Budgies are one of the most popular pet birds in the world?and for good reason. They?re small, relatively low-maintenance and incredibly social. With regular interaction, they can learn to talk and perform tricks. Their cheerful chirping and colourful feathers make them a joy to have around.

Buy a good quality Budgerigar mixture in a bag or packet ? not a loose mixture whose age and origin is unknown and which could have been contaminated. In addition offer a millet spray at least twice a week and apple and/or greenfood daily.

When available seeding grasses, seeding dock and chickweed, and young leaves of dandelion and smooth sowthistle are excellent additions to the diet, providing elements, such as Vitamin A, that are not present in seed.

Cultivated greenfoods such as spinach or spinach beet and rocket are also suitable, as is broccoli. A piece of carrot wedged in the bars might also be appreciated.

All these foods should be offered at the time of acquisition because older birds might be reluctant to sample them. Grit should always be available, also an iodine nibble because Budgies are susceptible to thyroid problems.

1. Small Size & Easy Care

Budgies are compact and don?t require a lot of space, making them ideal for flats or homes with limited room. Their cages, toys and food are generally affordable and widely available.

2. Friendly & Social

They?re naturally social birds that enjoy interaction. With gentle, regular handling, Budgies become affectionate and bond closely with their owners.

3. Easy to Train

Budgies are smart and can learn to mimic sounds, whistle tunes and even talk with a surprisingly large vocabulary for their size. They also pick up tricks quickly, making training a fun, rewarding experience.

4. Cheerful & Entertaining

Their playful nature and constant curiosity make them a joy to watch. Whether they?re swinging, climbing or chirping away, Budgies bring a lively energy to any home.

5. Low Maintenance Compared to Larger Parrots

While they do need attention and stimulation, Budgies are less demanding than larger Parrot species in terms of diet, space and time commitment.

6. Great for Beginners

Because of their manageable care requirements and sweet disposition, budgies are often recommended as a first bird for new pet owners.

Budgies combine charm, intelligence and companionship in a small, easy-to-care-for package, making them one of the most beloved pet birds worldwide.

Lifespan: 5-10 years

Cockatiels are known for their sweet nature and expressive crests. They enjoy human interaction and can whistle tunes or mimic simple sounds. They?re less demanding than larger Parrots but still thrive on daily attention and playtime.

A Cockatiel?s diet should be as varied as possible, like every other Parrot?s diet. Pellets or complete food needs to be the base diet, approximately 60-80%, with the remainder being seed, fruits, nuts, vegetables, sprouting seed and other treats.

You can hide food in toys to encourage your Cockatiel to forage for food or place them in their feeding dish.

1. Gentle and Affectionate

Cockatiels are known for their calm, friendly nature. They often enjoy cuddling, head scratches and spending time with their humans. With regular handling they become very tame and trusting.

2. Easy to Train

They?re intelligent and eager to please, making them relatively easy to train. Cockatiels can learn to step up, whistle tunes and even mimic simple words or sounds like microwave beeps or phone ringtones.

3. Expressive and Entertaining

With their crest feathers, body language and cheerful whistles, Cockatiels are great at expressing their moods. They love toys, mirrors and foraging, and their playful antics are fun to watch.

4. Quieter Than Many Parrots

While they do make sounds, Cockatiels are quieter than many other Parrot species. Their vocalizations are typically melodic and pleasant rather than loud or harsh.

5. Social but Not Needy

Cockatiels enjoy companionship but are generally content spending some time alone during the day. This balance makes them well-suited for people with a regular work schedule.

6. Long-Term Companions

They live 15?25 years on average, offering a long and rewarding relationship for those who care for them properly.

Cockatiels are affectionate, trainable and low-maintenance birds that offer big personality in a manageable size. Their gentle nature and charming whistles make them ideal for both first-time and experienced bird owners.

Caiques are best for active, experienced bird owners who can keep up with their high energy and strong personalities. With the right care and stimulation, they?re one of the most fun and engaging Parrot species to live with.

