Bird Cage Bar Spacing Guide: Budgie to Macaw
Short answer: match the bar spacing to the smallest bird that will live in the cage. As a guide, finches, canaries and budgies need about 1 cm. Cockatiels and lovebirds need about 1.2–1.5 cm. Conures, Quakers and Senegals need about 1.5–2 cm. African Greys and Amazons need about 2–2.5 cm. Large macaws and cockatoos need about 2.5 cm or more, with heavy wire. If your bird can get its head between the bars, the spacing is too wide, whatever the label says.
Bar spacing is the gap between two neighbouring bars. Too wide and a bird can escape, or push its head through and get stuck. Too narrow on a big-bird cage usually means thin wire that a strong beak can bend. This guide gives spacing by bird size in millimetres and centimetres, and the cages in our range that match.
Bar spacing by bird size
| Bird | Bar spacing (guide) | Wire strength | Example cages we sell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finches and canaries | 1 cm (10 mm) or less | 2 mm | Rainforest Granada (1 cm) |
| Budgies | 1–1.2 cm (10–12 mm) | 2 mm | Liberta Oregon (10 mm), Liberta Flight Cage (1.2 cm) |
| Lovebirds and parrotlets | 1–1.2 cm | 2 mm | Liberta Oregon (10 mm) |
| Cockatiels | 1.2–1.5 cm | 2 mm+ | Rainforest Santa Fe (Antique) (1 cm), Rainforest Mini Santa Fe II (1 cm) |
| Conures, Quakers, Senegals | 1.5–2 cm | 3 mm | Liberta Gama (1.5 cm, 3 mm), Rainforest Bolivia (1.5 cm, 3.5 mm) |
| African Greys, Amazons, Eclectus | 2–2.5 cm | 3–4 mm+ | Rainforest Ecuador (2.5 cm, 3 mm), Rainforest Toronto II corner (2 cm, 4 mm) |
| Macaws and large cockatoos | 2.5 cm+ | 4–5 mm+ | Rainforest Rio Ara (2.5 cm, 5 mm), Rainforest Nova 2 Aviary (2.5 cm, 5 mm) |
Spacing and wire figures for the example cages come from our product pages on 15 October 2026. The bands are a general guide that sits alongside our bird cage size guide. Individual birds vary, so always check against your own bird and the manufacturer’s advice.
Why bar spacing matters
Escapes
Small birds are very good at squeezing through gaps. A budgie can get through spacing meant for a cockatiel, and a finch through spacing meant for a budgie.
Heads and feet getting stuck
The bigger risk is a bird that gets its head partway through and can’t pull it back, or a foot or wing caught between bars. This is why “a bit too wide” is not safe, even when the bird can’t escape.
Wire strength goes with spacing
Bigger birds need wider spacing and thicker wire. A macaw in a 1 cm, 2 mm wire cage would be cramped, and could bend or snap the wire. That’s why our size guide pairs 2 cm+ spacing with 2.5 mm+ wire for medium parrots, and 2.5 cm+ spacing with 4 mm+ wire for large birds.
Mixed birds and in-between sizes
- Mixed flocks: choose the spacing for the smallest bird. Budgies and cockatiels together need budgie spacing (1–1.2 cm).
- In-between species: go for the narrower end of the range if you’re unsure. Narrower spacing is only a problem when the wire is too thin for the bird’s beak.
- Young birds: youngsters have smaller heads. Check the spacing against the bird you have now, not its adult size.
How to check bar spacing yourself
- Measure the gap between two bars, not from the centre of one bar to the centre of the next.
- Check the door, the feeding hatches and the gap around the floor grille as well as the main bars. Gaps here are often wider.
- Look at the play top and the seed catchers. They sometimes have different spacing from the cage body.
- Watch your bird for the first few days. If it pushes its head into the gaps, move it to a cage with closer bars.
Bar direction and shape
Horizontal bars on at least two sides give smaller birds something to climb. Rectangular cages give more usable space than round ones, and round cages can be disorientating. For long-tailed birds, look at width before height.
Bar spacing FAQs
What bar spacing does a budgie need?
About 1–1.2 cm (10–12 mm). Wider than that and a budgie can escape or get its head stuck.
What bar spacing does a cockatiel need?
About 1.2–1.5 cm. Cockatiels can live in budgie spacing (1 cm) as long as the cage is big enough. If a cockatiel shares with budgies, use budgie spacing.
What bar spacing does an African Grey need?
About 2–2.5 cm, with wire of 3 mm or more. See our African Grey cage size guide.
What bar spacing does a macaw need?
About 2.5 cm or more, with heavy wire, usually 4–5 mm. See our macaw cage size guide.
Is narrower bar spacing always safer?
For escapes, yes. But very close bars usually come with thin wire, which a big parrot can bend. Match both spacing and wire strength to the bird.
Can I keep budgies and cockatiels in the same cage?
Only in a large cage with budgie-sized spacing (1–1.2 cm) and plenty of room. Watch them closely, as cockatiels and budgies don’t always get on.