🏠Housing a Kakariki: a 100 × 50 × 70 cm cage, fully fitted
Kakariki : A cage or aviary at least one metre wide, with horizontal space trumping everything, from 150 euros. Note: the kakariki is among the species whose keeping may require identification or formalities depending on regulations, so check before buying.
In short: 25 to 28 cm including a long tail, 10 to 15 year lifespan, low noise level. A tireless, curious and acrobatic New Zealand parakeet that explores the ground as much as the branches and never sits still. Its hyperactivity calls for a cage that is long rather than tall and a constant flow of toys and foraging, or boredom sets in fast.
100 × 50 × 70 cm: the serious minimum
For a Kakariki, the cage measures at least 100 × 50 × 70 cm, wider than tall: birds fly horizontally, not in lifts. Bars horizontal for climbing, spaced 1.2 to 1.9 cm — any wider and the head slips through and jams.
Perches and layout
Install the perches (untreated wood, 1.5-2.5 cm in varied diameters) at the ends: the cage’s centre stays a flight corridor, and nothing overhangs the bowls. Add no-waste feeders, a newspaper floor renewed every two days and bath access — banning smooth plastic and abrasive “nail-trimming” sleeves, sworn enemies of bird feet.
Placement changes everything
Against a wall (safety at its back), at eye height, in the living room but out of the kitchen — fumes from overheated non-stick coatings are lethal to birds. Natural light without direct sun, 10 to 12 hours of calm darkness at night.
Frequently asked questions
What cage size for a Kakariki?
100 × 50 × 70 cm minimum, wider than tall, bars spaced 1.2 to 1.9 cm — plus daily free flight, the cage being only base camp.
Where should a Kakariki’s cage go?
Against a living-room wall at eye height, away from the kitchen (toxic fumes), direct sun and draughts, with 10 to 12 hours of quiet darkness.
The guides that apply to you
- Sleep: A Key Step in Song Learning for the Zebra Finch
In young zebra finches, the song learned the day before is consolidated and refined during sleep, a mechanism that explains why full nights matter as much as daytime practice.
- Outdoor garden aviary: real budget and health-safety measures
How much does an outdoor aviary cost, and how do you secure it against predators, weather and health risks linked to wild birds? The budget guide before you commit.
- Round bird cages: why you should absolutely avoid them
Pretty but harmful: the round cage disorients the bird, prevents flight and makes furnishing impossible. Why it is discouraged and what to replace it with.
- Cage flooring: sand, paper or grate — which is right for your bird?
Aniseed sand, paper, hemp or a grate: a comparison of cage floor options for birds, covering hygiene, monthly cost (0 to 8 €) and the real risks of each.