Jardine's Parrot Cage Bar Spacing Guide

A Jardine's parrot is a brilliant first medium parrot choice — they're smart, characterful, and a good size to handle, but that also means getting the cage spec right really matters. Bar spacing is one of those things that catches a lot of new owners out: too wide and a bird can get its head stuck or squeeze through; too narrow and the bird can't grip properly or the cage ends up feeling cramped in other ways. Bird welfare needs vary significantly by species — a budgie's requirements are very different from a cockatiel's, and both are very different from a parrot's — and cage size and social needs are the two most consistently underestimated factors. So: is this one Jardine's, and are you starting completely from scratch on the setup?

Great, three weeks gives you enough time to get everything right. For a Jardine's — which sits in the medium parrot bracket, typically around 25–30cm body length — you want bar spacing of 19mm to 25mm (roughly ¾ inch to 1 inch). Stay within that range and you're safe: the bird can grip the bars well, can't push its head through, and you're not looking at injury risk. Anything above 25mm starts getting risky for a bird this size. What's your rough space at home for the cage — are you thinking a floor-standing aviary-style setup or a more standard parrot cage on a stand?

Good instinct — bigger is always better, and a Jardine's needs real horizontal flying space to stay mentally healthy. The minimum I'd suggest is 90cm wide, 60cm deep, 120cm tall for the cage itself, not counting the stand. My specific recommendation for your setup is the Ferplast Parrot 6 cage. It has 20mm bar spacing — right in the sweet spot for a Jardine's — measures 99cm wide by 69cm deep by 156cm tall including the stand, and it comes with a play top which these birds absolutely use. It's a well-built cage with a decent door size so you can get your bird in and out without stress, and it's widely available. It won't feel cramped for a medium parrot and it photographs well if that matters at all. One thing to do on arrival: check every weld and bar end with your fingers before the bird goes in — standard advice for any new cage regardless of brand.

Powder-coated is absolutely fine for most setups — the Ferplast is powder-coated and it's what the majority of Jardine's owners use without any issue. Stainless steel is genuinely better long-term: easier to clean, nothing to chip, and zero risk of zinc toxicity from worn coating. But it's also two to three times the price, and for a first cage when you're still figuring out where you want things positioned and how your bird uses the space, powder-coated is a very sensible starting point. If you go that route, just inspect the coating every few months and replace the cage if you see significant chipping or rust forming near the bars — that's the only real watchpoint.

Yes — aim for perches between 2cm and 3.5cm diameter as your main range, and vary it. Jardine's feet are proportioned similarly to an African grey but slightly smaller, and having perches of different diameters exercises the foot muscles and helps prevent arthritis later on. Natural wood perches — java wood, manzanita, or just thick untreated apple branches if you have access — are far better than the uniform dowel perches that come with most cages. Rope perches are good too for variety and gentleness on the feet. Ditch the sandpaper perch covers if yours comes with them; they do more harm than good. You're well set up with three weeks to source everything before your bird arrives.