In addition to the usual seed and/or pellets, Caiques eat a lot of fruit. They enjoy apples (including the pips, which are not harmful), sweet oranges, sweet grapes (preferably black), pears and, in season, cherries and pomegranates.

Tropical fruits such as guavas, mangos and passion fruits add variety. They love seasonal soft fruits such as raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries and cranberries. Note the hazards involved in feeding elderberries and blackberries unless you want your walls dyed black! Hawthorn berries are relished.

1. Exceptionally Playful and Fun

Caiques are natural-born clowns. They love to roll on their backs, hop around, and play with toys (and people). Their joyful, bouncy energy brings nonstop entertainment to any home.

2. Highly Social and Engaging

These birds crave interaction and love being in the centre of activity. They enjoy human companionship and often seek out attention, making them great for people who want a hands-on, involved pet.

3. Smart and Trainable

Caiques are intelligent and can learn tricks and behaviours with positive reinforcement. Their curiosity and eagerness to explore make them quick learners and fun to train.

4. Moderately Sized but Full of Personality

They?re a medium-small parrot (around 9?10 inches), so they don?t need as much space as a macaw?but they pack in as much personality as the big guys.

5. Entertaining Without Being Too Loud

Although they can be vocal, Caiques aren't as loud or harsh as larger parrots. Their sounds are more playful?whistles, squawks, and odd mechanical noises?rather than constant screaming.

6. Long Lifespan

With proper care, Caiques can live 25?30 years or more, offering a long-term, deeply rewarding companionship.

Caiques make a good pet for energetic, engaged owners who want a bold, affectionate, and endlessly entertaining bird. They require time, attention, and structure?but in return, they provide a one-of-a-kind personality and a house full of laughter.

Quaker parrots are affectionate, intelligent, talkative and full of personality. They do best with engaged owners who can provide attention, training and enrichment. In return, they offer a deep bond, endless entertainment and a very talkative little friend.

These Quakers readily accept a varied diet that should comprise about 60% seed, dry and soaked or sprouted and 40% fresh fruits, berries and vegetables.

A good proportion of the diet can consist of wild foods such as hawthorn berries, blackberries, willow catkins, young leaves of dandelion and smooth sow thistle and cultivated foods such as cotoneaster berries, flowers such as nasturtium, plus of course, the usual fruits including pomegranate, also soaked dried figs.

1. Outstanding Talkers for Their Size

Quakers are among the best talkers in the small-to-medium Parrot category. They can develop a large vocabulary, mimic voices and sounds clearly, and often talk in context once bonded to their owners.

2. Highly Intelligent and Trainable

They are quick learners and enjoy solving puzzles, learning tricks, and interacting with their environment. Their intelligence makes them fun to train and mentally stimulating to have around.

3. Strong, Loyal Bonds with Their Owners

Quakers tend to form very close attachments to their chosen person or family. They?re affectionate, love head scratches and will often want to be involved in whatever you?re doing.

4. Playful and Comical Personality

They are curious and full of personality. Many Quakers are little comedians, entertaining their humans with their antics, voices and interactions.

5. Moderate Size, Manageable Needs

At about 11?12 inches long, they?re a good middle ground?not as demanding as large Parrots, but more interactive than smaller species like Budgies. They need stimulation, but their care is manageable with daily attention.

6. Known for Nest-Building Behavior

One unique trait: Quakers love to build! Even in captivity, they?ll often collect objects to create little "nests" or forts, which can be cute and fascinating to watch.

7. Long Lifespan

With good care, Quakers can live 20?30 years, making them a long-term companion.

Quaker Parrots are intelligent, loving, and vocal companions who thrive on interaction and stimulation. They?re a great choice for owners ready to invest time, training and affection?and who want a clever, chatty friend for years to come.

• These little clowns are full of personality. Green-cheeked Conures are quieter than other Conures, making them a good choice for apartment dwellers. They love to snuggle and can form strong bonds with their owners, but they do need plenty of stimulation and toys to stay happy.

