Cape Parrots are largest of the Poicephalus family of parrots, native to Africa. They are a short-tailed species with distinctive, large beaks. Size-wise, they could be considered similar to the African Grey parrot, although they don’t resemble each other.
If you have a Cape parrot or are considering buying a cape, we encourage you to learn about their unique needs and check out some of the cage set-ups demonstrated below, which emphasize room to move and maximizing foraging opportunities.
Lola, Female Cape Parrot
Meet Lola, companion to Coco, author of the blog Coco’s Flock. Lola has a wonderful 100% American-made, 304 medical grade, non-magnetic stainless steel cage from Expandable Habitats.
Coco says, “My main concerns are safety, using mostly natural wood perches with a variety of diameters and textures, including one roosting perch that must be double-bolted for security, and keeping those food and water bowls clean. To suit Lola’s needs and play habits in particular, I also like to have a variety of toys including destructible, noisy, and foraging-type, and at least one swing. The last requirement for Lola because she is a crazy and destructive bird, but really because I am also very paranoid, is that there cannot be any non-stainless steel metal. All toys, food bowls, and even the bolt and wing nut on all perches have to be stainless steel.”
Coco changes Lola’s cage configuration out often, putting an emphasis on various foraging stations and a wide variety of toys.
One of the challenges with arranging Lola’s cage is that her droppings are very large, so it’s important to layer perches, toys, and food bowls so that they aren’t stacked over each other in a way that causes them to get soiled easily.
Because Coco values foraging, she writes that most of Lola’s toys double as foraging toys; she stuffs treats in a variety of toys and makes Lola explore for her treats, and also offers lots of chewable woods and shredding toys. “In this way, I hope to keep her entertained, adept, enriched, and busy!” says Coco.
For perches, this Cape Parrot’s cage features a double-bolted ribbonwood perch, which Lola likes to roost on because it’s extra sturdy. She has a ribbonwood perch underneath it, as well, which is easier to clean than other woods, as well as a stainless steel bell toy. Towards the back there’s a water bowl and her stainless steel side-mounted bucket full of foot toys, and a cotton rope perch that goes up to the ceiling. Other perches include a bamboo pedicure perch, an ocotillo perch, and a curvy sandblasted manzanita corner perch. In the door, there’s the skywalk platform perch as well. Lola also loves her super soft and snuggly ring swing.
As you can see, Coco pays close attention to Lola’s comfort and safety and makes smart decisions about offering lots of perches and enrichment activities that ensure Lola loves her cage!
Looking for More Cage Examples?
Looking for other cage setup examples? Check out these related posts:
- African Grey Cage Setups
- Budgie/Parakeet Cage Setups
- Finch Cage Setup Ideas
- Cockatoo Cage Setup Examples
- Pionus Cage Setup Ideas
- Conure Cage Examples
Photos and information used with permission. Check out Coco’s Flock, a fantastic blog with a ton of great research on parrot cages, nutrition and more.