Have you ever seen a bird so bored it plucked its feathers out?
Sure, birds are colorful and lively creatures that can brighten up any home. But the truth is, they’re just like us, humans—they need stimulation to stay entertained and healthy!
So if you’ve been wondering how to entertain your pet bird, there’s an easy answer—give one of these ideas a try!
Why Do You Need to Keep Your Bird Entertained?
Birds are naturally curious and active animals. They need regular mental stimulation and physical activity to stay healthy and fit. Without these activities, birds can become bored, frustrated, or even depressed.
A bored bird may start to pluck out its feathers, chew on its cage bars, or act aggressively toward other birds or people. It’s essential to ensure your bird is kept entertained with activities that stimulate its mind and body.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to entertain a pet bird!
Some fun activities include providing them with toys they can play with solo or as part of a game such as hide-and-seek, playing music for them (they love singing!), and more.
There are so many opportunities for you and your feathered friend to have fun together! We’ll explore all of them in this article!
30 Ways to Entertain Your Pet Bird
It’s no secret that birds are very intelligent creatures. They need mental stimulation and interaction with humans and other birds in order to stay happy and healthy.
If you want your bird to be content, you will have to provide them with the proper environment for its entertainment.
Here are a few tips on how to keep your feathered friend from getting bored.
1. Spend Time With Him
The best way to keep your bird entertained is by spending time with it. This doesn’t mean just feeding it or cleaning its cage.
It means engaging in activities like playing games, talking, and taking it out of its cage so it can explore the house safely.
Just like any other pet or family member, your bird needs both physical and mental stimulation. Spending quality time together is the best way to do that!
2. Give Your Bird a Companion
If you’re not able to spend as much time as you’d like with your bird, giving him a companion might help. Birds are social animals and they crave interaction with other birds as well as humans.
Having another bird around will also encourage them to play more often and show off their natural behaviors, which is great for keeping them active and engaged.
Just make sure that the cages are close enough together so they can still interact!
3. Train Your Bird to Do Tricks
Birds love learning new tricks! Training them is a great way to keep them entertained since they get excited about mastering new skills (and showing them off!).
You can start off teaching them simple things like how to step up onto their perch or wave hello/goodbye when prompted.
As they become more advanced in their training, you can move on to more complicated tricks such as fetching objects or doing tricks on command.
4. Offer a Variety of Toys
Don’t forget about toys when trying to entertain your pet bird!
Introducing new toys into his cage regularly will give him something new and exciting each week that he can play with and explore—just make sure that the toys are appropriate for birds so they don’t cause any harm if ingested by accident!
Give him access to different types of toys—such as ones made from wood, rope, or plastic—so he has something new every day.
Make sure there’s enough variety in terms of size, shape, color, and texture so he can engage his senses while playing with each one.
5. Rotate Toys Out Every Few Days
To avoid getting bored with his toys quickly, try rotating out his toys every few days or so.
This will give him something “new” each day which will help keep him mentally stimulated and engaged in his playtime!
6. Try Foraging or Puzzle Toys
Foraging toys are great because they allow birds to use their natural instincts while searching for food.
Puzzle toys also require birds to think and problem-solve in order to get food rewards. This type of mental stimulation keeps them engaged and helps them stay active throughout the day.
Both types of toys require birds to use their brains while having fun at the same time.
7. Give Your Bird Plenty of Room Inside His Cage
If you keep your bird confined in a small cage, then he may become bored quickly due to the lack of space and activity options inside his enclosure.
Make sure you provide him with enough room so he can move around freely without feeling cramped or uncomfortable.
If possible, try giving him access to an outdoor aviary where he can explore the outdoors safely under close supervision from you or another family member.
And don’t forget about the perch! Keeping things fresh is important when it comes to keeping your bird engaged—that includes introducing new perches into his cage from time to time!
Different textures and shapes of perches can give your bird something new to explore every once in a while which helps break up the monotony of having the same old perch all the time.
Just make sure never to introduce too many new perches at once as this could overwhelm him. Introducing one or two every few weeks should be plenty!
8. Put the Cage in a Spot Where Your Bird Can Interact With Others
One of the best ways to keep your bird’s spirits up is by placing their cage somewhere they can interact with other people or pets.
This could be the living room, kitchen, or even an outdoor patio depending on the climate. Your bird will love seeing different faces and engaging in conversations with its feathered friends!
9. Take Your Bird Out of the Cage Each Day
In addition to giving your bird plenty of space inside his cage, it’s also important to let him out each day so he can stretch his wings and explore his environment outside his enclosure.
When letting him out, make sure that all windows are closed so he doesn’t escape or fly away – always supervise him closely while he’s roaming free as well!
Birds love getting outside in the natural light and fresh air! If possible, take your bird out of his cage for an hour or two each day so he can explore and get some exercise in the great outdoors.
Just make sure you always keep an eye on him when he’s outside!
10. Vary the Landscape of the Cage
Try changing up the landscape inside your bird’s cage every once in a while by rearranging furniture, adding new perches, or placing different objects in different places within their enclosure.
This will give them something new and exciting every day which will help prevent boredom from setting in over time!
11. Leave the TV or Radio On
Believe it or not, birds actually enjoy listening to music! Playing songs or talk radio near his cage can help keep him entertained while also providing stimulating background noise for him to listen to throughout the day.
