How to Make a Play Area for Your Pet Birds

Birds are social creatures who love to play. To keep your bird happy and healthy, provide it with a play area to exercise outside its cage. Play areas or playpens provide a way to bond with your bird and socialize it. Pet birds love interaction with their owners, so giving them a space within your living area will provide them with hours of entertainment. Create a fun, safe environment for your bird.

Things You'll Need

  • Play gym
  • Natural branches
  • Blankets
  • Towels
  • Plastic siding
  • Swings
  • Ladders
  • Bird toys
  • Baby toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Designate a place in your home for your pet bird's play area. Depending on the size of the bird, pick a suitable space in an area you and your family spend time in so you can play with and supervise your bird. Make sure the space is free of wires that your bird might chew on, ceiling fans and toxic plants, and that it is away from the kitchen area which contains many dangers to your bird, including toxic fumes from nonstick pans which contain polytetrafluoroethylene, according to the ASPCA.

    • 2

      Cover the floor beneath the play area with a thick towel, blanket or washable rug for easy cleanup. To clean, simply remove the towels, blankets or rug, shake them out and machine wash. You may also use a sheet of plastic siding underneath the area which can be rinsed off every week or so to keep the area sanitary.

    • 3

      Set up the play area with a play gym or parrot stand purchased at a pet store. Make sure the materials are nontoxic and contain some natural branches for your bird to climb and chew on. Play gyms may be simple or elaborate, depending on the size of your bird and your budget. You can also construct a play gym out of natural, no-toxic branches and attach them with screws to a wooden base. Provide plenty of room to climb and exercise. The natural branches provide good exercise for the toe muscles of parrots and keep beaks trim as the birds chew on them, according to Animal-World.

    • 4

      Provide plenty of toys for your bird in the play area and hanging from the play gym. Purchase toys for parrots or use nontoxic baby toys. Toys hanging from ropes are fun for birds to climb and chew on. Swings hung from the play gym provide entertainment as do multiple ladders to climb. Toys made of nontoxic wood, leather, rawhide and acrylic make good chew toys for pet birds, according to Animal-World. Birds also enjoy looking at themselves in mirrors, so hang some mirrors on walls around the area. Add some bells to the branches of the play gym.

    • 5

      Place food and water dishes in the play area for your bird so it can spend plenty of time there without having to go back to its cage. To encourage foraging and keep your bird stimulated, try hiding special treats around the play area so your bird can hunt for them, according to Avian Web. Place treats like vegetables, nuts or fruits in paper cups, egg cartons, paper bags or pet treat balls available for dogs. Foraging satisfies your bird's natural curiosity and intelligence.

    • 6

      Provide a space in the play area where your bird can bathe. For large birds, use a free-standing bird bath, and change the water daily. For smaller birds, put a small container of water in the area for your bird to bathe in, separate from its water dish. Birds also enjoy a gentle misting from a spray bottle, as a bath, in their play area. Since bathing can be messy, the play area is a great place for a bird to bathe without getting its cage wet.