Why are Java Trees important for parrots?

Why are Tree Stands / Play Gyms important for parrots?

Hello! I've had my conure for over a year now. He is a fun, active guy who loves to fly inside the house. He has a huge cage by the window, lots of toys inside, with perches extending out. A wide cage top where I put play gyms and hanging perches. He rides my shoulder all day and follows me around the house. Is this enough or do I need a parrot tree stand too? I read somewhere that it's important for a parrot to perch some place other than inside or on top of his cage. They say it is important for their mental health and happiness. Is this true?

I wouldn't mind buying one but they are so expensive!!! I'm not cheap when it comes to my bird but I just want to make sure this is an essential purchase and not just some marketing gimmick to make parronts spend more money. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Are parrot tree stands essential in keeping a parrot happy? Or does allowing the bird around the house (couch, tables, my shoulder) have the same effect?

By the way, I am thinking of purchasing the following Java/Manzanita Trees. I prefer it's look over the stainless steel / PVC variants. They are each about $300.00 with shipping (gasp!) I also am not handy so building one is out of the question...

Like many things today, pricing is pretty much what the market will bear, although with both manzanita & the java/coffee tree stands, there is usually a bit more hand work/labor than some other parrot related toys/stands/perches.....

It's too bad you're not handy, because you could save around 2/3 the cost of some of these things.....also, you really do not need a manzanita or java/coffee tree stand.....they are popular because of the odd shapes that nature comes up with...and...in many cases these types of perches are little more than status symbols...yes, the other perching surfaces give variety to a bird's perching.....

The major concern with bird's using the same or only one type of perch is that always perching on the same surface does not massage their foot pads or properly flex their foot/toe joints.....

You don't need to buy a Java tree stand..They are a very hard wood and look nice..But I use bottle brush stands.. My macaws can't tear them apart... And they run about $100 a piece....

The PVC stands are nice , sturdy and clean up easy....

Thank you for your replies.

I'm sorry if my main post was slightly vague and thus it's intention misunderstood. I do have natural perches in my cage so foot health shouldn't be an issue. It also doesn't matter that its a java tree or pvc, etc. It's just the fact that it's recommended to have a separate tree or gym away from the cage that I don't understand.

So my revised actual question is, why are separate tree stands / play gyms essential to have besides the cage top play gyms? They say it makes for a more mentally sound parrot. But if parrot rides on my shoulder when I am at home, and he gets to explore tables, and closets, etc. does it not have the same effect as say having a tree stand perch to explore?

A separate play gym could be moved around the house, gives the bird a bird safe area to play at, and you can put a bunch of bird stuff there for the bird!

Now, you don't *HAVE* to get one for your bird, but it does provide a 'bird area' for the bird away from the cage!


I have some table top gyms but I'd really prefer a floor model type.... if I had room for one!

MonicaMc said:

Now, you don't *HAVE* to get one for your bird, but it does provide a 'bird area' for the bird away from the cage!

Click to expand...

Thanks for that! Why is it good to have a bird area away from the cage? Is it for variety, exploration, etc? I could've sworn I read some place that in the wild, parrots like to perch some place other than by their cage.

Don't you like to get out of your house? Do you enjoy going to a park, a lake, a pond, or some other place that you enjoy being at away from home?

Or do you prefer staying in your home and not going anywhere? What if this was a small home, one that you could stretch your legs in but could not really move around enough to get any exercise in.



Try and think of things from your birds perspective and how it may be if he or she were a human instead.

I am not sure what will be best for your bird's mental health, but I would recommend getting some kind of stand or play area for your conure. He'll be your companion for many decades to come, and you may be too busy at times to give him quality out-of-cage time. With a tree, you can set him down somewhere to entertain himself when you can't be giving him attention.

I don't think it has to be java or manzanita because he has natural perches in his cage. Prevue makes some affordable metal stands you can order online that are pretty easy to assemble.

Java and manzanita is good for big birds because it is hard to chew up... but you could probably use another type of bird-safe wood, too, for a little bird like a GCC.

Have you tried Craigslist for a used perch? I got a huge manzanita tree, like the ones you linked, from CL for ~80.

If you do go with java or manzanita, you probably could get something smaller for a GCC. My nanday conure doesn't feel comfortable on the manzanita tree because it is so giant and big for her little feet.

Thanks for the replies! I guess I am just trying to justify such a major purchase. I don't mind getting it for Limbo, just want to be sure it means something good to him.

That said, I now see the benefit of having something else to perch on besides the cage top perches.

LakeDesire, I'm glad you mentioned the size of the tree stands. The perch diameter is 1 to 1 1/4". I could not find any java/manzanita floor stand tree that has smaller diameter branches. Is this too wide for a dusky conure? He is about the size of an adult sun or jenday conure.

PS. I'm not really crazy about the look of metal or pvc style perches. I prefer the natural look I guess. Also I already have a table top natural perch so I'm really just looking for a floor stand.

Perches of most any diameter would be OK if they are not smooth, however, for smooth surfaced perches, I might stay between 5/8" & 1" in diameter to allow him a comfortable grip.....

Thank you, that is good to know! It has enough texture and loops to it that he'd be able to get a good grip.