Top Companion Bird Species

Pet birds make excellent home companions, whether it's through their ability to speak, their clownlike nature or their aesthetic plumage. Choose your companion bird carefully, however, as there are a variety of sizes and personalities found in the species available as domestic pets. Consider your lifestyle as well as the size of the companion bird you're looking for; do you have room for the large macaw, or is a tiny canary more suited to your abode?

  1. Extra-Small Companion Birds

    • Tiny finches can be kept in small living areas and are great for apartments.

      Canaries and finches, which range from 3 to 5 inches, are known for cheery and musical behavior. They've been kept as pets since the early 1400s. Domestic canaries (Serinus canaria domestica) can be kept in pairs or singly, but a male canary will be less inclined to sing if kept with a female. Finches thrive best in small flocks but can be kept as pairs at minimum. The common zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are energetic small birds who will fly rapidly from one side of their aviary to the other throughout the day.

    Small Companion Birds

    • Unlike most companion birds, budgies retain their friendly nature throughout their life.

      If you've never owned a companion bird before, parakeets, cockatiels and lovebirds are a small 8 to 10 inches, and are great for first-timers. The most common parakeet is the docile and friendly budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), also known as the budgie. Both budgies and cockatiels make easy-to-care for and hardy companion birds for children, and can be kept singly. Lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis) can be kept singly or in pairs; however, they do bond strongly with their owners if kept singly, or with their partner otherwise. Consider how much time you will have to interact with a single bird before deciding whether to house one alone or with a mate.

    Medium-Size Pet Birds

    • Conures can be found in a rainbow of different colors.

      Conure parrots require some experience, so they're not suited to the average first-time bird owner. These medium-size birds reward great care with fun, active and mischievous personalities. They can be loud and talkative; apartment owners should consider other companion birds. If you're set on a conure parrot but don't have much experience, the green-cheeked conure (Pyrrhura molinae) is quieter and more temperate than his conure cousins. Also better suited for experienced owners are rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus), or lories, friendly and curious parrots that depend upon a special nectar-only diet. These birds range from 10 to 12 inches in size.

    Large Pet Birds

    • African greys tend to bond strongly with one person, and can be nervous in social situations.

      Talkative Amazon parrots and African greys are both large companion birds -- around 13 to 15 inches -- with impressive vocabularies. The intelligent African grey (Psittacus erithacus) is the most popular parrot pet, and can learn over 1,500 words and phrases. These quick-minded birds need significant mental stimulation and interaction, otherwise they tend to pluck their feathers out of boredom. Balancing the studious African greys are the class clown Amazon parrots; out-going, loud and unpredictable. Blue-fronted Amazons (Amazona aestiva) communicate with both their extensive library of language, songs and sounds as well as easily-recognizable body language. Beware Amazon parrots with dilated eyes and spread tail feathers - they may bite!

    Extra Large Pet Birds

    • Macaws can live 75 to 100 years of age.

      Rounding out the top companion birds are the largest of them all; the traditional macaw parrots and cockatoos. Cockatoos are extremely loving and cuddly companion birds but deserve experienced owners; their intense need for love and affection consumes more time than you may have. Not meeting Salmon-crested cockatoos' (Cacatua moluccensis) need for hands-on interaction results in feather-pulling, screaming for hours and vicious aggression toward other family members. Bites of cockatoos and macaws can land you in an emergency room; their beaks are strong enough to break your finger if not sever it. Macaws in particular pack a powerful punch, as these are the largest pet parrots in the world, with hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) topping out at 40 inches.