Ornamental birds: keeping and care

In short: Budgies, canaries and other ornamental birds need a sufficiently large cage, social company and mental stimulation. For many species, keeping them alone is not appropriate.

In more detail: Most popular ornamental birds are flock animals and should be kept in at least pairs.

In detail

• Cage size: Bigger is better – birds need room to fly, not just to perch.
• Social contact: Budgies and canaries suffer when kept alone without human compensation.
• Diet: Seed mixes alone are not enough; fruit, vegetables and grit are also needed.
• Free flight: Regular supervised free flight in a secured room promotes movement and wellbeing.
• Hazards: Windows, fans, houseplants and cigarette smoke can be dangerous for birds.
• Life expectancy: Depending on species, it ranges from a few years to over 20 for larger parrots.
• Choosing a vet: Not every vet treats birds; an avian or exotics specialist is recommended (haustier-gesundheit-impfen-entwurmen-tierarzt).