These Conures readily accept a varied diet that should comprise about 60% seed, dry and soaked or sprouted, and 40% fresh fruits, berries and vegetables. A good proportion of the diet can consist of wild foods such as hawthorn berries, blackberries, willow catkins, young leaves of dandelion and smooth sowthistle, and cultivated foods such as cotoneaster berries, flowers such as nasturtium, plus of course, the usual fruits including pomegranate, also soaked dried figs.

Green-cheeked Conures have a passion for fresh green leaves. The most nutritious dark green leaves that you can purchase are spinach, spinach beet and Swiss chard and rocket. During the winter months you can grow rocket, mustard and cress and milk thistle in little punnets.

Fresh green food is so important to these birds! Soaked and sprouted seeds are also important. A number of mixtures for soaking are available. They vary in quality. Some contain items that few, if any, Parrots will eat, such as dried fruits which are most unappealing when soaked and nutritionally useless when dry (too much sugar).

1. Friendly and Affectionate

Green-cheeked Conures are known for being sweet and cuddly. They often enjoy snuggling into your neck or hanging out on your shoulder. With proper socialization, they form strong bonds with their humans.

2. Playful and Entertaining

They?re very active and love toys, climbing and goofing around. Their clownish behaviour and curious nature make them fun to interact with?and a joy to watch.

3. Quiet (for a Parrot)

Compared to other Conures, green-cheeks are relatively quiet. They do vocalize and may squawk when excited, but their volume is much more manageable than larger parrots.

4. Intelligent and Trainable

These Conures are smart and enjoy learning tricks and commands. They respond well to positive reinforcement training and can learn to wave, spin and even use simple cues.

5. Compact Size, Big Personality

At around 10 inches long, they?re small enough to be manageable in most homes, but they have the outgoing personality of a much larger bird. Their size makes them easier to house, feed and travel with.

6. Social but Not Overly Needy

Green-cheeked Conures enjoy attention, but they?re not as demanding as some larger Parrots. They can be content playing independently for short periods if they have enough stimulation.

7. Long Lifespan for Their Size

They typically live 20?30 years with proper care, giving owners a long and rewarding relationship.

Green-cheeked Conures are affectionate, fun-loving, and relatively low-maintenance compared to other parrots. They make an excellent pet for people who want a smart, loving bird that?s full of personality?but not overwhelming in terms of noise or care needs.

Senegal Parrots are smart, steady and sweet-natured birds. Their quiet charm, strong loyalty and balanced energy level make them ideal for owners who want an affectionate companion without the high-maintenance needs of larger or louder parrots. With good socialization and care, they are loving and entertaining lifelong friends.

If introduced to variety at an early age, Senegal's will eat a wide range of items. The following can be offered: a Parakeet mixture, with soaked or sprouted sunflower seed (white or striped) offered separately.

A pelleted diet can be fed instead of seed, as most Senegal?s readily accept this. Fruit should form about 30% of the diet, especially pomegranates, grapes and orange.

Vegetables are relished, notably green beans, green peas, carrot (par-boiled), celery, fresh corn and thawed frozen sweet corn. For breeding birds cooked beans and pulses and boiled maize are valuable.

As a treat, warm, cooked pasta, cubes of hard cheese and dry or semi-sweet biscuits can be given, also a cooked chicken bone with no sharp surfaces. In autumn, berries of hawthorn will be relished.

1. Calm and Gentle Nature

Senegals are known for their laid-back, even-tempered personality. They?re generally less hyper or demanding than some other Parrot species, making them easier to live with day-to-day.

2. Affectionate and Loyal

They bond closely with their chosen person and can be very cuddly and loving. Many enjoy sitting quietly with their humans, snuggling or gently preening.

3. Intelligent and Curious

Senegals are smart and enjoy foraging, solving puzzles and learning tricks. They thrive on mental stimulation and respond well to training, often with a calm focus.

4. Relatively Quiet for a Parrot

One of the quietest medium-sized parrots, Senegals don?t scream often and typically have soft vocalizations. This makes them ideal for apartments or homes where noise is a concern.

5. Manageable Size and Care Needs

At about 9 inches long, Senegal Parrots are compact and don?t require massive cages or intense maintenance. Their care needs are more manageable than many larger Parrots.

