Play Gyms
As you will soon find, if you are a first time bird owner, the cage is not enough. Birds need multiple places to be able to play safely. While many cages come with playtops, this is not enough. They need an area away from the cage where they can have fun and get the 'wiggles' out. many different models are available on the market today, so how do you choose?
Choose a playgym that is suitable for your size bird. You don't want to plunk down money for a gym, only to find that it is much too large or much too small for your caique. Caiques like lots of area to play, so a medium size playgym (depending on the model) will serve well.
Choose a playgym that allows for multiple areas of play. What this means is, examine the gym closely before purchasing. Can the bird move to different areas of the gym, or is made such that the bird will just sit on the top? There are many popular models of gyms made from dowel rods, but most of these gyms are designed so that the bird does not really implement the entire gym, rather gravitates to the highest point and sits there.
Is the gym made out of bird safe materials? Are the materials worth the price? Will it last? Bird gyms are made out of many materials today, everything from dowel rods, to manzanita, to grapevine, to metal and plastic. Is the gym you are purchasing made out of man made manufactured materials, or is it natural products? Will the surface, if it pvc, metal, or plastic, allow for the bird to be able to comfortably grip and get purchase? If the gym is made out of natural materials, inspect to ensure that the materials it is made out of is bird safe. Natural wood gyms are popular and come in many shapes and sizes, and some of the more common woods used are: manzanita, grapevine, bottlebrush, and dragonwood.
What kind of gym model do you want? There are many types of models, from tabletop to to floor and hanging models. When purchasing a gym, evaluate the amount of space you have to place a gym. If you need a space saver, a hanging model gym is a good option. If you have the floor space, a floor model is best. Table top models are good for limited space and part time use, but with birds such as caiques they are rather unrealistic, as the bird would rather scramble down from the gym to explore the table!
Playgyms don't need to be expensive. My birds favorite spot to hang out is a large circular swing hanging in the living room, that I have attached a large toy to. Their second favorite place to play is a boing I've hung from the ceiling in the office. These are cheap alternatives and great space savers. Some birds like my amazon dislike the swinging motion, but most caiques relish items that they can make move and sway.