Will birds get scared if their cage is too big?

Question

I have 3 budgies. I was at a pet store today and thinking of buying them this large cage I saw there as their current ones are quite small. It was about 1meter long, 2meters high and 80cms wide. However, a staff member said that the cage is too big for budgies as they will feel insecure with all the open space.
Is this true? Can a cage really be TOO big?

Link H · Accepted Answer

birds like big spaces to fly in, but many like small spaces in which to live and hide. you can make a big cage seem smaller by partitioning with perches and toys, but you can't make a small cage seem bigger.  I'd go with the bigger cage.  You can always get more birds if it seems too empty.

Make sure they cant stick their heads between the bars.

Colette · Answer

It depends on the bird and to some extent, the species.  As an example, Pacific Parrotlets usually do quite well in very large cages but there are individuals that are overwhelmed by too much space.  On the flip side, Green Rump Parrotlets are quite OFTEN overwhelmed by too large a cage and will tend to stay in one spot - though there are some that are okay with all the space.  People automatically assume that just because a bird's natural habitat is the wide-open skies that a caged bird will react similarly and that's far from the truth.

Three budgies would *probably* enjoy a large cage, particularly if they are caged together.  But keep an eye on them and if they appear to be overwhelmed by a too-large cage, be prepared to put them into a smaller cage.

To address the "other" size issue, bar spacing for budgies should be no wider than 1/2" mid-bar to mid-bar.  

Colette
ParrotletsPlus
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ParrotletsPlus/

galapagos6 · Answer

The cage can't be too big.  Its the bar spacing that you have to worry about.  You don't want the bird to get its head stuck in the bars of the cage or to be able to escape.
I can be hard to find a really nice sized cage for a parakeet or finches in pet stores because of this.
I have a small parrot and am running into the same issues.

Barb · Answer

Any bird can get use to a bigger cage I think they would love more room to get around in. They might be a little scared at first but they will love it when it is theirs.

I love my mutts~ · Answer

Birds naturally live in the wild with lots of open space. So I'd say no and that the staff member probably had no idea what he was talking about.

Anonymous · Answer

When it comes to cages, the bigger, the better!

m · Answer

if you clip their wings they probly will hate it because if hey fall from a high spot, they can really hurt themselves. if you do not clip the wings then they would love it!! it also would keep them less bored during the day while your at work or something

Will birds get scared if their cage is too big?

7 Answers