To Tweet, or Not to Tweet

When you are thinking of getting a pet, you could also consider adopting a bird friend.  Of course most people think of a dog or cat when considering pet ownership, but birds can be loving, affectionate, and very interesting companions as well.   Birds are unlike dogs and cats and need very different care, but they too have unique personalities.  They can have their temper tantrums where they squawk like crazy, or they can cuddle and kiss you when in an affectionate mood. 

Selecting a bird, however, can be a huge investment in time.   The most important consideration in narrowing your options will most like be the average lifespan of the bird you choose.   Although some birds, like the little canary, live only about five to six years, others like the African Parrot can live up to 50 years, while even larger, more robust birds larger birds can keep tweeting their way into their 90s.  This means you must take into mind your own personal circumstances, and VERY carefully weigh your options.

Here is a sampling of popular pet bird types you may want to consider:

Canary

There are many varieties of canary including the Yellow Canary, the Red Factor Canary and the Crested Canary.  Although canaries can make great pets, they do not like a lot of handling.  These birds are generally kept to be looked at within their cage element and heard for their beautiful singing.  Canaries are active and amusing little birds, and the males tend to have a soothing song. It is best to be careful when mixing varieties because all breeds do not get along together. The canary has a very active metabolism and needs to be fed regularly, as they could starve to death in as little as 24 hours if they do not eat.  

Female canaries usually live 5-6 years, while the male lifespan averages around a decade.

Cockatiels

As with the canary, cockatiels also have various sub-groups, the most common being the Grey Cockatiel.  They are smaller members of the parrot family with brilliant colors and patterns.  They are easy to train, relatively small in size (averaging about 12 inches in length) and make excellent pets.  They are gentle, docile, inquisitive and friendly to both humans and other birds.  These birds also have the ability to be talkers and whistlers.

The average life span of a cockatiel, if cared for properly, is about 30 years.

Cockatoo

Cockatoos are extremely social birds, which is the appeal of having them as pets.  These birds are loving, affectionate, mischievous and playful.  They need to be played with, held and petted by their owners.  They need a great deal of socialization and stimulation on a daily basis in order for them to be happy and healthy.  Sometimes, these birds can become one-person oriented.  They are not normally loud or noisy birds, but will respond when startled or something unusual occurs.  

The Cockatoo is a long living bird, and can survive up to 70 years. 

Finch

The finch is a small colorful bird that makes quite a beautiful little pet.  As with other birds, finches have many sub-varieties, the most popular being the Zebra Finch, an active, hardy finch which is easy to breed in captivity.

Finches typically do not like to be handled and can live up to five years.  They, like the canary, are kept to be looked at and heard, with males believed to have a soothing song.  They are social birds that like to be kept in a community setting, so having multiple birds in one cage would be advised. They also needed feeding regularly.        

The finch has a wide ranging lifespan.   This bird will live for anywhere between 5 and 15 years.

Lovebird

This type of bird is a smaller version from the parrot family, with colorful plumage and patterns.  The average size is 4-6 inches in length and they are relatively easy to train.  Common varieties of the domestic lovebird are the Peach-faced, Fisher, and Masked, with the most common being the Peach-faced Lovebird.

They do not like to be with mixed varieties of other birds or even other varieties of Lovebirds.  Although you can keep the same variety of Lovebirds in pairs, single Lovebirds tend to be more affectionate and less noisy.   They enjoy being picked up, petted and stroked on a daily basis. These birds are generally inquisitive and friendly to humans when kept as a singly.  They are largely territorial and do best when kept as a single pet bird with their wings kept clipped.

Lovebirds are some of the sturdiest birds around and can live up to 20 years, or more if properly cared for.

Parakeet

Again, this bird is a smaller member of the Parrot family.  It has striking colors and is relatively easy to train, making it one of the more popular bird pets.  Some Parakeets can be trained to talk.  They can have large vocabularies and can sometimes whistle short tunes.  Parakeets are social birds and love companionship.  They also like to be kept in a colony setting.    They  have very active metabolisms and need to be fed regularly to keep them from starving.

If properly cared for, Parakeets can live up to 20 years. 

Macaw

There are several varieties of this member of the Parrot family.  They are a medium to large bird which can measure anywhere from 12-34 inches long, and are brightly colored. 

Macaws are intelligent birds that can be trained to do tricks.  They are not, however, great talkers although sometimes they can be trained to have limited speech.  Like other large birds, they are confident and typically do not mind being held by strangers.

This breed of bird tends to bond with one person or a given territory.  They need a great deal of socialization and stimulation to be happy and healthy in the family setting.

Macaws can live to anywhere between 40 and 90 years.

Parrot

There are two main groups of Parrots, the African Parrot, which is divided into two sub-groups, the Congo African Grey, which has a solid black beak, grey feathering and a bright red tail, and the Timneh African Grey whose beak is dark black with a pink cast, has darker grey feathering and a maroon tail.  This bird measures about 10 inches long and weighs about 10 ounces.

The African Grey Parrot is known for its talking ability.  They are not cuddly birds and tend to spook easily.  Although they will endure being handled and pet, they do not really enjoy it.  These birds tend to bond more with one person or territory.  They require a great deal of socialization and stimulation to stay happy and healthy in the family environment.

Dove

There are many varieties of doves that vary in color.  The White Dove is most well-known, but another popular variety is the Ring-Neck Dove which is light grey in color.  It is not a good idea to mix varieties of doves, as all varieties do not get along well together.

Doves are docile, gentle and hardy birds that do not like to be handled much.  These are birds that are more often kept to be looked at and for their soothing song.   Doves are social birds that like to be kept in a like-typed colony setting. 

If cared for properly, doves can live up to 15 years.

Lifespans of Popular Birds Back