6. Playful but Not Overly Demanding

They enjoy toys, climbing and interacting, but they?re not as constantly energetic or attention-seeking as some birds. They?re content with regular interaction and a bit of independent play.

7. Good Lifespan and Companionship

With proper care, Senegals can live 25-30 years, offering a long-term, emotionally rewarding relationship.

Senegal Parrots make great pets for those looking for a calm, intelligent and affectionate bird that isn?t too loud or high-maintenance. Their steady temperament, strong bond with humans, and quiet nature make them especially well-suited for individuals, couples or quieter households.

Eclectus Parrots are calm, intelligent and emotionally sensitive companions. They?re ideal for patient, gentle owners who can provide a stable environment, rich enrichment and respectful handling. With the right care, they become deeply bonded, expressive and fascinating lifelong companions.

This is a subject of overriding importance where Eclectus are concerned. They are not tolerant to incorrect feeding and will succumb after a few years on a bad diet. Before buying an Eclectus please ask yourself honestly if you will have the time and dedication to prepare the soft foods necessary. Seed should form only a small part of the diet.

1. Striking Appearance

Few Parrots are as visually stunning as the Eclectus. Males are a bright emerald green with orange beaks, while females are deep red and purple?a rare case of extreme sexual dimorphism in parrots. Their appearance alone makes them stand out.

2. Exceptionally Intelligent

Eclectus Parrots are very smart and observant. They enjoy learning new words, routines and even understanding some context. With patience, they can be trained to talk, perform tricks and interact thoughtfully with their environment.

3. Great Talkers

Both males and females are excellent mimics. They often speak clearly and love engaging in conversation. Many Eclectus owners say their birds learn to speak in full phrases and may use words appropriately.

4. Calm and Mellow Temperament

Compared to many other Parrots, Eclectus are generally quiet and relaxed. They enjoy companionship but aren?t usually clingy or hyperactive. This makes them great for people who want a calm, beautiful bird that isn?t too overwhelming.

5. Affectionate but Independent

They form strong bonds with their owners but also enjoy time alone with toys or foraging activities. They don't demand constant attention like some parrots, which makes them easier to care for in a calm, routine-oriented household.

6. Quiet (For a Large Parrot)

Eclectus Parrots are not prone to frequent screaming. While they can make loud calls occasionally, they are generally among the quieter large Parrots?great for people who want a large bird but live in quieter environments.

7. Long Lifespan

Eclectus Parrots can live 30?50 years with proper care, offering a long-term relationship full of companionship, bonding, and learning.

Eclectus Parrots make great pets for patient, gentle owners looking for a quiet, intelligent and beautiful bird. They?re ideal for calm homes where they can get routine interaction, a proper diet and mental stimulation. With the right care, they reward their humans with deep affection and remarkable companionship.

Amazon Parrots are bold and full of life. They love to sing, talk and be the centre of attention. However, they can be loud and occasionally moody, so they?re best suited for owners who can handle their strong personalities.

Fruit, vegetables and cooked or soaked pulses (beans and peas) should comprise at least 40% of the diet. The rest should consist of a good quality seed mixture (with limited amounts of sunflower and preferably the peanuts removed for the wild birds) or perhaps pellets that do not contain artificial colours or flavouring.

As with all Parrots, items of fresh food high in Vitamin A should be favoured. These include par-boiled carrot, red bell pepper (cooked or raw), broccoli and cooked sweet potato.

Whole young plants of dandelion and sow thistle are very valuable from spring to autumn and seeding dock is excellent during summer and early autumn. Hawthorn berries will be relished. Items from the table such as meat bones (with no sharp edges) and cooked potato are often relished, also cubes of hard cheese. Bones and cheese provide some calcium.

1. Extremely Intelligent and Quick Learners

Amazons are among the smartest Parrot species. They love learning tricks, solving puzzles and participating in interactive games. Their intelligence keeps them mentally active and makes them highly trainable.