You could even try playing audio books next to his cage for an extra boost of mental stimulation!
12. Hide Some Seeds or Food in a Box for Your Bird
Adding some extra intrigue into mealtime can be as easy as hiding some seeds or bird food inside a sealed box for them to find.
Not only does this add an element of surprise but it also encourages problem-solving skills—a great way for birds to exercise their brains!
13. Give Your Bird a Bath
Most birds love taking baths and it can help keep their feathers clean and healthy too.
You don’t need anything fancy either—just fill up a shallow bowl with lukewarm water and let your bird take the plunge!
14. Put the Cage By a (Closed) Window
Birds love to watch what’s happening outside, even if they can’t fly out there themselves. A window provides them with hours of entertainment as they watch birds pass by, cars drive by, people walk around, and more!
Just be sure to keep the window securely closed—you don’t want any unexpected avian escape attempts!
15. Provide Ladders
Being a great way to entertain your pet bird, offering your feathery friend ladders within their cage will provide great exercise as well as mental stimulation.
This also allows them to move around and explore different areas of the cage instead of staying in one place all day long.
Make sure you use rope ladders or wooden ladders that are specifically designed for birds.
16. Handle and Hold Your Bird Frequently
You should be handling and holding your bird frequently anyway, but it can also be an excellent way to keep them from getting bored!
Spend some time each day talking to them, petting them, and playing with them outside of the cage so that they get used to being handled and held—and have fun doing it!
17. Play Fetch
Yes, birds can play fetch too! Simply take one of their favorite toys or treats and toss it away from you while saying “fetch” or “get it!”
When they bring it back (or come close enough), reward them with another treat or toy so that they know what they did was correct—and repeat this process until they catch on!
18. Give Them Branches, Plants, and Flowers
Introduce various branches into their cage for chewing on or climbing on, plants for preening, flowers for color; etc. All these things will give them something new to explore in order to entertain your pet birds and to help break up their daily routine.
Just be sure that whatever you introduce is safe for birds (no toxic plants!) before adding it into the mix.
19. Do Chores With Your Bird
Still stuck for ideas on how to keep your bird entertained? It could be as simple as allowing your pet bird to ride around on your shoulder while you get your chores done.
Sounds basic, but your bird will love it!
20. Let Your Bird Eat Dinner With You
Many birds love being around their flock—even if they are humans!
Letting your bird eat dinner with you can give them a sense of connection and help them stay involved in family activities. Plus, it’s great entertainment for everyone!
21. Have Some Friends Over to Play
Birds love having company, so why not invite a few friends over for a playdate?
Make sure the room is safe for everyone before you let your bird out of its cage. That way, your feathered friend will have plenty of new people to interact with and explore.
22. Try “Tag”
Birds are smart creatures, so why not challenge them with a game of tag? This is a great way for your bird to use its brain power while staying active at the same time.
Just make sure you don’t let it escape from the room or fly away while playing!
23. Play Peek-a-Boo
Birds love taking part in interactive games like peek-a-boo. All you have to do is hide behind something (like a blanket) and then pop out when they least expect it!
This game is sure to bring hours of joy and laughter for both you and your feathered friend.
24. Show Your Bird How to Dance
Who says dancing is only reserved for humans? Showing your bird how to dance can be an entertaining activity that brings hours of fun.
You can teach them basic moves like bobbing up and down or swaying side to side—just remember to make it fun!
25. Build a Birdie Gym
If you want something more permanent than just games or activities, why not build a “birdie gym”? This doesn’t have to be anything too fancy.
Just think about setting up different perches around their cage that they can climb or hang from as well as toys that will help keep them mentally stimulated throughout the day.
26. Introduce New Treats
Every bird loves treats, so why not try something new every once in a while? Different types of fruits, vegetables, and even nuts can make a great snack for your bird and will entertain your pet bird for a few hours.
Not only will they enjoy the taste, but feeding time can be an interactive experience between you and your bird.
27. Get Your Bird a Harness to Play Outside in the Fresh Air
A harness is a perfect way for birds to explore their environment without the worry of them flying away.
A harness allows them to get some much-needed exercise while also giving them access to some different sights and sounds—all while still being safely attached to you!
28. Encourage Grooming
Many birds tend to groom themselves as part of their natural behavior. If you want to give your pet something interesting to do during their free time, try encouraging grooming activities.
This can range from preening feathers or taking dust baths—whatever works best for your bird!
29. Invest in a Bird Stand
Stands are a great way for birds to stay active and engaged with their environment since they can move around freely without having to worry about getting into trouble or flying away.
Plus, many stands come with various toys and treats that will keep your bird happily occupied throughout the day!
30. Get Creative!
Try coming up with unique ways for your bird to engage with its environment, such as playing hide-and-seek or creating obstacle courses out of household items like cardboard boxes or paper towel rolls.
There’s no limit when it comes to creative ways of keeping your feathered friend entertained!
Ways to Entertain Your Pet Bird: Final Thoughts
Keeping your bird entertained doesn’t have to be hard work—it should be fun!
With these tips, you’ll have plenty of ideas on how best to entertain your pet bird through interactive activities that will stimulate their minds and bodies alike.
From introducing new treats and investing in a stand, there are lots of options available when it comes to keeping boredom at bay when it comes down to caring for our avian friends!