Choosing the right size perch for your bird is very important for the birds happiness and health.
Bird owners often choose bird perches that are cheap and available without giving it much thought.
But the diameter and surface of the perch is important for the bird who will be spending most of its life on the perch.
Choosing the wrong size perch or a perch that is one uniform size can become uncomfortable for the bird and can lead to foot problems.
Imagine if you had to sit in the same position in a chair that fit you all wrong.
Just as humans are uncomfortable and can even be injured from being in a poor position or performing an exercise with poor form, a birds feet can have the same affect from a perch that doesn't fit right.
A wild bird can fly around and choose where they want to perch.
Once they find a tree branch they can move around on it until they find a spot that fits them right.
In a cage, a bird depends on its owner to provide them with a perch.
Since a bird can't just come out and tell you what they want in a perch, sometimes giving them a variety is best so they can choose.
This is where bird perches made from natural branches with variable diameters are good.
If the birds foot is able to wrap all the way around the perch, the perch is too small.
As a general rule, a birds foot should be able to grip around the top half of the perch.
If you can get a variable size perch that averages the ideal diameter that would be ideal.
This way the bird can move around and exercise its feet with different diameters and shapes and be able to choose the right diameter for perching and sleeping.