Best Bird Toys with Bells: How to Choose by Bird Size and Our Top Picks

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Bells are one of the simplest ways to add sound and fun to a cage. Many budgies, cockatiels, conures and larger parrots love to peck, pull and shake anything that rings. This guide is for pet bird owners who want bird toys with bells that fit their bird’s size, beak strength and play style.

We cover how to choose a safe bell toy, six picks from hanging toys to foot toys, how to introduce a new toy, and the safety checks that matter most. One note: the seed bells sold for backyard feeders are wild-bird food, not toys, so they are not part of this guide.

Quick answer

For a budgie, parrotlet or other small bird, start with the Bonka Bird Toys 890 Ring My Bell, or the Super Bird Creations Balsa Munch if your bird is a keen chewer. Setting up a new cage for a budgie or cockatiel? The 8 Piece Parakeet and Cockatiel Toy Set gives you bells, swings, chews and a mirror in one order. For a conure or quaker that likes to hold its toys, try the Super Bird Creations Birdie Balls. For a strong-beaked bird such as an African grey, the all-stainless Quluxe Stainless Steel Tube Bells are the sturdiest option here.

Quick picks

How to choose bird toys with bells

Match the toy to your bird’s size

Size comes first. A toy that is too small can be crushed, and small parts can end up in a beak. A toy that is too big can be hard to grip. Use the species list as a starting point, then check the measurements.

• Small birds (budgies/parakeets, parrotlets, lovebirds): light toys around 6 to 8 inches long, small bells, soft woods like balsa, and balls about 1.5 inches across or smaller.
• Cockatiels: most small-bird toys still work, and cockatiels are named on many of them. Give swings enough height for a long tail.
• Medium birds (conures, quakers, ringnecks, Senegals, caiques): sturdier parts, foot toys around 2 inches, and metal or thick plastic that will not crack on the first bite.
• Large birds (African greys, Amazons, cockatoos, macaws): heavy stainless steel bells and hardware sized for large beaks. Light plastic and small bells are a choking and injury risk for them.

When a title lists every species from finches to macaws, trust the measurements over the title.

Bell style and clapper

Most bird toy bells are dome bells with a clapper, tube bells, or bells sealed inside a ball. With dome bells, the clapper is the weak point: a bird that pulls it off may swallow it, so tug it before the toy goes in. Tube bells and sealed bells have no exposed clapper. Many bird keepers also avoid slotted “jingle bells” (the sleigh-bell type) for small birds, since a toe or beak tip can get caught in the slot.

Materials

Stainless steel is the usual choice for metal parts because it resists rust and cleans easily. Many avian vets advise against zinc-coated (galvanized) or plated metal for birds that chew hard on metal, because of the risk of heavy metal poisoning. Plastic is light and colorful but can crack under a strong beak. Balsa, vine, sola and paper are made to be destroyed and need regular replacing.

Hanging toy, swing or foot toy

Watch how your bird plays. Climbers and pullers do well with bell chains. Birds that like to rock enjoy a swing with a bell. Birds that carry things around, common in conures and quakers, often prefer foot toys. A mix of styles covers most birds.

Hooks, links and chains

Look for quick links or pear links that screw fully shut, and chain links small enough that they will not trap a toe or leg band. Welded chain is less likely to pull apart than open links. Make sure the toy does not reach the cage floor or block a perch.

Noise and cage space

Some birds ring their bells for hours. An 18-bell strand is far louder than one small bell, so start small if the cage is near a bedroom. Also leave your bird room to stretch, flap and move between perches.

The picks

Bonka Bird Toys 890 Ring My Bell

A strand of bright plastic beads on a bendable wire, with five small metal bells hanging from the bottom. You can shape the wire into a curve or spiral to fit your cage, which sets it apart from stiff hanging toys. It is light, so it suits small birds that like to nudge, spin and ring rather than destroy.

Good to know:

• About 8.25 inches long
• Five small metal bells
• Quick link at the top for hanging
• Listed for budgies, finches, parrotlets, quakers and doves

Best for: budgies, parrotlets and other small birds that enjoy color and sound more than heavy chewing.

Check price on Amazon · Full details

Super Bird Creations Balsa Munch (Small)

A small chew toy with brightly colored balsa wood, a vine ball, a shiny bell and a plastic chain to tug. Balsa is very soft, so small beaks can work through it, and the bell adds a reward along the way. It is meant to be chewed apart, so treat it as a regular replacement item.

Good to know:

• Model SB156, small bird size, 6 by 2 inches
• Soft balsa wood pieces plus a vine ball
• Hangs from the cage with a pear-shaped link
• Sized for parrotlets, parakeets, cockatiels and lovebirds; assembled in the USA

Best for: budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds that love to chew.

Check price on Amazon · Full details

Colorful Metal Bell Swing Toy

A long strand of colorful metal bells joined by stainless steel chain. With hooks at both ends, it can hang straight down as a bell rope or clip across the cage as a swaying swing. Large and small bells give different tones, so it does not sound the same every time.

Good to know:

• 6 large bells and 12 small bells per toy
• Stainless steel chains between the bells
• About 15.74 inches long in total
• Listed for parakeets, budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds and conures

Best for: active small to medium birds in a roomy cage, with owners who don’t mind plenty of ringing.

Check price on Amazon · Full details

8 Piece Parakeet and Cockatiel Toy Set

A starter set for a new or bare cage, with bells, swings, chew toys and a mirror. It shows you which toy types your bird likes before you buy more. Eight toys can crowd a small cage, so put in three or four at a time and rotate the rest.

