Translated by Nick R
Bird pet ownership has increased in recent years, only in Europe in 2020 was the third most popular type of pet with 52,050 specimens, below cats and dogs. Raising a bird has certain advantages regarding size, ease of care, and the distinctive characteristics of some birds to be more sociable, playful and/or singers.
Join me to learn which are the most popular and why they would be the right companion for you.
Table of Contents
Australian parakeet or budgerigar
Parakeets are many people’s favorites. Why is that? They are little, their song can be loud when they are not in the mood and they are one of the best species to train; some of them have even been able to talk, although it is not very common.
Other characteristics that we can highlight of the parakeets are:
- They are suitable for first-time owners on most occasions.
- They are docile and ideal for families and children. Don’t trust them though, some of them can be bullies, especially the females.
- They are sociable, having a couple of them is ideal.
- They are birds that can live outside the cage and are suitable for training.
Summary of the species:
| Size | 18 to 20 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | Low |
| Main source of food | Seeds (granivorous) |
| Common personality | Friendly |
For more details about Australian parakeets check out the blog How to care for an Australian parakeet.
Like budgerigars, cockatiels are native to Australia and belong to the same order (pscitasiformes).
Cockatiel
Cockatiels share a peculiarity with cockatoos: their crest that helps us to identify their moods when they express themselves. In addition, there are several breeds with different colors and aspects. They are also preferred for the beauty of their song and their ability to imitate sounds such as the ringing of a bell.
Other things why a cockatiel might be your favorite are:
- They are birds that require a lot of attention; if you have plenty of time to devote to them, they are the ones for you.
- Keeping them free to roam is beneficial for them, although you can let them out for a few hours to fly and explore their space.
- They have many personalities, some can be shy and others more spontaneous and sociable.
- They need to live in the company of another specimen of the opposite sex.
Some facts that may interest you.
| Size | 23 to 33 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | Medium |
| Main source of food | Seeds (granivorous) |
| Common personality | Friendly; they can get to talk. |
You can learn more about the species in the blog dedicated to How to take care of a cockatiel?
Agapornis or lovebirds
A lovebird’s sweetness and their romantic affections will make you fall in love with this species; they are popular for living in pairs of males and females and are monogamous, creating strong affective bonds between their pairs from a very young age.
This bird has 9 species that vary in aspect, especially in colors, but they will still have the same care. Some of their most outstanding characteristics are:
- They are restless birds, toys should be within their reach to distract them and avoid stress.
- They also like to go out of their cage, so you should try to allow them to fly out of it a little bit.
- They require little space since they are among the smallest of their order (Psittaciformes).
- They have long lifespans, living up to 25 years if they are well cared for.
- The specimens that I recommend you adopt are the Namibian lovebird and the black-headed lovebird.
Other information you may be interested in about lovebirds are:
| Size | 14 to 15 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | Medium |
| Main source of food | Seeds (granivorous) |
| Common personality | Friendly |
You can learn more details about this genus of birds in the blog How to care for Agapornis or Lovebirds.
Canary
Canaries make one of the most popular birds to keep as pets, what stands out the most about them is their small size compared to psittaciform birds and their bright colors, being yellow the most common.
Some other characteristics that can make the canary your best companion are:
- They are adapted to captivity given the long process of domestication in which they have been involved.
- They are popular for their striking, somewhat melodic song.
- They don’t require time out of the cage and they don’t need a large space to live.
- Although they are sociable birds among their own species, they may be a bit shyer with humans.
- They need a mate of the opposite sex in order to mate.
Some other facts you should know about canaries:
| Size | 11.5 to 23 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | Easy |
| Main source of food | Seeds (granivorous) |
| Common personality | Singing, ornamental. |
You can learn more about this bird in our blog on How to care for a canary.
Zebra or Mandarin Diamond
Zebra diamonds might be the indicated ones for people who don’t want a lot of noise and have little space at home, given that these birds’ singing is not loud and is exclusive to the males.
Some other things that might catch your attention about zebra diamonds are:
- They have a variety of mutations leading to different colors such as white, gray, or with feathering on their forehead similar to a tuft.
- They don’t need a time out of the cage, but they can be taught to be out of it.
- They tend to get along very well with other bird species.
- They are social birds and live in large groups, caring for them in pairs is a good solution to this need.
Some other things you should know about the zebra diamond:
| Size | 10 to 11 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | Easy |
| Main source of food | Seeds (granivorous) |
| Common personality | Ornamental. |
Check out the blog on how to care for zebra finch as a pet to learn more.
Cockatoo
You probably know cockatoos for their particular dances to the rhythm of the music. Curiously, they have been found to be able to execute up to 14 different movements as a result of their vocal learning and ability to imitate non-verbal gestures.
There are 21 species of these birds, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo the most common as a pet. From them, you can expect a close companion that requires a lot of attention and playfulness. Some other things you should know about cockatiels are:
- They need large amounts of space to move around, a cage is not a good place for them.
- They can learn to talk or imitate some sounds.
- They are capable of creating strong emotional bonds with their caretakers.
- They can live up to 57 years in captivity.
Some other facts you should know about cockatoos are:
| Size | 50 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | High |
| Main source of food | Seeds and fruits (granivorous and frugivorous) |
| Common personality | Ornamental |
Pigeon
Pigeons are easy to adopt, however, the best is to do it since they are chicks so they will get used to you and your caring, becoming very docile, affectionate, and without requiring too much attention.
Some other things you should know about pigeons:
- They are monogamous birds and need a partner to share or live together.
- They love caresses and shows of affection.
- It is not recommended that they live in cages because of their size and the need for every bird to fly and stretch.
- They are calm and easy to care for compared to the other birds mentioned.
Some other things you should know about pigeons are:
| Size | 15 to 75 cm |
| Level of difficulty of care | Medium |
| Main source of food | Seeds and fruits (granivorous and frugivorous) |
| Common personality | Ornamental |
