specialty companion bird breeds

Lovebirds, Cockatiels, & Finches raised, for sale as companions.

Get information about each individual bird species & what you need to care for one. Basic bird keeping explained along with photos of birds currently ready for new homes & purchase information.

Find out about the joys of owning a bird & how you can have one of your own to call friend!

Getting the right bird starts with gathering the right information.

Learn all you can about the type of bird you are interested in to see if the breed is right for you & your lifestyle. With knowledge & understanding, you will have a better experience & a better pet. You'll be able to provide the pet bird the care it needs & the result will be maximum enjoyment with a healthy, happy pet.

Some birds like handling, Cockatiels & Lovebirds for instance, yet others are simply fun to watch. Some are great talkers like Budgies or Finches, while others have a beautiful song. They come in all sizes & colors. Groups or types of birds, such as the Parrots or Finches, will have a shared set of behaviors, but every individual bird will have its own unique personality as also.

Choose your bird species based on the level of physical interaction you plan to give your pet. Look for characteristics that are most important to you. Some birds can be handled, while others are not, some are enjoyed for their song or are fun to watch. Some like to be cuddled & others just want to talk. Some birds take to only one person & others like everyone they meet.

Many birds enjoy close contact. Some birds just love to talk or sing to you, giving you friendship & relaxation. Parrot breeds will often enjoy sharing meals with you, napping with you, or even showering with you. Pet birds love to interact with their human companions & often show a genuine desire to be with you, much as a pet dog or cat behaves towards it's owner.

selecting cages

Like birds, bird cages come in a miriad of shapes, styles & forms. The most important thing to remember when purchasing a cage is that the cage meets the birds needs. The cage is the bird's home. Make sure your pet will be healthy, entertained & well exercised in a clean, well maintained environment.

Here are a few general rules you should follow as the minimum requirements when chosing a cage for your bird or birds:

All birds should be housed in a cage that is as roomy as possible, this is especially important for birds that will spend most or all of their time in the cage. Birds need to be able to stretch their wings and flap them without hitting anything. They should also be able to make short flights.

Birds that live exclusively in a cage will need a space of three times their wing span as an absolute minimum, with more space being better.

Horizontal bars on the sides of bird cages are very important for birds that like to climb, such as parakeets, cockatiels & parrots. Bar spacing needs to be small enough that the bird cannot get it's head through them. Metal bars are good for birds that like to chew & cages must have perches for the bird to sit on.

Bird cages should be placed in a draft free area that is well lit, but not in direct sunlight. To make your birds feel secure & comfortable keep their cage against a wall or in a corner. Birds often like their cages near a regularily visited spot so they can keeps tabs on you & feel secure knowing you are around as you are their primary life giver.

Look for a cage that is easy to clean. Many bird cages have a slide out tray & an easily removable grate or bottom.

Bowls: Bowls are needed for foods & treats, water, grit & crushed shell. Small birds can use plastic bowls. Ceramic or stainless steel bowls generally are needed for medium & large parrots. These bigger birds will often chew up plastic bowls, or even pick up their bowls and dump them or toss them to the floor. Built in bowl holders are often a part of the cage & may be designed to keep the bird from removing the bowl. Other bowls are attached with hooks, bolts or clips, & may mount inside or outside the cage depending on the design.

Perches: All cages must have a proper perch for the bird. Perches provide standing places for birds & also give them an opportunity to exercise & keep their beaks trim. Cages without perches cause birds to stand flat footed & foot bones to displace resulting in deformed feet. Easily preventable, yet difficult to remedy. For your birds well being, do not over look this important item.

Perch size & shape can vary depending on the bird, but should fit their feet. A 1" perch is comfortable for most large parrots & a 1/2" perch suits meadium sized birds. 1/4" for small sizes like finches will be required.

Round & oval wooden perches are often used, or sometimes plastic perches for small birds. Variety in both size & shape is important to exercise your birds feet. Natural branches are great for providing this. Concrete perches make nice additional perches to keep both nails & beak trim.

Toys: Bird toys are a great way to entertain & provide exercise for your pet bird. Toys for birds are designed in lots of combinations of woods, leathers, ropes, chains, bells, balls & various colours to attract their attention. Toys such as swings & ladders are designed for chewing & climbing, while mirrors are for giving company. The wide range of non-toxic colors, fun textures, shapes & sizes, available will keep both you & your bird well entertained.

