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|  PerchesBirds spend the majority of their time standing on their feet, so good perches are essential. Just as you prefer a comfortable pair of shoes, birds need comfortable perches. Birds also use perches to rub their beaks on to remove pieces of food. An ideal perch is easily cleaned, comfortable to the bird, and of the proper material and diameter to prevent foot problems. Perches may be stationary or swinging. All cage items, including perches, should be selected knowing that birds like to chew, shred, and destroy things, and therefore items will often need to be replaced.
Materials:
The most common perches are made out of wood such as natural branches. In addition to being good perches, natural branches also make good chew "toys" for birds. Wooden dowels are generally too smooth, and do not provide good traction. Ideally, perches should have an uneven surface so they are less slippery. Be sure they are made from a nontoxic material. Cement grooming perches are also available. These perches have the advantage of helping to keep the beak and toenails from becoming overgrown. They may cause irritation if the bird uses them too much, so perches made from other materials should also be available. Sandpaper should not be used on perches as it can irritate the bird's feet.
Diameter:
If you have a small bird — finches, canaries or parakeets —then you'll need a perch that is 3/8" to 3/4" in diameter.
If you have a medium bird — cockatiels, lories or senegals — then you'll need a perch that is 5/8" to 1 1/4" in diameter
If you have a large bird — african greys, amazons, macaws —then you'll need a perch that is 1" to 2" or more in diameter
As a general rule, a bird's foot should wrap itself around about 2/3 of the perch. The perch should never be so small that the bird's front toes meet or overlap the back toe(s). Birds will do best if the perches are of unequal diameter along their width, as could be found with natural branches, and some plastic branches. If all perches are the same diameter, the bird will always be placing pressure on the same areas on the foot. This can cause thinning of the scales, redness, bumblefoot and possibly infection of the bottom of the foot. Having perches of various sizes and materials within the cage will help prevent foot problems.
Placement:
Perches should be placed in front of food and water dishes, so the dishes can be easily reached by the bird. To avoid droppings contaminating the food or water, AVOID placing perches over the dishes. Perches should be placed so the bird's tail will not touch the side of the cage when sitting on the perch. Place perches at various levels within the cage.
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