1" would be too wide, they can fit their head thru that and if panicked could snap their neck. 1" is more cockatoo / macaw bar spacing. 1/2" would be a very safe bar spacing.
We have a brat Senegal, my husband's Mali... he is in the double stacker cage and the cage measures 32" wide (left to right) and 22" deep (front to back).
Tho smaller birds, they are quite active and need plenty of space for toys and getting into trouble
Wow, I did some research looks like some other members with senegals have 1" spacing.
Remember, statistics! Leave a loaded gun on a table. Danger?
Do you feel lucky?
As always David, excellent point.... we can share a story of an adopter who was broken hearted over losing a beloved bird Poi family member. They had gotten a huge cage, with the logic, the bigger the better. For 12 years - TWELVE - the bird was happy and everything was fine. They had a family member in hospice, so the bird was not out as much as usual. When the family came home those nights the bird had a short time with everyone. The night the family member passed away, they were home after midnight, did food and water for their bird, but did not take the bird out, the next morning, they found him, appearing that he tried to squeeze out between the bars.
It was a horrible story to listen to and the family never thought twice about spacing because their logic was the body could not fit thru, they never considered like a human baby squeezing their heads between rails...
Is it a guarantee it will happen, no... but much like anything else in life, its the risk you are comfortable living with. Purchasing the larger cages with smaller bar spacing can be more expensive upfront, but part of the reason we suggest the 20x30 flight type cages. They have smaller bar spacing, yes they are a pain because they typically do not have food doors that swing open, but for safety and use of space, they are extremely versatile cages. And you can find them in extra tall as well if you want an even roomier cage.
Anyway, I'm babbling... waiting for my daughter to go off and look at a new barn to move the biggest family member - her horse Chip. The current farm is being sold, so we decided to move Chip closer to home. Big butt is 17 now and just diagnosed with navicular, so paying to have him close to home so I can pop in all the time is worth it. See, told you I was babbling!!!