Small wood or cardboard boxes are a great favorite of many birds to play in. Shiny plastic wrappers or an unwanted magazine for them to shred are always welcome. Don't be afraid to make your own toys for your bird. A simple natural rope strand or cord cut into short pieces for them to pull the fibres off of mimics a natural nesting behavior, as does the shredding of paper. The possibilities are endless once you get to know your pet bird.

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A fairly small bird, 17–18 cm long with an average wing length of 106 mm & tail length of 44–52 mm. Wild lovebirds are found in various locations throughout the continent of Africa. Lovebirds, Agapornis & African lovebirds are terms that can refer to 9 different species of lovebird parrots.

1. Madagascar Lovebird Agapornis cana - Is found on the island of Madagascar.
2. Red-Faced Lovebird Agapornis pullaria - This species is found in equatorial Africa, ranging from Sierra Leone to Lake Albert in Uganda. In the west of it's range it extends down as far as northern Angola.
3. Abyssinian Lovebird Agapornis taranta -Central & eastern Ethiopia & southern Eritrea, high altitudes.
4. Swindern's Lovebird Agapornis swinderniana - One of the rarest lovebirds, This species is rarely seen in captivity. There are three subspecies known which occur in Liberia, the Camaroons & Zaire.
5. Peach-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis - Found in & around Angola
6. Nyasa Lovebird Agapornis lilianae - The Nyasa Lovebird is found in parts of Zambia Malawai & Rhodesia.
7. Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis - a small part of Zimbabwe
8. Fischer's Lovebird Agapornis fischeri - from northwest Tanzania.
9. Masked Lovebird Agapornis personata - Found in northeast Tanzania

Most identify the "peach-faced" as the most successful & common pet breed. Peach faced lovebirds are sometimes named by their color mutations: pied lovebirds, violet lovebirds, Dutch blue lovebirds, normal peachface lovebirds, orangeface lovebirds, & mauve lovebirds, to name a few. These lovebirds all belong to the species Agapornis roseicollis. Fischer's lovebirds and Masked lovebirds are DIFFERENT species of  lovebirds (Agapornis personata fischeri & Agapornis personata personata, respectively) and should not be bred with peachfaced (A. roseicollis) lovebirds.

Personality

A full-size parrot personality in a much smaller package. Easy to keep happy & active. Their cheerful demeanour & gorgeous colouring makes them welcome in any home that can put up with occasional loud chirping. Their intelligence is equivalent to that of larger parrots - although most never learn to talk, they are able to mimic & imitate noises or whistles. They can be aggressive with other birds (even other pets, much larger than themselves) & will stand their ground but mostly, they adapt to other pets well. Lovebirds will happily perch on a human's shoulder & ride around with you all day. Don't be surprised if you are joined in the shower or accompanied at dinner as well. All lovebirds are unique; they all have different temperaments. Some are calmer than others, while some are stubborn.

All lovebirds require companionship, be it from a human or another lovebird. Lovebirds means just that. They will love their partner for life, be it bird or human. Two lovebirds may not interact with a human owner as much as if they would if they were by themselves. Two lovebirds may not get along & may have to be separated if the second is introduced after the original bird has taken to a human companion. Two of them, unless trained early on to interact with you, will usually become enamored with each other & not be as attentive or tame. Hand fed babies are easily trained to be calm & gentle.

They are not known to be good talkers & their sounds can be loud at times, but they make up for it in their entertaining antics. There are different types, with the peach-faced being the most common. Masked lovebirds, which have white eye rings, are also often kept as pets. They are beautiful with their bright feathers & many color variations or patterns have developed. You will be fascinated by the many colors & varieties. Intelligent & inquisitive, lovebirds are also very hardy & resistant to many of the diseases that threaten cockatiels or larger parrots.

Feeding

Lovebirds may live over 20 years, provided with the nutrition & care they need. The diet mainly consists of seeds & berries. Lovebirds require a variety of foods, including vegetables, seeds, & fruits; nevertheless, some human foods are unsuitable or poisonous for them, including dairy products, chocolate, sugared food, avocado, rhubarb, & strawberries. Be aware that a lovebird that spends time with it's owner will likely want to 'share' your meal with you. Be selective about your treats. Perishable food in the birds' housing for more than 24 hours is also likely to be unsuitable. Fresh is best! - for all animals. Grapes, carrots, beans, squash, corn, millet, quinoa & winterwheat are excellent foods.

