Small pet birds are perfect for any bird enthusiast. They are low-maintenance and typically less expensive than their larger counterparts. Get to know the colorful personalities of the 10 most popular small pet birds.
10th Best Small Pet Bird – Cockatiel
Weight: 70–120 grams
Lifespan: 10–14 yearsThe ever-popular Cockatiels are small- to medium-sized birds with colorful personalities. They enjoy company and love to stay close to their human companions. These small pet birds do not have much talent for talking, but they can show off amazing whistling skills.
For novice bird owners, female Cockatiels are better house birds than males. They have a more affectionate and gentle nature, which makes them easier to care for. Male Cockatiels tend to be moody and will not hesitate to nip you when they crave attention.
As sociable small pet birds, Cockatiels can be kept together in pairs without problems as long as they are properly introduced and have a spacious cage.
9th Best Small Pet Bird – Quaker Parakeet
Weight: 90–150 grams
Lifespan: 15 yearsAre you in search of small pet birds that talk? Quaker Parakeets, the smaller cousins of African Greys, might be the ones you are looking for.
These intelligent small pet birds can mimic speech and learn about 50–60 words if consistently trained. With that in mind, Quaker Parakeets are very vocal, so if you want quiet house birds, they are not for you.
Personality-wise, these small pet birds have an outgoing, clown-like personality and crave regular human interaction. If left on their own, Quaker Parakeets may become depressed or neurotic.
Owning these types of small birds is illegal in some places in the United States. Thus, make sure to check the regulations in your location before bringing one home. Pet owners in the UK can own Quaker Parakeets if they apply for a special licence.
8th Best Small Pet Bird – Pionus Parrot
Weight: 230–290 grams
Lifespan: 15–25 yearsWhat is the best small parrot for a pet? Pionus Parrots are the best tiny parrots to keep as pets because they are calm and easy-going. Although these small pet birds can learn to talk, loud vocalisations are not a problem since they are often quiet.
Pionus Parrots do have a peculiar habit of making wheezing or panting noises when excited or frightened.
Their ability to bond with multiple people makes them suitable small pet birds for homes with children. However, over bonding should be avoided, especially with male Pionus Parrots, as they may get too attached and become overprotective.
7th Best Small Pet Bird – Green-cheeked Conure
Weight: 60–80 grams
Lifespan: 10–15 yearsGreen-cheeked Conures are small birds that originated in South America. These active and playful tiny parrots thrive in receiving ample amounts of human interaction. Do not neglect their want for attention, or else they may develop behavioural issues such as feather picking.
Playtime with engaging bird toys like puzzle games and foraging items will keep Green-cheeked Conures happy and entertained. The curiosity and intelligence of these small pet birds allow them to quickly learn many fun tricks.
6th Best Small Pet Bird – White-Fronted Amazon Parrot
Weight: 180–240 grams
Lifespan: 35–40 yearsAmerican Fronted Amazon Parrots are medium-sized birds, but they are the smallest amongst the Amazon Parrot bird species. Their eye-catching plumage and wonderful talking abilities made them highly favoured by many bird enthusiasts.
Approachable and friendly but fiercely loyal, American Fronted Amazon Parrots are great pets for single owners. These small pet birds bond strongly with one person leaving no room for other human companions.
Talking and mimicking human speech comes naturally in American Fronted Amazon Parrots. They can vocalise a wide variety of sounds, such as barking, squealing, and sharp noises.
Due to the expressiveness of these small pet birds, they are not ideal pets for people living in apartments or condominiums.
5th Best Small Pet Bird – Budgerigar
Weight: 20–30 grams
Lifespan: 5–8 yearsWhat is the friendliest bird for a pet? Budgerigars are the friendliest small pet birds you will ever encounter. Known to be gentle and extroverted, they easily warm up to humans and form close bonds with an entire family.
Budgerigars love each other’s company and can be housed in pairs. However, doing so makes them less attached to their owners.
What makes these small pet birds enjoyable companions is their upbeat energy. Budgerigars like to play and explore in their birdcages, so they should be provided with interactive toys. One of their incredible talents, apart from learning many tricks, is acrobatics.
These small pet birds have several color variations due to selective breeding. Some popular Budgerigar colors are violet, pied, blue, green, and albino.
However, the natural coloration of these small pet birds is green and yellow with black stripes. Their flight and tail colors combine green, black, and yellow.
4th Best Small Pet Bird – Lovebird
Weight: 40–60 grams
Lifespan: 10–15 yearsLovebirds are popular for forming close bonds with their pair. It does not have to be a fellow Lovebird, as humans can be their most special companions too.
Owners of these small pet birds should be committed to providing daily interaction to tame them. Inadequate socialisation can turn Lovebirds aggressive and nippy. Hand-feeding at a young age is the fastest way to make them feel safe and comfortable around people.
Generally, these small pet birds are short-tailed and have a slightly stocky appearance. They can come in vibrant colors of white, peach, blue, and yellow.
The most common species kept as pets are Peach-faced, Fischer’s, and Black-masked Lovebirds. If cared for properly, these small pet birds can live up to 20 years old.
3rd Best Small Pet Bird – Parrotlet
Weight: 18–28 grams
Lifespan: 10–20 yearsParrotlets take after their larger Amazon Parrot relatives when it comes to personality. These small pet birds are bold, lively, and fearless, making them a bit difficult to handle for beginners.
Parrotlets are the best birds for experienced people with a lot of time on their hands. Taming these types of small domestic birds requires daily human interaction. Otherwise, their big personalities can get out of hand, resulting in behavioural problems such as nippiness.
Parrotlets thrive as single pets. Housing them together should be avoided if you opt to get pairs because their territorial nature will spark fights. Thus, these small pet birds should be placed in separate bird cages.
2nd Best Small Pet Bird – Canary
Weight: 12–30 grams
Lifespan: 9–10 yearsWhat is the easiest small bird to take care of? Canaries are low-maintenance small pet birds that are great for novice bird owners. In general, they only need a spacious birdcage, a healthy diet, and toys to remain fit and happy.
Moreover, Canaries do well with minimal human interaction since these small pet birds do not tolerate handling. However, with constant training, they can be taught to perch on a person.
The male Canaries are famous for their beautiful singing voice and often compete with each other. But on the other hand, females prefer to produce cute chirps than sweet melodies.
The colors of the Canaries can range from pure white to bright red, with bright yellow being the most common. Some of these small pet birds have sleek feathers, whilst others have mop-top feathers.
1st Best Small Pet Bird – Finch
Weight: 16–17 grams
Lifespan: 5–10 yearsWhat is the smallest bird to have as a pet? Finches are some of the smallest birds you can keep as pets. They are quiet and easy to care for, making them great first-time birds.
Due to their miniature size, finches are naturally averse to being handled by humans. These small pet birds prefer each other’s company and can be housed in groups of 3–5. Avoid caging finches with birds of other species, as fights may break out.
Many types of these small pet birds are popular amongst bird enthusiasts, including the Gouldian Finch, Society Finch, and Zebra Finch.
Gouldian Finches are the most colorful of the 3. Their feathers can be a mix of green, blue, purple, and red. Society
Finches have a more toned-down coloration of white, brown, and tan shades. Zebra Finches can be easily distinguished by their black and white throat bars and orange beaks.
