Pet birds can make a great addition to your home, and they are adored for their melodic singing voices. While there are plenty of pet birds that make noises or mimic human voices, not all of them can sing well. Listening to the beautiful whistles and chirps of singing birds is relaxing, and if you are not someone who wants a large talking parrot or an overly vocal bird that squawks, then singing birds will be the right choice for you. You can choose from small to medium-sized birds with singing skills depending on your preference.
To make it easier for you to find your ideal singing bird, we have compiled a list of 10 pet birds that can sing.
The 10 Pet Birds That Sing
1. Canaries
Adult size: | 4 to 8 inches |
Behavior: | Peaceful, solitary, reserved |
Colors: | Yellow, white, green, red, black, blue, orange |
The Canary is a popular singing bird that will fill your home with soothing tunes. Canaries not only have great singing abilities, but their colorations are quite appealing. These are small birds that will be able to live in medium-sized cages and their cage wonz’t take up as much space as a larger parrot would. If you are looking for a variety that is particularly good at singing, the American singer Canary will be a good choice. However, nearly all Canaries are capable of producing whistles and chirps that sound like songs.
Most canaries will not squawk or become overly vocal birds, and most of their songs are produced during the breeding season or in response to stimuli.
2. Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrot
Adult size: | 15 to 17 inches |
Behavior: | Playful, loving, social |
Colors: | Blue, green, yellow, red |
The comical and songful Blue-fronted Amazon is a vocal bird that loves to sing or mimic sounds and words that they heard. Since they can be quite loud, they don’t make the best choice for small homes or owners that don’t want a noisy bird.
If a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot is feeling lonely or in need of attention, they may squawk or produce a startling noise that might bother some people. Aside from their vocalness, these Amazon parrots make great pets and form close bonds with their owners. You may find them whistling and producing songs that make them talented singing birds.
3. Cockatiels
Adult size: | 12 to 14 inches |
Behavior: | Social and calm |
Colors: | Grey, white, yellow, orange |
Pet Cockatiels are medium-sized birds that are generally quiet and calm, making them great pets for apartments and small homes. Cockatiels will whistle and sing to communicate with you or to react to their environment, but males are the most songful. You may also find your Cockatiel mimicking sounds that they heard, but they aren’t good talkers. Male Cockatiels in particular are talented singers, especially during the breeding season.
The male Cockatiel will be more vocal than the females, and their songs are smooth and distinguishable.
4. Budgies
Adult size: | 7 to 9 inches |
Behavior: | Social and shy |
Colors: | Green, blue, white, black, yellow |
Budgies are parakeets that have a small size usually no larger than 9 inches, and colorful feathers. They are one of the most common pet birds and they can sing beautiful songs that are usually high-pitched but not very loud and squawky. As a social bird, you should aim to keep your budgies in pairs or groups depending on the size of the cage. Budgies prefer getting their social needs met by their kind and can be shy and less interactive with their owners.
Happy Budgies will chirp, chatter, and whistle to themselves and they seem to enjoy singing their favorite tunes.
5. Zebra Finches
Adult size: | 4 inches |
Behavior: | Social and peaceful |
Colors: | Grey, red, orange, white, black |
Zebra Finches are one of the most popular pet finches you can own. They are known for the beautiful songs that they produce through a series of whistles and chirps. Female Zebra Finches are going to be less colorful and less vocal than males, and the males will sing the most during the breeding season.
Their vocalizations are peaceful and more tolerant in smaller homes, and they won’t squawk or screech as other singing birds might. Due to the Zebra Finches’ small size, you will find it easier to house them in a smaller cage since most Finches don’t get much larger than 4 inches.
6. Parrotlet
Adult size: | 4 to 6 inches |
Behavior: | Active, playful, curious |
Colors: | Yellow, white, blue, green, grey |
The energetic and curious Parrotlet has a small size that makes them ideal for owners who don’t want a bird that requires a very large cage. Parrotlets have stunning colors that may make them appear as a type of parakeet, but they aren’t the same bird. These birds belong to a group of the smallest New World parrot species, and they can sing quite beautifully.
The Parrotlet makes a lot of noise, but they don’t make deep and startling sounds like some other parrots. Aside from singing by making whistles, chatter, and chirps, the Parrotlet can mimic certain human words or sounds because they have the necessary vocal cords to do so.
7. Eclectus Parrot
Adult size: | 12 to 17 inches |
Behavior: | Shy and social |
Colors: | Red, green, blue, orange, yellow, purple |
The medium-sized and vibrantly colored Eclectus Parrot has excellent singing skills and a talent for mimicking certain human words. You may find that an Eclectus Parrot can also imitate tunes, although they won’t always stick to the rhythm of it. They aren’t the most energetic or curious birds, since most Eclectus Parrots will be shy and even fearful of unfamiliar people and situations.
You can also teach an Eclectus Parrot to talk, but sometimes they will pick up on human speech without any training.
8. Senegal Parrot
Adult size: | 8 to 10 inches |
Behavior: | Reserved and curious |
Colors: | Grey, black, orange, green |
Senegal Parrots are capable of singing, although it won’t sound as soft and high-pitched as other singing birds. Most Senegal Parrots can become a one-person bird if they aren’t socialized well from a young age, or they take preference to certain people. They can be loud at times and screech, so they aren’t the best option if you prefer a quieter parrot.
Senegal Parrots will pick up on certain sounds and imitate them, sometimes the rhythm of a song that they hear constantly in the house.
9. White Cockatoo
Adult size: | 18 inches |
Behavior: | Active and playful |
Colors: | White, yellow |
The White Cockatoo is a beloved pet bird that has a humorous personality and loud vocalization. However, many White Cockatoos are excellent singers, and they can even mimic human speech. White Cockatoos enjoy interacting with their owners and can be demanding attention, so make sure you can give this bird plenty of playtime for bonding.
They have a sweet-sounding voice that isn’t as harsh as other medium-sized birds, so hearing their vocalizations can be more pleasant. White Cockatoos can sing certain tunes to songs, but they won’t get the words perfectly, and they mainly sing the rhythm of the song which is still quite impressive.
10. Monk Parakeet or Quaker Parrot
Adult size: | 10 to 12 inches |
Behavior: | Curious, intelligent, playful |
Colors: | Green, yellow, grey, blue, white, red |
Monk Parakeets are small to medium-sized parrots that are talkative and good singers. They will sing a variety of whistles, chirps, and short notes. When they are startled, Monk Parakeets may produce a harsh squawking sound that can be loud and annoying at times. The Monk Parakeet’s vocabulary is impressive, and they can learn certain human words by mimicking them.
When a Monk Parakeet is happy, they will also chirp and chitter to show their excitement and eagerness.
Summary
If you are having difficulty choosing between the different songful and vocal birds that you can keep as pets, then start by researching the different care requirements of the bird to determine whether they will be a good fit for you and your home. The majority of singing birds won’t be very large, and their singing voices are often high-pitched and pleasant.
Small birds like the Zebra Finch will be perfect if you want a relatively peaceful and chittering bird that doesn’t talk, while the Monk Parakeet might be a better choice if you want a slightly larger bird that can learn to mimic human words