How tall does a cage really have to be?

[yasha2802]

I have a small space above one of my fish tanks I was thinking about trying to fit a finch or bourke cage in the space but am afraid I wont have the head room needed. How short a cage can I get away with?
Length of 6 feet
Width of 18 inches

Right now there in a 30" x 18" x 18" and I was thinking they'd like the longer flight room building a cage over the tank would provide but IDK if a short height would be a no go.
Prevue Pet Products Small Bird Flight Cage, White - Chewy.com

 

[Mizzely]

I would personally not do less than 18" myself.

 

[yasha2802]

Just realized I want to add diamond doves to the list of birds.

So it would be a cage for one or a mix of these:
Finch (society or zebra most likely)
bourke
diamond dove

My society finch never seem to use the bottom of there cage just the top and middle so I was thinking losing a little height maybe ok but I'd have to see them in a cage that height to really make my personal judgement.

 

[JLcribber]

Birds don't fly up and down. They fly side to side. End to end. 18" is pretty tight but as long as you make it really wide without too many obstacles they can actually fly.

Not high enough for a dove IMO. Finches are fine.

 

[taxidermynerd]

I wouldn't go any lower than 18 inches. My budgie has a flight cage (forget how tall, but it's something like 48 inches?) and he uses every part, from the top to the bottom.

 

[finchly]

I would go 18” or more. They may not use the bottom of the cage, but in a sense they do - if you shortened their cage to 12” for example they would feel the squeeze.

 

[Mizzely]

For a diamond dove it should be okay still at 18". They are only about 8" from beak to tail from what I know.

You don't want them to constantly feel like they are having the ceiling dropping in on them.

 

[hrafn]

My birds use every square inch of their cages, top to bottom, but they're parrots. I'm not sure how finches would fare.
However, I'd go as tall as you can, just to give them plenty of space.

 

[yasha2802]

Thank you
Our ceilings are very short under 7 feet so I only have 8-13" to play with really cant go taller then 13".
That sucks I was thinking they would really like to have the added (3' 6") length, the width wouldn't cage just the height. You guys are right though it really may not leave room for them to fly around perches. I just really have to see to tell I cant picture something correctly unless I 1st see it in person and it wouldn't be worth doing if it turns out to look to small for them.

If I were to go with just my 4 society finch do you think a height of 13" may work? checked there cage same one linked and the inside is only 16" tall the other 2" is the tray.

 

[finchly]

It will be ‘okay’ just not great. Can you give them length so they can fly and be more healthy? Lots of people remove sides or fold back the sides of cages and create longer ones.