Introduction
Birds are often a popular choice for a pet. It seems that the list of birds available has grown over the years, and many people have no idea what type of bird they would like to own.
We ran this short survey to see which bird people think is the best – so we can help you decide what kind of bird you should get!
The Birds We Selected
To be efficient, we narrowed down the voting to 8 popular bird breeds. They were cockatiels, lovebirds, conures, budgies, finches, canaries, parakeets, and cockatoos.
We then matched up the birds as follows:
- Finch vs. Canary
- Lorikeet vs Cockatiel
- Amazon vs. African Grey
- Macaw vs. Cockatoo
How the Matchups Went
Round 1 – The Avian 8
The finch swooped past the canary. Voters indicated that the finch was more friendly, quiet, trainable, and that it gets along well with other birds. They also indicated that there is a greater variety of interesting finches compared to canaries.
The cockatiel flew above the lorikeet. The cockatiel won with 100% of the votes. Voters indicated that cockatiels are much more quiet and less expensive to take care of. One voter even mentioned “They don’t eat nectar and poop pudding!”
African grey soared past the the Amazon. The most often mentioned pro for the African grey was their intelligence. Voters also mentioned their friendliness and ability to keep a large vocabulary.
Cockatoo glided to victory against the macaw. Voters mentioned that they liked the cockatoo for their size, and that they have a great personality to along with it. However, many voters did mention that cockatoos are needier than macaws. If you prefer a bird with less maintenance, then you may want a macaw.
Round 2. The Semi-finals – The Flying 4
The cockatiel fluttered to victory against the finch. Voters typically mentioned that while finches are a bit more quiet, cockatiels are more “fun”. Bird owners love cockatiels for their big personalities. If you want a more active and playful bird, then the cockatiel is good for you. However, if you want a bird that is a bit more “cool”, then you may prefer the cockatiel.
The African Grey hovered above the cockatoo. Again, the African grey won on its intelligence. African grey owners seem to love these birds for how smart they are, so if you want a bird that can impress you with interesting intellectual feats, then the African grey may be for you. Voters also mentioned that African greys are a bit higher maintenance compared to cockatoos, but they say the work and maintenance is more than worth it with these smart birds!
The Finals – America’s Favorite Bird
The two finalists in the competition were the cockatiel and the African grey. These two birds fairly soundly beat their competition in voting, so we were watching closely to see which would be the best of the two.
The cockatiel won with 61% of the votes. Voters indicated they recommend the cockatiel because it’s more beginner friendly, making it a good pet bird for beginners.
Voters also mentioned that cockatiels bite less and that their bites are typically less dangerous, so one with safety concerns may want to more highly consider a cockatiel.
The African grey received a lot of praise for its intelligence. This intelligence makes them a bit more complex of a bird. Therefore, if you want a bird that requires a bit more attention and care to create strong bonds, then the African grey may be for you. You may also prefer the African grey if you’re simply looking for a smart bird to impress both you and your friends.
How to Find the Best Pet Bird for YOU
Bird ownership is a great responsibility. Birds require plenty of time and attention which means deciding on the right pet for you is crucial. The first step in finding your new pet bird is to answer some important questions. What are your goals for owning a pet? Do you want a bird as an ornament or will you take care of it? Do you have any allergies or extreme fears that might make owning a certain type of bird difficult?
The second question is what kind of environment do you live in, like a small apartment or house? If you live in an apartment, what about the noise level? Will you be able to spend hours each day caring for your new pet?
The third question is where will your pet bird go when not being cared for? These birds need lots of room to fly around and explore so there needs to be enough space. For example, if you plan on keeping your bird in its cage all day while at work, then they will need at least two hours outside the cage each day.
Lastly, what kind of climate do you live in? Some birds are native to cold climates while others thrive in warmer environments. This can affect how often they need baths, so it’s good to know ahead of time if this will be a problem.
Once all these questions have been answered, then the next step is picking which type of bird would best suit your lifestyle! We recommend checking out our best bird for you finder tool to filter birds based on 7 big factors. You can check out our “Best Pet Bird for You” tool via the button below.