They can also eat various manufactured food pellets & pastas. Suitable seed or pellet mixes include a large array of different seed types. Lovebirds can be fussy eaters & it is hard to balance the diet when seed mixes are used as the basic food for this species. Fresh greens, fruits & vegetables should be offered daily to all lovebirds. Pellet- eating birds tend to take these foods readily, especially when chopped & mixed with their pellets. Change any moistened foods frequently to prevent spoilage. Fresh corn on the cob is a particular favourite of most lovebirds. For a young bird , avoid weaning onto seed if possible (use a much healthier formulated diet for weaning). These contain vitamins and minerals so there is no need to add supplements to the drinking water each day. Offer calcium in the form of a mineral block or cuttle bone.

Training & Behavior

Lovebirds are pretty easy to manage for most people. They are not as destructive or as noisy as larger counterparts. Most like to be a part of the family activities, whether you are reading a newspaper or doing household chores, they will be interested - if only to watch. If not properly socialized, they will discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" however. Gently holding onto the beak while they try to bite you is a simple training technique to overcome the biting instinct. They can be aggressive towards other animals (including birds), if they don't know them or are jealous of the attention they are getting from their favorite human. It really is important to learn to understand them & to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Birds are no different than other household pets, they get upset or act out because they miss you if you ignore them.

Lovebirds are great cage escape artists. Make sure cages are properly locked when birds are left alone, they are surprisingly smart & will find away out if they put their mind to it. Be aware of open doors & windows also. Get in & out of the house as quickly as possible if your birds are aloud to roam free when you are not there. Birds have often escaped from homes simply because they were in a hurry to greet you when you get back. Like a dog bounding to see it's master. Once outside, birds often will take to wing & fly (compounding the problem) because they are scared of the new outside environment. If your bird escapes, refrain from yelling or screaming & try to retrieve the bird with a calm demeanor. Screens on home windows & doors are recommended for bird owners(you never know when you might forget to close a window). Many owners trim their lovebird's wings in the summer months when the pet is more likely to escape through an open window or door. Wing trimming is not difficult & is easily learned from a veterinarian or pet supplier.

Use perches of several different diameters to exercise the feet properly. Most veterinarians recommend fresh, natural branches as part of the cage furniture. Your lovebird will enjoy perching on these and peeling the bark from species such as apple, alder, beech, maple, eucalyptus, citrus & many others. Toys are highly recommended for such intelligent birds as lovebirds. Those with mirrors, open bells & chewable items such as rawhide & plaster are particularly valuable for lovebirds. Check with your retailer or veterinarian about toy safety for your particular bird. Always allow your bird(s) out once daily; check the "flight room" for safety first. Kitchens are not recommended as they contain many hazards such as hot pans, non-stick bakeware fumes & oil or grease. Make sure other family pets are kept separate. Don't forget to give your lovebird the opportunity to bathe several times weekly. A gentle mist from a plant mister is ideal. Many lovebirds also enjoy playing in a dish of clean water or under a tap.

Lovebirds are vocal birds. They make noise all day, but especially at certain times of day. Happy, healthy lovebirds mostly make interesting squeaks & pops which is an appealing sound. As birds go, lovebirds are not regarded as a "noisy" breed. Lovebirds are also very active & love to chew things. When they are let out of their cage, it would be wise to watch them carefully, & protect any furniture, electrical wiring or anything else that they could possibly chew on. They are not big chewers - but their preferred medium is "paper", especially when they are in the "mating" spirit . Protecting your valuable papers is a must with lovebirds around. A paperback book can quickly be reduced to strips. Lovebirds will shred paper as a nesting behavior. Females will chew narrow strips of paper and tuck them in their rump feathers. They will take them back to the cage and build a nest with them. Giving your bird some paper or a book to tear up entertains, exercises & keeps them busy.

Breeding

Breeding lovebirds is also a wonderful hobby. Hand-raising the youngsters can turn into a rewarding past time. Many owners enjoy seeing two lovebirds together & may wish to breed them. Sexing birds is always a problem – males and females look alike. Ask your pet retailer for more information as even trained professionals can get sexing wrong. If you have a mating pair, lovebirds breed well in captivity.

A nutaral nest is built in a rock crevice or within a compartment of the large communal nests built by social weaving members of the flock. Man-made structures such as the roofs of houses or bridges are sometimes used used. A small box (wood or cardboard) or small prefab nests will be adopted by them in a cage environment.

They usually make good parents & can be quite prolific with the ability to produce a dozen chicks a year, given the chance. In the wild, 4-6 eggs are laid, over the course of every other day, between February & April. They are dull white and measure 23.5 mm by 17.3 mm. They are incubated for about 23 days & the young birds fledge after 43 days. To keep them healthy, lovebirds should have only two or three nests a year. Responsible & conscientious breeding is important.

