The Cost of Pet Birds

Popular wisdom seems to have it that birds are inexpensive pets, like a hamster or gerbil. In fact, birds are easily among the priciest pets to buy, to supply, and to care for over their lifetimes. I can't tell you how often I've had people boggle at the amount of money I've spent on my parrots.

Truly, the purchase price is just the beginning. Yet this alone can be staggering. A budgie or finch from the pet shop may only run $10 or $20 (keep in mind, their lifetime costs will be nearly the same as that for a more expensive bird). Less common and larger birds, though, quickly go up from there. Pet shop birds will generally be priced higher than those direct from breeders. Sometimes you can save money by buying an older, "second-hand" parrot in need of a home, or by adopting through a rescue agency, but even these birds will cost money. Smaller, more common parrots such as conures will generally cost a couple hundred dollars, into the five hundred dollar range. Larger parrots such as Amazons, cockatoos, macaws and African greys will easily set you back around a grand on the lower end, and as much as several thousand if you desire one of the less common species or are shopping at a retail pet shop. And if your heart's desire is the spectacular, rare Hyacinth macaw, expect to spend no less than $6,000-$10,000. In general, you can expect a parrot to cost about as much as a dog, ranging from very little for a shelter dog, to several hundred for a purebred, to truly outrageous sums for the best quality show dogs. Just as with dogs, spending more doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a better pet. The important thing is not to save a few dollars, or even a few hundred, but to bring home the bird you truly want. Remember, this bird will hopefully be part of your family for the next several decades. His purchase price will seem like a drop in the bucket a few years from now.

Whatever you spend on the bird, expect to spend about that amount again, or even more, for caging and supplies. Don't even look at the tiny $20 cages at the pet shop -- they aren't fit for a finch, nor anything else. Finches, in fact, require a good deal of room to stretch their wings, and those tiny "finch" or "parakeet" cages at pet shops are suitable for nothing more than temporary or travel cages. Appropriate cages for the smallest birds will set you back around $50-$100 and, of course, larger cages go up from there. Expect to spend a few hundred on a solid cage for a mid-sized parrot. Caging is one area, though, where some money can be saved if you're willing to shop around. Check online stores for discount prices, or classifieds for used cages, and you may find a bargain. Don't skimp on quality, though -- having to replace a low-quality cage a few years down the line will be much more expensive in the long run than buying a good-quality cage to start.

You're not done when you buy the cage, though. You still need perches (those sad dowel perches that came with the cage are not enough), feed cups, and toys. Parrots, particularly, require toys. If you're buying toys for your large macaw at a pet shop, you'll find it's easy to spend $30, $40, even $50 on a single toy! Considering the average parrot will use several toys at any given time and will need new ones on a regular basis, the cost of toys can easily mount up. But here, too, money can be saved if you shop online, or make your own toys using bird-safe materials. However you do it, though, parrots must have toys, and these are items you'll be replacing regularly as the bird chews, destroys or gets bored with them. Toys are an ongoing expense throughout a bird's lifetime.

Nearly as important as the cage itself, you'll find that tame pet parrots practically require at least one playstand, if not several in different areas around the house. You'll want them because your bird will want to be near you, and you'll probably find it awkward to be holding him all the time. He'll want them because the more places he has where he can play and hang out, the happier he'll be. Expect to spend at least $50 for a small, cheap playstand, up to several hundred for the largest, fanciest models. You'll definitely save money if you're handy and can build your own.

Thought you were done spending money on the new bird? Not by far. Now it's time to find, and visit, an experienced avian veterinarian for a new bird exam. Finding a good avian vet is its own adventure, and trust me, the cost of gas can be a consideration if you're in the wrong area. But vet care is certainly a cost you shouldn't skimp -- it will mean the health of your bird over his lifetime. Costs do vary significantly between vets, but generally a new bird exam will run from around $50 for a simple office visit and check-up to several hundred for additional blood testing and disease screening. What is necessary for your bird will depend on where you got him, whether he's ever seen a vet before, and his age and condition.

Vet care is, of course, another ongoing expense. Although birds don't require annual vaccinations like a dog or cat, most vets recommend yearly well-bird checkups, often including basic blood tests. This is because birds show so few signs of illness that their owners may not know anything is wrong until it's too late. Regular vet visits can spot illnesses early and save an expensive and beloved bird's life. Avian medicine is relatively new and specialized compared to dog or cat medicine, and avian vets are generally highly trained compared to their dog and cat counterparts. What all this means to you is that vet care for birds costs money. Sometimes lots of it. In this particular area, birds may actually cost more than dogs or cats. Yet once again, vet care should not be skimped on. I highly recommend having access to at least a few hundred, and ideally more like one or two thousand dollars in case of an avian medical emergency.