2. Outstanding Talkers and Vocal Mimics

Many Amazon Parrots develop large vocabularies and speak with clarity and expression. Some can even mimic tone and context?often becoming the ?life of the party? with their entertaining chatter.

3. Bold, Fun, and Full of Personality

Amazons are charismatic birds. They?re confident, often goofy and love attention. They?ll dance to music, clown around, and show off?keeping their humans constantly entertained.

4. Affectionate and Social

They form strong bonds with their caregivers and thrive on human interaction. While some Amazons can be one-person birds, many enjoy socializing with multiple members of the household if properly socialized.

5. Long Lifespan

Amazon parrots can live 40-70 years, making them true lifetime companions. With good care, they stay healthy and active for decades, forming deep bonds with their families.

6. Great for Active Households

Because they?re playful and energetic, Amazons do well in homes where they get plenty of stimulation toys and interaction. They enjoy being part of the household "flock" and thrive with attention and activity.

While they make amazing pets, Amazon Parrots are no for everyone:

• They can be loud?especially during excitement or morning/evening vocal sessions.
• Some become territorial or hormonal during breeding season.
• Their intelligence means they need mental stimulation or they can become bored and destructive.

Amazon parrots are vibrant, intelligent and bright with bold personalities and excellent talking ability. They?re best suited to experienced or committed bird owners who can provide time, interaction, and enrichment. For those who can meet their needs, Amazons offer a lively, loving, and long-lasting friendship.

Often called the ?Einstein of the bird world,? African Greys are renowned for their cognitive abilities and speech mimicry. They require a lot of mental stimulation and emotional support. If you?re ready for a long-term commitment and daily interaction, they can be incredibly rewarding companions.

A Grey Parrot offered a seed mixture, plus apple, pear, grapes and orange, with a piece of biscuit or wholemeal bread, would be seriously deficient in the two most vital components of its diet ? calcium and Vitamin A.

For lots of African Grey food please click here.

A Parrot that eats carrot (par-boiled), raw or cooked red bell peppers (not chilli peppers), fresh apricots, dandelion roots and leaves would not suffer from a Vitamin A deficiency if several of these items were consumed daily. Or, if it refuses them, the simple addition of oil palm spread daily, perhaps on a piece of toast, will be even more valuable.

Exceptionally Intelligent

African Greys are famous for their cognitive abilities?on par with a 4?6 year-old child in some cases. They can understand words in context, solve puzzles and even show empathy or humour.

Studies (like those involving Dr. Irene Pepperberg?s African Grey, Alex) have proven their advanced reasoning and communication skills.

2. Best Talkers in the Parrot World

They?re known as the best mimics of human speech?clear, accurate and often with context. African Greys can learn hundreds of words and phrases, mimic voices and even use language to express needs or emotions.

3. Deep Bonding and Emotional Depth

African Greys are highly social and form strong bonds with their owners. They are affectionate, love interaction, and are very attuned to the moods of the people around them?often acting as emotional mirrors.

4. Trainable and Engaging

They thrive on mental stimulation. Greys excel at training, learning tricks and engaging in interactive games. They enjoy problem-solving toys, voice games and anything that makes them think.

5. Generally Quiet and Calm (When Content)

Though they can vocalize, Greys are not usually screamers. They?re more likely to chatter, whistle and mimic sounds than to shriek like some other Parrots. A well-adjusted Grey is often peaceful and focused.

6. Long Lifespan

African Greys can live 40 to 60 years (or more) with proper care, offering a deep, long-term bond for dedicated owners.

Important Considerations

While African Greys make excellent pets for the right person, they?re not for everyone:

• Emotionally sensitive ? Prone to stress and anxiety if neglected or overstimulated
• Demanding ? Require daily mental and social engagement
• Feather plucking ? A common sign of boredom or stress if needs aren?t met
• Not ideal for loud, chaotic homes ? They thrive in calm, stable environments

African Grey Parrots make for experienced or highly committed owners. Their intelligence, talking ability and emotional depth make them one of the most rewarding but demanding birds. With the right care and attention, they become remarkably loving, loyal and lifelong friends.