Owning a Parrot is a Life Time commitment

Here are some approximate life spans for various species of common companion birds.
NOTE: The larger the parrot the longer the commitment. Most of these birds require a lifetime commitment.

Macaws 50 - 100 +

Cockatoos 40 - 60 +

Amazons 50 - 70 +

African Grays 50 - 60 +

Eclectus 65 - 85

Conure 12 - 30

Lories and Lorikeets 13 - 25

Caique 30

Senegal 50 years

Cockatiel 12 to 20

Parakeets 7 to 18 years

Lovebirds average 15 to 25

Canaries average 10 to 15 years

Finches average 5 to 10

CUSTOMER QUESTION : 

One Budgie or Two?

Budgies, while flock birds by nature, do extremely well and are long lived, by themselves.  It is usually easier to obtain talking abilities and a more affectionate nature when they are not busy bonding to another budgie.  The key to happiness for an only budgie is mirror toys.  They will talk into the mirror for long periods (probably wondering why it isn’t responding).  Small plastic mirrors are best.  They are one of the few parrots that do not become aggressive when mirrors are present.  If you have your budgie groomed (or learn to do this yourself) (wing clipping nail filing, etc. and give the bird one-on-one time on your shoulder, etc.  You should have a wonderful companion who will bond to you very quickly.  Many Budgies learn to talk very well and whistle tunes, as well. 

Males can be distinguished from females by the color of their Ceres (bump between their beak and forehead where their nose openings are.  Males always have Blue Ceres and females always have tan or bone colored Ceres.  They are one of the few parrots that sex can be determined without DNA testing.  There is much discussion and theory among Budgie folks about which sex learns to talk or whistle better.  Personally, I see no difference.  I will tell you, that if you choose a female, she will lay eggs after puberty, whether she has a mate or not.

Cage Size:  Budgies are flitty, playful little birds who like their space.  They will do very well in any shape cage but do prefer longer to higher houses.  The bar spacing should range from ¼ inch to no wider than ½ inch so they can’t get their head stuck.  I find that the ½ inch makes it easier to actually watch your bird at play (not looking through a whole bunch of bars).

DO NOT EVER feed them grit, no matter what you see on the box.  More Budgies die from crop impaction due to grit than any other cause.  Grit was intended for straight billed birds that do not actually crack their seeds, not for parrots that do not have the same digestive system.