Okay, so we are here now! Lonely and alone, thinking about what could be done differently to get away with the solitude feeling rooting in our hearts. How it would feel if we had someone (or something) to get us some company in those times when we just want to talk our heart out, without any unwanted response coming from the opposite.  Yeah, you guessed it right – no human will stay with you as loyal as the 4-legged or 2-legged pets (and they definitely won’t manipulate you with their remarks, ahem ahem!) and best pet birds would be the best choice in this case.

But speaking of pets, I think that 2-legged pets are way easier to maintain than 4-legged ones. Of course, it will require some of your time to feed them or to take them to the veterinary physician, but it will not drive you crazy with their picky food choices and will never throw tantrums at you when showering.

So here goes.. some of my best picks of birds you can play with, literally. Whether you are a newbie, owns a goldfish or a cat-lady, it will be a moment of pleasure when you see them. They are serene, calm and guess what, they can sing too!

Check Similar topics: pet birds that talk, cuddly birds, types of pet birds, how to care for a pet bird and, how to pet birds.

The Best Pet Birds You May Pick Any

1. Macaws

Have you seen the movie, Rio? If you did then I don’t have to introduce you this bird once again. But if you haven’t seen this beautiful multi-colored one before, then Boy what a miss!

Just a gentle reminder, not all Macaws are blue (like Rio). You can find all shades of golden, maroon, sky blue, and red in that little bird (not figuratively!). If you want to pet the most affectionate, sweetest and smartest bird, Macaw can give you the best assurance on these.

Plus, you can teach them how to talk (isn’t that already interesting?). A pretty bird who greets you every time you enter the door after a long day at work, “Hi Bob!” or when you leave home it sings “Bye Bob, be good!”. Wouldn’t you like the attention and affection; I WILL in any day!

Macaws are way more interactive then you would find in any bird. They are friendly not to the owner only, but also to a group of people they get acquainted on a daily basis.

Macaws are not noisy, wouldn’t make you wake up at the middle of the night crying for attention. Moreover, they are immensely personable and has the amazing power to mimic words they hear frequently. In terms of food, well they are not choosy and don’t require any special dietary menus. Nonetheless, you must make sure you are feeding them vegetables and grains, macaws love them a lot.

If you are purchasing the medium or small sized ones, then they are fairly easy to the cage. Plus, if you are busy preparing for exams and don’t have time to show them affection, then just give them old cardboard rolls or paper plates, they enjoy tearing these – time will pass with no cuckoo whatsoever.

However, just a gentle reminder! If you want to super on-board and buy the largest macaws then it could be a little difficult to pet them. First of all, the largest macaws are way expensive than the medium or small ones. Second, they will require a whole lot of your time to feed and clean them. Plus, you will require larger cages; fancy toys to keep them busy (aka more expenses).

But if you can ensure these, then man (!) large Macaws are a treat to eyes to watch. They are beautiful and well worth it. So, It will be not a bad idea having its as one of best pet birds.

2. Budgies

Now, if you don’t want to go crazy with your first purchase and want to hit something small, then budgies would be the right choice. They are also known as parakeets or budgerigars; these small birds are cute and can fit any cage that you may have already in your home.  The noise level of budgies birds is fairly low as mentioned by some of the budgies owners. Plus, they don’t tear down toys as quickly as other birds do (so yeah, that saves few of your bucks!)

Budgies are good talkers by the way! Teach them with affection, and they will learn them like a robot and mimic to you in their own cute comical voices. Their playfulness and energetic vibes have already owned so many hearts, no wonder you will be one too in the list once you visit them in the shop.

As a plus point, budgies are inexpensive compared to other birds that you will be seeing in this list (and definitely, way lot cheaper than Macaws no matter what sizes you go for!). And, I find budgies to be quite fluffy and squishy, making them a wonderful company when you need a cuddling buddy.

Topping these all off, they are fairly easy to maintain or care and can perform all those fun bird tricks. They can entertain you all in no time, way to go birdie!

3. Dove

Did the soap popup into your mind? Every time I hear “Dove”, my ever-imaginative mind goes back to its flashback mode and think of that litmus paper ad where Dove tries to prove how mild their soap is. (We got is Dove!) Haha!

Back to pets. Doves are those white, medium-sized birds that are hardy and like to interact well with its owners. But the feature that sets them apart from all other pet’able birds is that doves prefer to spend time alone with selves.  They don’t require constant attention, so you can do your work without the headache of pampering them (I know that can be a pain in the neck).

Since they are smaller in size, cleaning them is not a big deal. These quiet bonds do require some form of bonding but trust me, they get satisfied with less – be it food or your time. Just remember to keep their cages clean, you will be good to go with this lovey- doveys.

