Birds

Mini-critters has a variety of birds that are perfectly suited for keeping at home. They range from small birds, like finches and canaries, to larger birds like cockatiels. We have a wide variety of cages, toys, accessories and foods suitable for all the birds we sell, and for even larger birds, like our store macaw, Duncan.

Senegal Parrot

Hand fed Senegals make extraordinary pets, and are known for being comical and entertaining. They are colorful, relatively small, and have the ability to talk and mimic, although they tend to be considerably more quiet than many other parrot species. Most well socialized Senegals have very friendly personalities, but potential owners should be aware that Senegals have a tendency to become "one person" birds, and may not desire interaction with other family member. They can live up to 50 years old.

Parrotlet

Parrotlets are one of the smallest known Parrots. Pacific Parrotlets are an average on 4 3/4 - 5 1/2 inches in length.
They have an average life span of 20 years. A single parrotlet makes the best pet and avoids problems such as jealousy and aggression. Many people feel because they are at work or school all day their parrotlet may become 'lonely' and would appreciate another parrotlet companion. Unfortunately, "share" is not a word generally known in the parrotlet vocabulary so keeping two together usually results in fighting and problems between them especially if a new one is introduced after the first one has established its territory. They often become jealous and combative with the new parrotlet or utterly ignore it. It often results in the owner having to house them separately.

Cockatiels

Cockatiels are the smallest of the cockatoo family, a type of parrot that comes from Australia. All pet cockatiels in our store (and from any other source) are bred in captivity. They generally live 5-10 years, although some have been known to live as long as 30 years. Cockatiels should be hand-fed only.

Canaries

Canary If you're looking for a wonderful singing bird, the canary might be the bird for you. Canaries have been raised and bred for their singing abilities for hundreds of years, and make excellent pets.

Canaries are not overly social and are usually very happy to be alone in a cage. They are also pretty hardy, which makes them great for beginning bird keepers.

Since canaries love to fly, look for a cage that has some horizontal space. Add a few toys, but make sure they don't block the flight space. You'll be rewarded with a happy canary that will sing its heart out.

Finches

Finch Finches make excellent home pets. Their small size means you can easily keep several in a cage together, which means you'll always have some fun going on.

Your finch will like to interact with you by whistling in return to you talking or whistling to you, but it won't like to be held. They also do not learn to talk like some of the larger birds. Like canaries, finches need a little room to fly, so toys you place in their cage, shouldn't block their flight path.

Finches like to build nests with grass or straw. At mini-critters, we have nests that you can place in the cage, then provide your finch with clean straw or grass, and you can watch them line the nest.

Parakeets

Parakeets, also known as Budgies or Budgerigar, are the most popular pet birds in the world. The are actually the smallest of the parrot family and come in a wide variety of colors. Two things lead to their popularity: They like to be handled and they can learn to talk.

If they are handled daily, parakeets will love to be stroked. They are friendly, like people, and are smart enough to be taught tricks.

They also can learn to talk, although they don't speak loudly, and often people don't hear them. In 1995, the Guinness Book of Records listed a parakeet named Puck who had a vocabulary of 1,728 words. There is also a Canadian man who claims his parakeet, named Victor, actually put words into context to hold meaningful conversations. There are recordings of Victor available on the internet, but no scientific confirmation of the feat.

Parakeets normally live from 5-8 years, but some have lived as long as 20-25 years. Most do well with another parakeet in the same cage.

Supplies and Accessories

Birdcages

Birds kept in captivity can be injured by ceiling fans, stoves, chewing on electrical cords and other home hazards, so cages are a convenient way to protect them and be able to enjoy their company. Birdcages come in many styles and sizes depending on the type of bird (or birds) you'll be keeping.

Generally, a bird cage should have vertical bars, although some parrots, like amazons, are climbers and need horizontal bars. The bars must be spaced closely enough to prevent a curious bird from sticking it's neck through and getting caught. Mini-critters will help you select the perfect cage for your bird.

Toys

Birds are among the most intelligent pets that are normally kept in the home. They are also very social creatures, wanting your attention and interaction. It's important to keep your bird stimulated. Situating the cage in a spot where your bird can see the outdoors (but kept out of drafts and direct sun) is a good place to start. Keeping more than one bird is also a good idea (they like to flock together). Toys are another way to keep your bird entertained. We have a large variety of stimulating toys to keep your birds mentally stimulated and happy.

Food

In the wild, birds eat a large variety of food, so don't think that a packet of bird seed is enough to keep your bird happy. Experiment with different fruits and vegetables to discover what your bird likes. We also have a variety of different mixes special foods to help provide more balanced nutrition for your bird.