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A sizeable bird, 36 - 46 cm or 14 - 18 inches length with a lifespan of between 12 & 30 years. Cockatiels are mainly found in Australia & are mainly known as a desert bird. Cockatiel are part of the parrot family with a variety of color patterns & a crest. They are attractive as well as friendly, gentle & easy to tame.

The cockatiel is the only member of the genus Nymphicus. It was previously considered a parrot or small cockatoo, more recent studies have assigned it to the Cockatoo subfamily Calyptorhynchinae. It is now classified as the smallest of the Cacatuidae (Cockatoo family). Cockatiels are native to the outback regions of inland Australia & are found in the wetlands & bush lands. Largely nomadic, the species will move to where food & water are available. They feed either on the ground or in trees & always in numbers. Cockatiels roost in trees near water & travel from these areas in large flocks to feeding grounds.

The Cockatiel's distinctive crest expresses the animal's state of being. The crest is dramatically vertical when the cockatiel is startled or excited & flattened close to the head when the animal is angry or defensive. The crest is also held flat but protrudes outward in the back when the cockatiel is flirtatious. The Cockatiel has long tail feathers roughly making up half of its total length. The "Normal Grey" or "Wild-type" cockatiel's plumage is primarily grey with +prominent white flashes on the outer edges of each wing. The face of the male is yellow or white, while the face of the female is primarily grey or light grey. Both sexes feature a round orange area on both ear areas, often referred to as "cheek patches." This orange colouration is generally vibrant in adult males & is often muted in females. Visual sexing is often possible with this variant of the bird.

Personality

Cockatiels are popular household pets in many parts of the world simply because they are gentle, elegant & do well in most home environments. The breed is naturally social & this trait extends to humans, as well other pets or birds. They are highly intellegent & easily engaged. The breed is not distructive in a home environment & many issues associated with problem birds, like loud noise or chewing are very minimal with cockatiels. They can be shy, but regular visiting will draw them out as they tend to be naturally friendly & curious.

The cockatiel is a "pet", in the truest sense of the word. Many actually love to be tickled behind the ears or under the chin. Cockatiels will often enjoy close physical interaction with their owners & will come looking for this affection. Males tend to be social to most they meet, while the females tend to be more reserved in their judgement towards new people & tend to be more selective with their company. As with all birds, couples will tend to be less interested in you than their partner, unless you give them both the attention they need as a pair.

Hand-raised cockatiels or early adoptions make for great pets & can be trained easily. Females are far less likely to be "talkers", so if you are interested in teaching your bird to speak, a male will be the better candidate (not always though - some females can be quite vocal & some males may not talk or sing).

Feeding

Cockatiels require a variety of foods, including vegetables, seeds, & fruits. There are many parrot diets on the market, some better than others. You can feed pellets up to 80-85%, but supplement with vegetables & other foods. Offer calcium in the form of a mineral block or cuttle bone placed in the cage. Always keep the water bowls clean. Human foods unsuitable or poisonous for them include dairy products, chocolate, sugared food, avocado, rhubarb, strawberries & no food that is spoiled, salty, greasy, alcoholic or candy. Avoid giving them cheese, yogurt or icecream, even if that is what they want to try. Birds are lactose intolerant & may get diarrhea from any dairy product.

For most parrots, nuts & peanuts are too high in fat & should only be given as a treat(rarely). Any vegetable that is meaty, dark green, orange, or yellow (high in vitamin A) such as: carrots; sweet potatoes; beets; broccoli; legumes; frozen mixed vegetables; kale; greens (not iceberg lettuce); green peppers; zucchini & other squashes; asparagus; ripe tomatoes; dried hot peppers; sprouts-bean or alfalfa; spinach; Brussels sprouts. Fruits like apples; pears; peaches; bananas; berries; kiwi; citrus; pomegranate; grapes; raisins & other dried fruit can be diced & spinked over a pellet mix. Unsweetened breakfast cereals, puffed rice or wheat; dry or cooked pasta; corn on the cob, cooked rice, barley, corn, or oatmeal; wheat bread; taco shells; corn chips; popcorn; unsalted crackers; are all nice treats that will be willingly accepted. Give seed mixtures only as a partial carbohydrate source.