4. Cockatiels

Both the beginners and experienced bird keepers agreed to the fact that cockatiels are one of the most charming in the world of pet birds (or birds, in general).  Almost all the bird owners that I have seen in my life (and I have seen quite a lot) has one of these in their cage. Cockatiels are that much popular, trust me!

You will be astonished how much love these birds have for you. They will snuggle when you are tired, kiss on your nose when you hold, whistle or sing a song when you pass, play with your hair, tickle your ear and the list of loves goes on…Oh yes, if you want to give them back some love, scratch their head a bit – they adore that!

If that wasn’t enough to excite you about cockatiels, then know these – they are pretty inexpensive and easy to maintain. Since these birds are fairly small, they require a smaller cage, smaller toys, and little food.

However, the only thing this beautiful cockatiel requires, in exchange for all the loves it gives, is your little time to take them to veterinary and take their regular health exams. Plus, they also appreciate the time you take to bond with them (I mean who wouldn’t? – all of us require some quality time to bond with each other, birds are no exception).

Oh yes, one more thing about cockatiels. If you want a bird that can talk like a human (ahem parrots!), then these birds are not for you. Cockatiels barely talk, but they are highly intelligent species. You can train them as you want to make them follow commands; see if that can make the deal.

5. Finches

Well now, let’s talk about those who do office 9 to 5 and have zero time to spend on birds. How would they pet a bird when some birds can be so high-maintenance!

Finches can be their BFF in such instance. When you make some investment and provide them with a full-fledged birdy environment (aka proper flight case), you consider 50% of your problem (bird-related) to be solved. Haha!

The next 50% would be solved if you buy them in couples so that they can interact with each other. You don’t have to spend time with finches to give them company; they are shy birds and would love to remain in their cage interacting with other finches.  Zero handling requires, whatsoever.

On the other hand, if you are little on the heavy-handed and buy 4 to 5 finches, then that may cost you time in terms of cleaning the cage. As I suggested, two are best! They can take care of each other’s social needs, without creating much of the mess in the cage.

Just remember to water, feed and clean them (basically, make sure they don’t die out of hunger). The rest will be taken care of by the brainy birds and as a reward, you will get to hear their sweet whisperings every morning you wake up.

6. African Grey Parrots

The name can be a mouthful; I know, but let’s not go there. We have more interesting features to focus on. African Grey Parrots (let’s call them AGP) are well known for their quiet nature, intelligence and sensitivity. AGP basically have two sub-species: the Congo African Grey and the Timneh African Grey.

If the name “Grey” has fascinated you already then you will be more amazed by how responsive these birds can be. You can question them and they will answer you as those genius students do in the classroom. That’s not all; they can also surprise you by being numb and dumb, with their naïve facial expressions. To round up the package, these birds are large enough to hold on and cuddle, yet small enough to keep them in a cage. 10 on 10 as a best pet bird can go!

Keep in mind that, the initial cost of African Grey Parrot, its cage and supplies can be pricy. But the cost then gets minimal as you start petting them. However, the cost will add up if you want to purchase those additional toys and high-quality pallets.

7. Umbrella Cockatoos

Oh, My Bird! As the name suggests, Umbrella Cockatoos is nothing but 2-legged flying creative species. They would love you unconditionally and amuse you with their amazing playing skills. Not to mention, they are good at playing catches, basketball, and roller skates (Yes, I am talking about birds. No, they won’t fly away when you play with it).

They also have good commands over vocabulary. One of the owners of Umbrella Cockatoos mentioned that her bird could speak “go to your cage; be quiet; go to sleep”! Of course, they won’t get to speak by themselves and you need to train them. But the end result is so interesting and playful, don’t you think?

Well, if you are confused which gender to pick – I would suggest going for the female umbrella cockatoos over the male ones. The reason being, female cockatoos are cuddlier, gentle and less demanding over the male ones. Plus, they have the perfect size to pet, neither too small that you have the constant fear of losing them away nor too large that you have to rent a whole room for caging them.

BUT, umbrella cockatoos have High-Maintenance cost. Adding up with your initial bird cost, they are extremely picky in terms of food – so you have to spend a lot on their grocery pallets. To make things more expensive, they like to destroy their toys (and their toys are not cheaper), making these birds difficult to manage altogether.

But if money is not a problem and you have enough time or maid to get along with the additional-hassles, then it’s all fine! As far as I remember, Umbrella Cockatoos are good at paying back!

