Many people think that a bird is a fun low maintenance pet that can provide you with good company. While birds are fun, intelligent companions they do require quite a bit of maintenance and care. Some birds require more maintenance than others so here's some guidelines on bird care that might help you pick a bird that's perfect for your lifestyle.
First of all you should be aware that all birds will need to have fresh food and water in a cage change daily. Also, birds are messy with their seeds and you'll soon find seeds all over the floor around the cage that will need to be cleaned each day to. You can buy things to go on the cage so minimize this mess but be prepared to spend at least a half-hour cleaning up and around your birds cage each day. In addition, you want to set aside time each week to wash down the cage as it can get quite messy.
The reason most people get a bird is to obtain friend I can sit in the shoulder and entertain them. But if you want your bird to remain tame and friendly you'll need to spend some time with it particularly at feeding time when you can choose to hand feed him and also you want to set aside time to take them out of the cage just to play.
Ah, like a comet through flame she moves entranced
Wrapt in her music no bird song, no, nor bough
Breaking with honey buds, shall ever equal.
—Stephen Spender (1909–1995)
If you don't have a lot of time to spend with a bird but still like the look of these bright little creatures you may want to think about purchasing a canary or some finches. These birds are pretty self-sufficient and won't pine away if you don't pay a lot of attention to them. Also, if you don't want a loud bird that will wake up all your neighbors these have light pleasant sounding voices. Beware, however, that they're just as messy as other birds so you will need to spend time cleaning up their cage's. let's say you who do have plenty of time to spend training and playing with your pet bird but you just don't have the room for big giant parrot. For you, the cockatiel parakeet might make the perfect pet. These birds can become very tame and can even be taught to do tricks and in some cases to talk. They are not overly loud so can be good pets for apartment dwellers.
If you want something a little bit bigger, consider midsize parrots like Conures or Senegal parrots. these birds are a bit bigger in size can be fun and entertaining pets but I must warn you they can be very loud. Conyers in particular have an ear piercing shriek that they like to emit first thing in the morning. they're not the talkers that the larger parrots are but some breeds like Quaker parrot and Nanday conure can talk pretty good.
If you do a lot of time and you want a bird that will talk extensively than you want to choose one of the larger parrots like an African gray or maybe even a macaw. The larger parrots theirs is just as smart as a toddler and will probably require almost as much attention. You need to make sure that you keep your bird from getting bored or providing him with interesting toys that you change out every once in awhile and by interacting with them yourself. If you buy a large burden and spend time with it you're just asking for trouble as they can be quite destructive and loud.
Now, if the principle of toleration were once admitted into classical education—if it were admitted that the great object is to read and enjoy a language, and the stress of the teaching were placed on the few things absolutely essential to this result, if the tortoise were allowed time to creep, and the bird permitted to fly, and the fish to swim, towards the enchanted and divine sources of Helicon—all might in their own way arrive there, and rejoice in its flowers, its beauty, and its coolness.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896)
No matter what type of bird you choose, you want to make sure you get one that has been hand fed since it was a baby. This bird will already be quite tame and used humans and be ready to adapt to his new home and willing to learn to talk and do tricks from you. It's a bird that is not tame or friendly may have problems and may never learn to trust you, therefore not making a good pet.
It can be exciting to adopt a pet bird but you need to make sure that you make this decision carefully. Buying a bird that you do not have the time for will be a disappointment for both you and the bird and will not work out in the long run. Before you make your purchase, be sure that you will commit to caring for your new feathered friend and you will find that you have a wonderful companion.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://pet-birds.pet-breeds.com were you can learn more about birds and pet bird care.