When picturing a bird cage, most people imagine a few toys, food and water bowls, and wooden dowels or natural perches. Over the years, many bird owners have been asking about flat surfaces. Sometimes they want platforms for an older bird with poor balance, or a bird with arthritis or missing toes, to give them a resting area. But did you know any kind of bird can benefit from perching on a flat surface? In the wild many parrots forage for food and nesting materials on the ground! This includes many of the cockatoos, budgies and grass parakeets, conures, greys, and parrots of the Poicephalus group like senegals and red bellies.
Walking on a flat surface exercises different muscles of the foot than those that are used to grip branches. It is important to make sure there are a variety of perch types, textures, and sizes in your bird’s cage.
Prevue Pet’s new line features a rectangular platform for anywhere in the cage, inside or outside!- as well as 2 sizes of corner platforms.
TIP: Keep your platforms cleaner by covering them in a few sheets of newspaper, or making a washable cloth cover.