8.Poicephalus

It can be hard to pet a bird when you are living in an airport, with a little balcony. You need a bird that is not so loud; you don’t want to disturb neighbors. A decent calm pet in such circumstances would be poicephalus. These birds are naturally very sporty; you can train them easily and make them learn the pet tricks in no time. They have very similar characteristics to that of human, with their boisterousness, they will never fail to amuse you. Plus, they are also fast in bonding with the owner, affectionate and loving – I can’t ask more from a bird.

Poicephalus are small in size, they don’t require a large case – just a corner of your home and they are more than happy with their living. One of the owners of poicephalus birds mentioned that it only takes her 20 minutes to feed, water and clean them. Seriously, this bird is basically for those who have the desire to pet but with no time, whatsoever.

9.Canaries

If you are more into seeing a bird and listening to their chitter-chatter, rather than handling them, canaries are best for you! More like finches and less like cockatiels, they are not good at making friends with humans. Rather they would like to spend their whole day sitting at the cage, enjoying their alone yet quality time with themselves.

Talking about its beauty, canaries have the natural power to awe you with its vibrant color. Bright orange, yellow or brown, no one can ignore the brightness this bird brings to the surroundings.

Vocal talents are yet other amazing features that canaries have. However, if you want to enjoy how this beautiful this bird sings then you must buy the male canaries. The female canaries can’t sing, unfortunately.

Therefore with little handling, beauty and song, these birds are definitely considered as best pet birds for beginners, kids, or someone craving to discover the wonders of a bird’s close-up.

10. Lovebird

Ahh! The name says it all. Have you ever thought why lovebirds are called “lovebirds”? Well because, they are strong believers of pair bonding, and because of which they spend hours after hours sitting and spending time together.  They are tremendously social, friendly and affectionate.

So, when you are planning to buy lovebird, make sure you are buying them in pairs if not more. In terms of feeding them, they are more than happy to eat grass, seed, fruits, and vegetables. However, there are some variations of lovebirds that you must know before purchasing them. While some of them would be happy to live with you – others could be way more demanding and their dive-like nature may bring more problem in your life rather than the harmony you are looking for.

Peach-faced lovebirds are the harmonious birds I am talking about. They are playful, active and beautiful. They love to socialize with people, and once-well established that you’ll be there for them and won’t go away leaving them to rot in a cage – they will give you all the love in the world. They will sing for you, learn to pick up some of the phrases and you can carry them on your shirt pocket or collar.

Black-collared lovebirds, on the other hand, are a little problematic to pet. They have their own special food requirements for insects and native figs – making them really expensive to pet.

11. Amazon Parrots

If strong personalities and affectionate birds are your things, then Amazon Parrots are your must-haves. However, the feature that sets them apart from other birds is their body language. They understand when you are sad and will cuddle with you to brighten up your mood. They are extremely loving yet extremely feisty. Plus, you will also get to know how they are feeling; sad or happy, energetic or gloomy with their body expressions. They love to be in the limelight and will clown around to make it possible in any way –you can’t basically remain “unhappy’ when they are around.

As if these weren’t enough, Amazon Parrots are great talkers too! There is not much around that these parrots can’t say. YES, they are a little bigger than other pet birds and NO, they are not cheaper – but, hey (!) they are extremely appealing to beat that.

If you are a beginner, I would recommend you to go with the less demanding birds, such as blue-fronted, white-fronted, Red-lored, and lilac-crowns. These are easy to handle birds, plus they are quieter.

Behold! Amazon Parrots are too smart for a bird. So, before purchasing, make sure you can provide them standard socialization, chances to exercise and a fair share of toys.

12. Pionus Parrots

We cannot be done with only one parrot, can we? I mean, there are so many types of parrot, one beating the goodness other. We have to enlist at least two of them to give them proper respect. And therefore we are here, with Pionus Parrot – an almost perfect pet bird to be true.

These type of parrots is quiet most of the times, but that doesn’t mean they are shy. They are so intelligent that they can pick up the words you are using almost instantly. Not only that, but they will also learn the meaning of those words and use them on whom you teach them to be appropriate. Plus, they don’t bite (haha!).

Pionus Parrots like attention, they will instantly become fond of yours if you show them some love. But they are also good alone too, if you are tired and its only a Wednesday night, then don’t worry, they won’t get mad at you.

These parrots are not expensive to pet, they eat usual parrot mix diet, but if you can provide them with extra frozen vegetables – they will finish that instantly. All they need is a clean spacious cage where they can perch, play and swing, and that’s all. They will make you happy every time you enter the room.

Final Word

I know, with all these options it can get a bit overwhelming what to choose a best pet bird, which bird to buy, where to keep, etc. But listen to your heart and look at your capabilities, which include your budget, apartment size and the time you are willing to invest.

Then plan accordingly.

Ending with the hope that you get a new best friend, in the face of a bird.