Birds

Cage & flight space

Cage size is the single most-cheated specification in bird keeping. Even a budgie needs a cage at least 30 inches wide, and that's the minimum — birds were built to fly. Plan for at least an hour of supervised out-of-cage flight or play time daily. The cage is a safe house, not the world.

Diet

An all-seed diet is to a parrot what a pure candy diet is to a child — survivable for a while, then catastrophic. The current standard for most companion birds is a high-quality pellet base (60-70%) supplemented with fresh vegetables, smaller amounts of fruit, and species-appropriate proteins. Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and onions are toxic.

Mental stimulation

Parrots have the cognitive capacity of toddlers and the attention span of toddlers. Boredom causes feather-plucking, screaming, and stereotypies. Rotate toys weekly, offer foraging opportunities (food hidden in shreddable paper), and spend real interactive time, not just background presence.

Bonding & vocalizations

Birds choose their people. Some species (cockatiels, budgies) bond easily to a household; others (cockatoos, conures) bond ferociously to one person and may bite anyone else. All birds vocalize — some softly, some at jet-engine volumes. Research the noise floor of your species before bringing one into an apartment.

Common mistakes

• All-seed diets
• Teflon-coated cookware in the kitchen — fumes are rapidly lethal to birds
• Inadequate cage size and no out-of-cage time
• Clipping wings without understanding the trade-offs
• Underestimating noise — cockatoos and macaws are not apartment birds