The following are minimum guidelines only. In most cases, the larger the cage you can get, the better. Remember, your bird will spend a good deal of time in his/her cage (sometimes all the time) so it needs to be as spacious as possible.
Even though some birds are quite small, most are active and need the exercise afforded by a large cage to be healthy and happy. Also remember that birds with long tails need taller cages, to make sure they can get around their cage and not damage their tails.
Bar spacing is also important because inappropriate bar spacing can result in injury to your bird. Below are general guidelines for cage size and bar spacing for some common pet birds.
| Species | Minimum Cage Size | Bar Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| Finches | 18″x 30″x 18″ | 1/4″ to 1/2″ |
| Canaries | 18″x 24″x 18″ | 1/4″ to 1/2″ |
| Budgies | 18″x 18″x 24″ | 1/2″ |
| Cockatiels | 20″x 20″x 24″ | 1/2″ to 5/8″ |
| Lovebirds, Parrotlets | 24″x 24″x 24″ | 1/2″ |
| Ringneck, Parakeets | 24″x 24″x 36″ | 1/2″ to 5/8″ |
| Conures, Poicephalus | 24″x 24″x 24″ | 5/8″ to 3/4″ |
| Caiques, Pionus, Jardines | 24″ x 24″ x 36″ | 5/8″ to 3/4″ |
| Amazons, Mini Macaws, Small Cockatoos, African Greys | 36″ x 24″ x 48″ | 3/4″ to 1″ |
| Large Cockatoos | 40″ x 30″ x 48″ | 1″ to 1.5″ |
| Large Macaws | 48″ x 36″ 60″ | 1″ to 1.5″ |
| Doves, Pigeons | *see below | 1/2″ to 5/8″ |
*Doves need daily flight time so should either be kept in a flight cage or given daily flight time outside of the cage. With time outside of the cage for exercise, diamond doves can be kept in a cage 24” x 24” x 24” with bar spacing of no more than 1/2” and ringneck doves in a slightly larger cage, 36” x 24” x 24”. Pigeons are most often kept in outdoor flights but if kept indoors need a large cage and flight time as well.