How to Build a Play Area for a Parakeet

Build a stimulating play area that will keep energetic parakeets very busy. Construct an outdoor aviary or top a cage with branches and toys. Indulge these little birds in a game of hide and seek by hiding bits of fruit and seeds among branches and inside of toys. Consider a second parakeet. Parakeets are very social animals that thrive in pairs. Most important, they are birds and need room to fly.

Things You'll Need

  • Cage or aviary
  • Natural perches
  • Detergent
  • Cotton or hemp rope
  • Shoe box
  • Buttons
  • Burlap
  • Shoe strings
  • Pine cones
  • Treats
  • Plastic bottle caps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Parakeets are small birds, but bigger is best when choosing a cage or aviary. Either structure should be tall enough to accommodate climbing and wide enough to allow flight. Add natural perches made from fruit trees, willow, poplar or chestnut trees or grapevines. Wash the branches with detergent and allow to air dry. Cut the branches to fit inside an outdoor aviary. Create a play area inside and outside of an indoor cage. Allow long branches to stick outside of the cage bars. Arrange the first perch within easy access to the food and water dishes. Continue in a pattern that allows the parakeet to perch, jump and climb, while allowing ample room for flight.

    • 2

      Buy or make several different toys and rotate them regularly. Parakeets love small mirrors and cuttlebones are good for the beak. Tie knots and loops in a cotton or hemp rope. Tie one end to the top of a cage and allow a few inches to rest on the bottom. Loop and tie a knotted rope around the outer perches of a cage or from side to side in an outdoor aviary. Set a ceramic dish in the bottom of the cage to serve as a bird bath. Elevate the dish for an outdoor aviary.

    • 3

      Encourage parakeets to forage for food. Cut holes in the side of a shoebox to create a tunnel and a hiding place for treats. Sew buttons to burlap and tie to the cage or around a vertical perch. Hang pine cones with shoe strings, dab with peanut butter and sprinkle with seeds. Punch holes in colorful, plastic bottle tops, string together, and hang from perches. Hiding food will keep a parakeet interested while satisfying its natural need to peck and chew.