Best cage size for a Meyer's parrot

Meyer's parrots are one of the more rewarding Poicephalus species to keep — calm, curious, and a lot more manageable than the bigger parrots — but they're still a stocky, active bird that needs proper space to move around, not just perch. Cage size is the thing most Meyer's owners get wrong first time, usually because the bird looks small and people scale down accordingly. What's your current setup, and are you buying new or trying to work out whether what you have is adequate?

Good that you're thinking about it before the bird arrives. For a Meyer's, the absolute minimum bar width-wise is around 60cm wide, but honestly that's tight. You want the bird to be able to fully extend its wings and move between perches without touching the sides. The bar spacing also matters a lot for Poicephalus — you need 19–22mm. Too wide and there's an injury risk; too narrow and it's harder for them to climb properly, which they love to do. How much space do you have in the room you're planning to put the cage in?

In that case, don't go minimal. Meyer's are active climbers and foragers, and a bigger cage means you can hang more enrichment without it becoming cluttered. The cage I'd point you toward is the Liberta Explorer — it's around 76cm wide, 46cm deep, and 152cm tall including the stand, with 20mm bar spacing which is exactly right for a Poicephalus. It has a decent-sized door, a removable base tray for easy cleaning, and it's sturdy enough that a Meyer's won't rattle it apart. It's well-regarded in the parrot-keeping community and holds up over time. It's available on Amazon UK and sits in a sensible price range for what you get.

It's a valid concern — zinc and lead toxicity from cheap powder-coated or galvanised cages is a real issue. The Liberta Explorer is powder-coated steel and is widely used by parrot keepers without reported toxicity issues. The rule of thumb is: if a cage smells chemical or the coating chips easily on arrival, don't use it. With the Liberta the coating is durable. That said, when it arrives give it a wipe-down and let it air before the bird goes in — sensible habit with any new cage.

For a single Meyer's with good daily out-of-cage time, the Liberta Explorer is genuinely sufficient long-term. Meyer's aren't as high-energy as a conure or as demanding for space as a large African grey. The key variable is out-of-cage time — if your bird is getting two or more hours a day outside the cage in a safe space, this setup works well. If the bird were caged most of the day, I'd say go larger. But as a home setup with proper interaction, you're well covered.