Training & Behavior

Cockatiels are easily trained & often learn to speak. Males have great vocal abilities & females are usually fairly quiet. Whistling & mimicking other bird calls comes natural to them so picking up a tune comes easy. "Cat calls" or simple songs are a favorite game for you to teach your bird. They have a loud, shrill call sometimes, but mostly the cockatiel is fairly calm & not reguarded as a "noisy" breed. Like all vocal birds, they tend to sing or talk at differnt periods throughout the day. Mid to late evening is a great time for you to engage your bird for talking, singing or whislting lessons. Most social birds enjoy being intimate late afternoon or late evening, the quiet times before nap time.

Cockatiels can be very endearing & will enjoy spending time with you throughout your day. Cockatiels love water & bathing so don't be shocked if your buddy wants to join you for a shower or play under a sink tap. A fine mist bath with a plant sprayer is a great favorite. They are also likely to try to join you for a sample of your meal if they get the chance. They are a curious bird that will tend to investigate what it is that you are up to by joining in.

Cockatiels rarely bite (small beak-gentle bite) & will be more likely to hiss or flee if confronted with a situation they don't care for. The mild temperament makes them ideal for homes with children. Even if they try to bite, it will likely be more like a fit than an attack & rarely will you be hurt. * Big beek = big hurt! - Ever heard the term "pecking order"? A bird's weapon is their beek - the biggest 'peck' goes first! - Cockatiels: small beek = small bite.

Cockatiels, as with all pet birds, should get flying time everyday to keep them exercised & healthy! If you desire a bird for your home that is free of a cage & allowed to roam, then a cockatiel is a good choice. Be aware that birds behave much like pet dogs - if the bird is free about the house - make sure your home is secure (window screens) & that you enter & leave quickly. Your pet may be upset that you are leaving & want to come(they can tell). Your bird may have been waiting for you to get home & will hurry to see you & simply dart past you out the door without meaning to leave you. Once outside, birds panic because of the unknown environment & fly! Most pet birds are lost simply because they got out the door trying to be with you!

Cockatiels are ground feeders in the wild & tend to spend lot of time on the cage floor so a wide cage is better than a tall one. When it comes to cages, the biggest one that you can afford & fit through your door is best. Cockatiels are medium sized birds & made for 'tiel cages usually have a moderately thick wire and a 5/8 -- 3/4 inch bar spacing. They can also be kept safely in big budgie cages as the finer wire & smaller spacing doesn't cause any problems. Wider bar spacing can be a safety hazard though. They can get their heads through, turn a little & find themselves caught with no idea how to get back out.

Cockatiel cages are on the larger size & will be regarded as 'home' even if the bird is allowed out all day. Furnish your cage with toys, food & water bowls as you would a house for a cage dweller. Many roaming cockatiels will tend to stay near their home base & will loiter on top of the cage as much as in it. Cages need perches of approximately 1/2" in diametre & should be varied. Best perches are natural wood branches from species such as apple, alder, beech, maple, eucalyptus or citrus trees (do not use cherry or oak - toxic)

Breeding

Cockatiels are usually physically able to breed between 9 & 12 months. You should not let birds breed until they have matured. They may not sit properly or care for their babies, the hen may suffer egg-binding (often fatal), or lay abnormal eggs because her system isn't ready yet. They are very likely to compromise their own health because they devote their energy to laying eggs & raising babies rather then finishing their own growth. Females should be at least 18 months old & males at least a year (breeding takes less out of males). Delay breeding until your birds have matured both physically & mentally.

Like other parrot breeds, sexing birds is always a problem – males & females an look alike. Ask your pet retailer for more information as even trained professionals can get sexing wrong - especially difficult are the all yellow or white feathered (carmino). If you have a mating pair, lovebirds breed well in captivity.

Cockatiels will breed at any time of year given favorable conditions. They want 10-12 hours of daylight or bright artificial light, abundant water for drinking & bathing, an abundant supply of food including the soft foods & fresh foods necessary for feeding to their babies. Simple cardboard or wood boxes can be placed in a cage & will be adopted as a nest. The box should be approximately 1 cubic foot to allow for parents & chicks. Fill the box with several inches of pine shavings or shredded paper to keep the eggs from rolling around.

It is recommended to only allow your bird to produce no more than two clutches per year. More often than not, hens will get started on laying a new clutch while they still have chicks in the nest box. If this happens, you may want to consider pulling the chicks so that the parents can concentrate on the new clutch; or at least provide supplemental feedings to them - remove the nest if chicks are sizeable to interupt this phase. Males will become the primary life-giver should the female not be present & they play an active part in feeding & raising the young. During a breeding period, cockatiels will become defensive of the nest & likely become less tame towards you.

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