Some exotic birds can make great pets if they're properly taken care of. Here's what you need to know about exotic birds as pets.
What birds are considered exotic birds?
There are too many exotic birds in the world to really go into much depth about each one. However, exotic birds are considered birds that are rare and have very narrowly defined habitats. Exotic birds are usually found in South America, Australia, Asia and New Zealand. The United States doesn't have nearly the collection of exotic birds that other countries have.
Exotic birds as pets
Though most species of exotic birds do not thrive in captivity, a few of them do. The parrot family is a family of exotic birds that has become domesticated. Parrots encompass a lot of different bird species including smaller birds like budgie parakeets and love birds.
Larger parrots, such as macaws and African grays, are high maintenance exotic birds. They need a lot of attention and will actually get depressed if they don't have enough interaction. A parrot that is ignored will start to pluck itself and will even peck at its feet. A depressed bird can also become destructive to its environment so it's very important to give this bird an interactive home.
The larger domesticated exotic birds also need a lot of food because they are large. If you're working on a minimal budget, you shouldn't get large exotic birds for pets. Large exotic birds need to eat a lot and they need a very diverse diet. They enjoy eating fruits and vegetables as well as seed and grain.
Larger exotic birds are high maintenance, but they're also a lot of fun. They love to chat and make noise and, if given the chance, they will learn to talk. The pet owner needs to train the bird to say specified phrases, but most of the time the bird will learn to talk.
Smaller parrots, such as love birds and budgie parakeets, are exotic birds that are not quite as high maintenance as the larger exotic birds. Love birds are incredibly playful and will entertain themselves as long as they have plenty of toys in their cages. Budgies are also good exotic birds to have as pets and will learn to talk if they're trained.
Both of the smaller exotic birds take up less space and are not as messy as the larger exotic birds. They also don’t live as long as the larger exotic birds and therefore might be better suited for a family that doesn't want to have a pet bird for upwards of 40 years.
