Room to move
Choose the largest safe cage you can reasonably provide. Length and usable flight space matter, especially for canaries and finches. Use species-appropriate bar spacing, secure doors and several natural perches of varied diameters.
A prepared home makes every arrival easier
Healthy routines from day one
Bird Care Guides
Practical preparation and everyday-care guidance for canaries, finches and companion parrots.
General education only — always follow the advice of your avian veterinarian.01Prepare first
Set up the cage, food, water and a calm room before your bird arrives.
02Observe closely
Track eating, drinking, droppings, breathing, activity and body weight.
03Know your vet
Choose an avian veterinarian before an urgent problem happens.
The first 72 hours
Give your new bird a quiet beginning.
- Prepare a calm room.Keep the cage away from kitchens, smoke, sprays, direct air vents, loud traffic and unsupervised pets.
- Offer familiar food and fresh water.A sudden diet change can add stress. Ask what the bird has been eating and make any transition gradually with veterinary guidance.
- Allow time to settle.Use a gentle voice, predictable movements and limited handling at first. Never force interaction.
- Book an avian examination.Arrange a checkup as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours, even when the bird appears healthy.
- Protect other birds.Keep a new bird in a separate room for 30–45 days and follow your avian veterinarian’s testing and introduction plan.
Everyday essentials
Build a safe, consistent routine.
Safe and social
Place the cage where the bird can be part of household life without being trapped in constant noise. Avoid drafts, direct midday sun, radiators, kitchens and rooms with chemical fumes.
Fresh every day
Wash food and water dishes daily, replace soiled cage paper, remove spoiled fresh food promptly and clean perches and cage surfaces with bird-safe methods. Never mix cleaning products around birds.
Quiet nights
Provide a predictable dark, quiet sleep period. Avoid repeatedly waking the bird with television, music or bright lights, and ask your avian veterinarian about the routine appropriate for the species.
Nutrition
Seeds alone are rarely a complete diet.
Companion parrots
For many parrots, an avian veterinarian may recommend a quality formulated diet as the foundation, supported by washed vegetables, selected fruit and healthy grains. Nuts and seeds are often best used in controlled amounts for training and enrichment.
African Greys, Cockatoos, Macaws, Ringnecks, Conures, Cockatiels, Budgies and Lovebirds have different nutritional needs, so use a species-specific plan.
Canaries and finches
Offer a balanced, species-appropriate diet rather than relying only on a plain seed mix. Depending on the species and veterinary advice, this may include a formulated food or quality seed program, leafy greens, small portions of other fresh foods and an appropriate calcium source.
Provide clean water at all times and a bird bath regularly. White and Red Factor canaries may have particular nutritional considerations.
Keep these hazards away
Never offer avocado, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol. Protect birds from tobacco smoke, aerosol sprays, perfumes, pesticides, overheated non-stick cookware and other chemical fumes. When unsure about a food, plant, toy or cleaning product, ask an avian veterinarian before exposure.
Movement & enrichment
Healthy birds need more than a beautiful cage.
For parrots
- Rotate bird-safe chew toys, climbing opportunities and simple puzzles.
- Encourage foraging by making a small portion of food safe and interesting to find.
- Provide patient, reward-based training and daily social interaction.
- Offer supervised out-of-cage exercise in a secured room with closed doors and windows.
For canaries and finches
- Prioritize horizontal flight space and clear routes between perches.
- Offer safe swings, fresh bathing water and varied natural perches.
- Learn the species’ social needs before housing birds together; crowding or incompatible birds can cause stress and aggression.
- Do not assume that a quiet bird is content—observe activity, appetite and posture every day.
Care by bird group
Different birds, different priorities.
Canaries & finches
Favor a long flight cage, small safe bar spacing, multiple perches and a stable environment. Many canaries are territorial, while many finches benefit from compatible companions. Never combine birds without researching the exact species.
Budgies, Cockatiels & Lovebirds
These active parrots need safe chewing materials, climbing, social time and room for flight. Watch small bar spacing and toy parts carefully, and avoid an all-seed diet.
Ringnecks & Conures
Provide daily training, foraging, sturdy toys and respectful interaction. These intelligent birds can become loud or destructive when bored, frightened or under-stimulated.
African Greys, Cockatoos & Macaws
Large parrots require substantial space, strong species-safe equipment, extensive enrichment and a long-term care plan. Their intelligence and longevity make daily social, behavioral and veterinary support essential.
When to call a veterinarian
Birds often hide illness.
Contact an avian veterinarian promptly if you notice a persistent fluffed posture, sitting on the cage floor, closed or dull eyes, weakness, reduced eating or drinking, vomiting, major droppings changes, bleeding, discharge, sudden weight loss, open-mouth breathing, tail bobbing or an injury.
Breathing difficulty, collapse, heavy bleeding, poisoning or severe trauma is an emergency. Do not wait for an online reply, and do not give human medication unless a veterinarian instructs you to do so.
Find an avian veterinarian ↗Trusted care resources
Learn from avian professionals.
This guide was developed from widely used avian-care principles. It does not replace an individual veterinary plan.
Need help preparing?
Ask about your bird before arrival.
Tell us the species you are welcoming and we will share the current diet and practical arrival information available for that bird.