Keeping birds healthy in the first place is another ongoing expense. Feeding birds can run from cheap to quite pricey, and not necessarily show a difference in quality. Another popular misconception about birds is that they're easy to feed; toss in a handful of seed or pellets from a box and you're good to go. Unfortunately, this isn't the case, and you'll find the cost of feeding your bird is in both money and time. Many homemade and grocery store foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and other so-called "people foods" are cheap and excellent bird foods. One of the healthiest bird foods, sprouted seeds, can also be one of the least expensive. The cost is in the time you're willing to put into sprouting, cooking, and preparing it all. Good quality "out of the box" bird food, on the other hand, is quite expensive. The best quality pellets cost fifteen or twenty for the smallest packages, and large parrots can go through quite a bit.

I'm not done yet. Depending on your particular circumstances, there can be many other costs involved in keeping your birds healthy, happy and safe. Here are just a few that may apply:

- Replacing your nonstick pans. Teflon and other nonstick coatings on pans are extremely dangerous to birds if scratched or overheated -- they can result in a bird's death within minutes. With careful precautions, they can be used safely around birds, but it only takes one mistake. Ideally, they should be replaced with other types of cookware.

- Specialized avian lighting. Birds require UV light to allow their bodies to manufacture vitamin D. They can get this from natural sunlight, but not through windows, which filter out nearly all UV light. If you can't get your bird outside (safely and supervised) for at least a half an hour a day, year-round, you can provide him UV light by buying specialized avian lighting. There are several options that vary in price, but expect to spend about $20-$40 for a fixture, if needed, and another $20-$40 apiece for the bulbs. Although expensive, the bulbs do last for a year or two, at which time they begin to lose UV output and should be replaced.

- Air filters. Birds are dust-producers. The "dander birds" -- cockatiels, cockatoos, and African greys -- are especially known for their dustiness, but all birds produce feather dust in addition to dust and detritus from seed and dried droppings. Even a pair of finches can produce an amount of dust that can be bothersome in a small, closed-up room. For the health and comfort of both you and your birds, you may find you need an air filter. HEPA filters are generally the way to go and can cost anywhere from $20 from a small, cheap unit to several hundred for large, heavy-duty models. Consider the cost of replacement filters, as well.

- Travel cages. For any of a number of reasons, your bird will need to leave the house from time to time, and unless his own cage is easily transportable, he'll need a travel cage. There are many options ranging from simple small bird cages, to dog crates, to specialized avian travel cages. Expect to spend around $20-$40 for small birds, up to $100-$200 for large macaws.

- Consults with trainers or behaviorists. Still another misconception about birds, especially parrots, is that they're "easy" pets. In reality, they are wild animals, and don't always adjust well to life with people. It's not uncommon for them to bite the hand that feeds them, to scream the paint off the walls, and even pull their own feathers out from the frustration of living as a pet. Their owners often become similarly frustrated with them. Because of this, one of the possible expenses you should keep in mind when buying a parrot is that of consulting an experienced behavior expert should things go wrong. In fact, some owners choose to consult one of these experts even before things go wrong, to ask questions and prevent bad behaviors. Consults can be made in the home or by phone, and the price varies between consultants, but expect to pay professional rates to these professionals.

I could go on, honestly. You may want to factor in the price of specialized cleaning supplies to remove encrusted poops, or the cost of additional vacuum bags -- or even a new vacuum, considering I've lost a vacuum or two to especially difficult "bird mess." There's the cost of either protecting your walls and floors with plastic sheeting or other material, or repainting, resanding or recarpeting if you don't. I could mention the costs of replacing items destroyed by birds, prospectively sizable amounts should your cockatoo escape the cage and destroy the kitchen cabinets or grandma's armoire. How about medical bills for that chunk of finger or ear your macaw might remove? But we're just speculating, now.

In general, larger birds cost more money in just about every respect, but even the smallest of birds are not always the cheap pets people sometimes assume they will be. A pet budgie will cost as much as a large macaw should he need emergency medical care, and your responsibility to him is just as big. And keep in mind the costs of keeping a bird continue over quite long periods of time. The smallest of birds may live as long as a dog or cat, quite possibly costing their owners as much as these larger animals over their lifetime. Mid-sized parrots can live into their 30's and 40's, and the largest, longest-lived parrots have been known to see their 70's and 80's. These birds have human-length lifespans. One of the expenses you should seriously consider is how much you'll leave in your will for their continued care after your death.

Birds require safe, roomy living spaces, healthy foods, good lighting, veterinary care, clean surroundings, and mental stimulation in the form of toys and playstands, or they won't be happy and healthy. These things don't always run cheap, and birds tend not to be cheap pets. Bird owners must weigh these costs against what our birds give us in return. I, for one, consider them more than worth it!