upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Well, adding to my ever growing pet list, I'm adopting a 'tiel. I'm starting from scratch, and need some information on a cage that would be appropriate. He isn't even hatched yet, but I want to be prepared. I've owned birds before, but had Zebra Finches, so the cage I have is not sufficient.

I've checked out two cages so far, and I will attempt to get a better grasp on what exactly is good and bad.
The first cage:
l= 27.5 in x w= 27.5 in x h=42 in.
the cage bars are 1¼ inches apart.
the tray is approx 2 inches away from the bottom grids.

The second cage is:
l= 20 in x w= 20in x h= 25in
cage bars are ¾ inch apart
tray is lower than the bottom of cage.

I guess my question is, is the first cage able to be modified to be suitable, because the second cage seems too small to me even for one bird.

first cage looks like this....
http://birdcages4less.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=B/PROD/Small_Bird_Cages/PA5702

The bar spacing on the first cage is too wide. No more than 3/4" between bars for a tiel. You could probably get by with the second cage, only if anything happened they had to be in cage for extended time (emergency or the like) it would be small.
Width is more important than height. They usually sleep on a perch high in the cage and tend to spend more time up there. When you add perches, food dishes and toys, even a big cage seems small.
Keep looking you'll find the right one.

Look at cages from Top Wing. it's a good company and they cages are specififacly marked for certain birds.

The picture I gave a link for is similar to the cage I bought... the bars are infact ¾ of an inch apart, I made sure I measured in 4 different places before I bought it.

I tried a large cage with 3/4" bar spacing, and it is too wide. I think you want something with no more than 5/8" spacing for a cockatiel. I asked a question shortly after joining here about large cages, and the thing I found, as did others, was large cages tend to be too tall w/r/t width. Birds do not fly vertically. They are not helicopters. Birds fly horizontally, so height is really immaterial. My cages are from Island Cages, and are 21x18x24. I house 6 birds in 2 cages, altho they are rarely in the cages except to sleep. I'm still looking for a high quality cage that is not 7' tall, but more like 4' long x 3' wide, and maybe 2' high. They don't exist on the commercial ready made market. My thoughts now are eliminate cages completely and just give them a room of their own!

Sam

I was trying to think of ways to modify the one I bought, is 31 in tall of livable space, 27.5 in across the front, and 19.5 inches width wise. The Cage part is 41 inches tall, but 10 inches is the rounded part.

Sorry ahead of time for the tired look, I had a chrsitmas party.

That is a big cage for a cockatiel, lucky bird. Although I wouldn't buy one that big for Casper, she is NEVER in it!!! ha ha
My house is her cage!!!

I wish I could offer my entire house... but my parents are not keen on having anything but my rabbit be a free run animal. Even she has cage time. The bird will be allowed free roam of my room, but not the other area's as there is no doors to and from the kitchen area.