Budgies
Budgies (or Budgerigars) are friendly, quickly tamed, curious and sociable so it is no surprise that they are the most popular of all domestic birds worldwide. They make a pleasant chirping sound and can learn to imitate speech. Easy to care and maintain, they make great pets - particularly for older children who have the time and patience to train them.

Doves and Pigeons
Doves and Pigeons actually make excellent pets. They are attractive, quiet, unobtrusive, have a calming, gentle voice, are fairly easy to tame, generally healthy and hardy, active but not demanding, require little maintenance and are usually inexpensive. They are easy to breed and make excellent parents. The main difference between doves and pigeons is based largely on size. Doves are generally sleeker and smaller with pointed tails, whilst pigeons tend to be larger and stockier with rounded tails.

Cockatiels
Cockatiels are known for their distinctive yellow heads and bright red cheek spots and these medium sized birds make lovable pets. They are very playful and love to climb, so a variety of swings, ladders and ropes in its cage should be provided. In the wild, cockatiels live in large flocks and mate for life so ideally you should keep two cockatiels together. Unfortunately, they do not tolerate being kept with smaller birds and can easily hurt budgies or canaries in a fight. They tame easily and can learn to talk and mimic tunes, although they can be fairly loud.

Parrots
Parrots are incredibly beautiful and make good pet birds, having an inquisitive and quite talkative nature. They are fairly social birds and require much stimulation to remain happy and healthy. Males and females are strikingly different in appearance. Parrots grow to around 35cm, are active during the day and can live for over 30 years.

Finches
Finches are delicate little birds that come in a variety of beautiful colours and patterns, with perhaps the Zebra finch being the most common. They need to be surrounded by their own kind and should at least be kept in pairs. Their care is undemanding and they will make friendly, cheeky, merry little companions. Particularly for those who are seeking a less "interactive" bird, such as older individuals or those who have less time, they can be the ideal pet, tending to amuse themselves.

Canaries
Canaries are valued for their wonderful song, these little birds make great pets for people that enjoy music. They come in a wide variety of colours, although the yellow canary is perhaps the most commonly seen. Although these birds cannot be held or petted like many parrot species, they are a rewarding and easy species to keep in captivity.

Lovebirds
Lovebirds are so named because of their habit of sitting in pairs and preening each other, these sweet-natured and friendly birds make great pets. They are hardy creatures which can tolerate extreme temperatures, especially cold weather and they are busy and active birds which love company, so need to be kept in pairs.

Chicken / Ducks
Chickens or Ducks are not what you would normally consider but these can make fantastic pets, providing you have the right set-up and zoning to keep them. Both can be very engaging, friendly and entertaining - and will "earn their keep" by providing eggs and pest control for your garden. They can be easily tamed and trained, even as adults, and are generally hardy and low maintenance.

We also have compiled a list of (Serious and not so serious!) frequently asked questions related to birds: What should I feed my bird?   What is wrong with my bird?   What kind of bird should I get?   How to teach a bird to talk?  How long can a parrot live for?  

Click here to read more bird related questions...