled, wild-caught birds. 

For more information on caring for tortoises, please drop us a line using our contact form and we can send you our parrot nutrition sheet, or call us and a member of our team will be able to help.