Just under three percent of American households have a bird as a companion pet. If you’ve decided to choose birds as pets, you’re far from alone. Birds are a long-term commitment. In some cases, birds can live 40 years or more. With so many choices available, how do you decide which is best for you?
Continue reading to learn a few examples of birds you can keep as pets, alongside useful information about their ownership.
Ring-Necked Doves
Doves are docile, easy-going pets that develop strong bonds with their owners. After bonding, hanging out with their humans are one of the doves’ favorite things to do. Although they don’t talk like parrots, doves communicate using a cooing sound.
Doves live an average of ten years but can live significantly longer in captivity. This specific breed of dove gets its name for the ring-like band of color around its neck. In many cultures, the dove is a symbol of peace and goodwill.
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Ducks
Ducks are hardy, inexpensive pet birds that can have huge personalities. These quirky personalities make them fun pets. The downside to ducks as pets is they require ample outdoor space and a small pool to be healthy and happy.
Ducks live around ten years in captivity. They do best as a group but can be bonded with other outdoor bird species easily. Ducks do incredibly well with chickens and geese if other ducks aren’t an option.
Pionus Parrots
Pionus Parrots are an excellent choice for first-time bird owners because they’re easy to care for. They’re also among the list of birds who can learn to talk. These parrots have a mellow, playful temperament and develop strong bonds with their owners when spent time with.
Pionus parrots are medium-sized and require a large cage indoors or outdoors. If kept indoors, they should be allowed out when supervised. These birds can live around 25 to 40 years, so they are a considerably long-term commitment.
Peacocks
Peacocks are beautiful birds that require large outside enclosures to be happy. These pet birds can’t be kept inside, and their health may suffer if you try to. Despite this, peacocks can be lovable if raised from very young.
A big bonus of peacocks is that they can be very protective of their home and people without being aggressive. Peacocks live between ten and 25 years on average.
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African Grays
African Grays are popular pets because of how talkative they are. They’re brilliant and affectionate pets, but they can get bored easily, so they need plenty of mental stimulation.
African Grays live between 25 and 40 years. They’re large birds that can live indoors or outdoors. Either way, they require large cages and plenty of room to fly to be happy.
More Questions About Birds as Pets?
Keeping birds as pets requires a long-term commitment as their lifespans tend to be longer than that of other popular pets like dogs, cats, fish, or small mammals. You could choose many different birds as pets, with those above being only a few examples.
Do you have more questions about birds as pets?
Check out our other blogs. You’ll find articles on birds, pets, and similar topics to help you dive further into the subject.
