Cage & aviary
size guide
Minimum and recommended dimensions by species, scaled to the number of birds, with bar spacing and flight length.
Minimum means the smallest a bird should be housed in permanently, not the smallest it will survive in. Length matters more than height for every species that flies horizontally.
width × depth × height, cm
Below this the bird cannot open both wings, and behavioural problems follow. Acceptable as a hospital or transport cage only.
width × depth × height, cm
Every species in the guide
| Species | Group | Minimum | Recommended | Bar spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canary | Finches & canaries | 60 × 40 × 45 | 100 × 50 × 60 | 10–12 mm |
| Zebra / Society Finch | Finches & canaries | 60 × 40 × 40 | 120 × 50 × 50 | 10 mm |
| Gouldian Finch | Finches & canaries | 80 × 45 × 45 | 150 × 60 × 60 | 10 mm |
| Budgerigar | Small parrots | 60 × 45 × 60 | 120 × 60 × 90 | 12 mm |
| Bourke's / Neophema | Small parrots | 80 × 50 × 60 | 180 × 80 × 100 | 12 mm |
| Cockatiel | Small parrots | 80 × 60 × 90 | 150 × 75 × 120 | 14–16 mm |
| Lovebirds | Small parrots | 80 × 60 × 80 | 150 × 70 × 100 | 12–14 mm |
| Green-cheeked Conure | Conures | 90 × 70 × 100 | 180 × 90 × 140 | 16–19 mm |
| Sun Conure | Conures | 100 × 80 × 120 | 200 × 100 × 160 | 19 mm |
| Quaker / Monk | Conures | 90 × 70 × 100 | 180 × 90 × 140 | 16–19 mm |
| Indian Ringneck | Asiatic parakeets | 120 × 80 × 120 | 250 × 100 × 180 | 19–22 mm |
| Alexandrine Parakeet | Asiatic parakeets | 150 × 90 × 140 | 300 × 120 × 200 | 22 mm |
| Eclectus | Large parrots | 120 × 90 × 150 | 200 × 120 × 200 | 22–25 mm |
| African Grey | Large parrots | 100 × 80 × 140 | 180 × 110 × 190 | 22–25 mm |
| Blue & Gold Macaw | Macaws | 150 × 120 × 200 | 300 × 180 × 250 | 25–32 mm |
What the numbers do not tell you
Length, then depth, then height
Parrots and finches fly horizontally. A tall narrow cage of the same volume as a long low one is worth far less. Buy the longest cage that fits the room.
Bar spacing is a safety figure
Too wide and a head goes through. Too narrow for a large parrot and the bars bend. Match the species rather than the cage price.
Perch variety over perch count
Three perches of different diameters beat six identical dowels. Natural branch prevents the pressure sores that dowel causes.
Group size is not linear
Ten birds need more than five times the space of two, because dominance disputes need escape routes. Add feeders and perch levels as well as floor area.
Map your rows and cages once, then log against them.
See how the app does it