Good to know:

• 3 hanging bell toys, 2 swings, 2 chew toys (one is a rattan ball) and 1 mirror toy
• Made from natural wood and ABS plastic
• Listed for parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds, conures and finches

Best for: first-time budgie or cockatiel owners setting up a cage.

Check price on Amazon · Full details

Super Bird Creations Birdie Balls (4 Pack)

Not every bell toy hangs. These maraca-style plastic balls have a rattle bell sealed in the middle and are made to be picked up, shaken and tossed. Foot toys give the feet and beak a workout and can go from the cage to a play stand.

Good to know:

• Model SB1055, medium bird size
• 4 balls per pack, each 2 inches across
• Sized for ringnecks, medium conures, quakers, caiques, pionus and Senegals
• The maker suggests a “toy chest” box or dish of foot toys on the cage floor

Best for: conures, quakers and other medium parrots that like to hold and throw their toys.

Check price on Amazon · Full details

Quluxe Stainless Steel Tube Bells (2 Pack)

Every part of these tube bells is stainless steel, with a bell built inside a slim tube on a short chain. With no wood, rope or plastic to wear out, they suit birds that destroy softer toys fast, and they are easy to clean.

Good to know:

• All parts stainless steel, silver finish, built-in bell
• Each tube about 7.48 inches (190 mm) long, on a chain about 3.54 inches (90 mm) long
• Hand wash only
• The title lists birds from parakeets up to African greys, small cockatoos and macaws

Best for: medium and larger parrots with strong beaks, such as African greys. Watch hard chewers closely at first.

Check price on Amazon · Full details

Also worth a look

• Bird Bell Chain Toys, 3 Pack: three 8 by 1.5 inch bell chains, best sized for budgies up to conures.
• Super Bird Creations Stainless Steel Tube Bells, Small: USA-made stainless tube bells; the small size (about 4 inches) suits small and medium parrots.
• Prevue Hendryx Wagon Wheel Chandelier: a decorative bell toy with welded chain for small to medium birds.
• Jowxsx Double-Headed Bell Rattles, 2 Pack: plastic rattle foot toys for cockatiels, conures and similar birds.
• POPETPOP Plastic Bell Balls, 12 Pack: 1.38 inch jingle balls for foraging dishes, sized for lovebirds, budgies and cockatiels.
• Bird Mirror Toy with Bell, 2 Pack: plastic mirrors with bells for budgies and cockatiels; offer in short spells if your bird gets fixated.
• Colorful Bird Bells for DIY Toys, 10 Pieces: roughly 1 inch bells for building or refreshing toys for small birds.

How to introduce a new bell toy

1. Check it first. Tug the clapper, close every link and look for sharp edges or loose parts.
2. Let your bird see it. Many birds are wary of new things. Set the toy outside the cage, in view, for a day or two.
3. Hang it in a calm spot. Place it inside the cage, away from food bowls and a little away from the favorite perch. Move it closer once your bird stops avoiding it.
4. Show how it works. Ring the bell gently while your bird watches, and praise or offer a small treat when it investigates.
5. Watch the first sessions. Make sure your bird rings and chews rather than swallows pieces, and that no toe gets caught.
6. Rotate toys. Keep three or four toys in the cage and swap in others every week or two.
7. Inspect often. Check toys every few days and replace any that are worn, cracked or loose.

If your bird plucks its feathers, screams for long stretches or fears every new toy, talk to an avian vet or a bird behavior specialist. Toys help with boredom, but they do not treat health or behavior problems.

Safety tips

• Match toy and bell size to your bird. Large parrots can crush small bells and swallow clappers.
• Choose stainless steel metal parts where you can.
• Remove a toy as soon as a clapper loosens, plastic cracks or a chain link opens.
• Screw quick links fully shut, and hang toys so chains cannot wrap around a neck or toe.
• Keep bird toys for birds only, not cats or rodents.
• Wash plastic and steel toys in warm, soapy water and rinse well.

FAQ

Are bells safe for pet birds?

Generally yes, when the size fits the bird and the bell is well made. The main risks are a loose clapper that can be swallowed, slots that can catch toes, and metal coatings a bird can chew off. Choose stainless steel where you can and check bells every few days.

Do budgies like toys with bells?

Many do. Budgies are busy, chatty birds, and a bell gives instant feedback when they peck or pull it. Offer one bell toy alongside a chew toy and a swing, then see which gets the most use.

What size bell toy does a cockatiel need?

Cockatiels are usually included on toys sized for small birds, such as the 6 by 2 inch Balsa Munch. Small to medium toys work well, and swings need enough height for a long tail.

What bell toys are safe for large parrots?

Look for heavy stainless steel bells and hardware made for large birds, with a secure clapper or no exposed clapper, as with tube bells. Skip small bells, thin plastic and light chain.

How often should I replace bird toys?

Soft chew toys like balsa can be gone in days or weeks, and that is normal. Metal bells last much longer, but replace any toy that cracks, frays or loosens.

The best bird toys with bells match your bird’s size, beak strength and play style. Start with one hanging bell toy and one chew or foot toy, check them often, and add new types as you learn what your bird enjoys.

Emily Carter

I’m Emily Carter, a lifelong animal lover and proud pet parent. I started this blog to share my passion for pets through helpful tips and heartwarming stories. Join me as we explore the joys of pet ownership, including the magic of pet bells!