Most parrots are usually kept in cages. Engebretson (2006) explains that the reason why parrots are kept in cages is to protect them from predators, other household pets and from accidentally flying into a window or from biting on electrical cords. The adequate amount of space that a cage should provide for a bird is when a bird’s wing span and tail can move freely in the cage (Engebretson, 2006). Within cages, parrots can be housed alone or kept in pairs (Hoek and Cate, 1998).

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A bird cage sold in PetSmart which is a typical bird cage.

Another housing option for parrots are aviaries. However, pet parrots are usually kept in cages instead of aviaries, thus, I will be focusing on the welfare management of parrots kept in cages.

In a cage system, the placement of the perches is important of the welfare of the parrots. The perches should be placed at a height that is suitable for the birds. Moreover, the cages should be placed far from each other to allow parrots to fly from perch to perch. Parrots should also be free to sit and turn around on the perches without having their tail touch or rub against the the bars of the cage walls. The toes of the parrots should also be able to grip the perch without their toes overlapping. Birds that spend time on the cage floor should be given a floor that is non-slippery or abrasive (Kalmar et al., 2007).