If you have access to fresh tree branches to use as perches and enrichhment for your parrots – that’s fantastic! Natural wood perches are the best thing for any parrot’s feet, with the texture and variability of the wood ensuring that birds are not putting pressure on the same parts of their feet all the time.
Being mindful of the safety of the trees you’re taking them from, and the condition of the wood (free of fungus for example) is really important.
Not everyone has access to natural tree branches though – or perhaps you just want something different to add to your collection of birdy enrichment. After all, our parrots can never have enough places to climb, and enough things to chew on.
This post is all about the natural branch perch products that are commercially available. These products make it fast and easy to put a wood based perch into your birds large cage or aviary, or attach to a stand. They come all ready to go with safe, secure attachments so there’s no drilling or sawing required (something you also need to do when making your own perches from trees).
Without further delay, here are some of the best low-cost natural branch perches you can get right now for your parrots:
You and Me Fir Wood Perch
A great little straight perch that smaller birds will not only love to stand on, but chew as well because the Fir wood has rough bark that’s safe for beaks. This is one of then most natural looking wood perches available, literally being delivered as it comes from the tree with no smoothing out – and of course, fit with washers and fastener so it’s ready to attach and use as soon as you get it home.
Sizes are variable, but the perch is relatively long and thin – however the diameter you receive will be random. Generally suited for small to medium sized birds.
A&E Multi Branch Java Perch
Java wood is one of the most common wood types you’ll find being used for commercially available natural perches. It’s parrot safe and durable, and comes in all sorts of shapes and formations – meaning no two perches you buy will ever look the same.
Extra small to extra large sizes are available, and no matter which size you get you’ll receive a perch that has multiple branched sections, making it much more interesting than a regular straight perch. Of course, you’ll need adequate room to fit it in to your cage or stand design and don’t discount one of the larger sizes even for the smallest birds like Budgies – remember in the wild birds stand on all sorts of branch sizes up in the trees. Variety is the spice of life – and great for foot health and mental wellbeing.
See the Multi-branch Java Perch at Petco
You & Me Grapevine Bird Perch
Grapevine is another plant that creates some really parrot-friendly, interesting shapes that mean no two perches will ever be alike! You can easily buy multiple grapevine perches (lucky they are low cost) and they’ll provide a highly variable perching experience for your parrot(s). It’s luck of the draw which shape you’ll get – but all are ready to be bolted straight on to the cage or stand.
You & Me Natural Hardwood Bird Perch
This is as simple as it gets for a wood perch. About half an inch wide and 8 inches long, it’s ideal for smaller birds who will be able to get a good stretch of the feet. Medium sized birds will be able to get a tighter grip, which many birds do like to have the option of, particularly when they’re sleeping.
Although the surface isn’t overly variable, being quite smooth, the parts where other twigs have been pruned off provide lumps and bumps that add interest. This is a nice extremely cheap little perch for those spots where there’s not a whole lot of room for something more elaborate.
