Becoming the owner of a pet bird can be a lifelong commitment. Many parrots live 20 to 50 years—with larger birds generally living longer. Parrots can form very strong bonds with their owners. When this occurs, they may have difficulty adjusting to a new owner. While smaller birds such as budgies, canaries, and finches tend to live between 10 and 20 years in captivity, and not every type of bird becomes so tied to
There are between 8,700 and 9,600 living species of birds today. These range in size from tiny (such as hummingbirds) to huge (such as ostriches and condors). Bird species are divided into 2 superfamilies, the Paleognathae or “old jaws,” and the Neognathae or “new jaws.”
The Paleognathae family includes 5 orders, the Tinamiformes, the Rheiformes, the Casuariiformes, the Apterygiformes, and the Struthion
There are some 35 to 45 million pet birds in the United States. Modern bird owners are continuing a pet bird tradition that goes back at least 4,000 years to the ancient Egyptians, who are often credited with keeping the first pet birds. The ancient Chinese are known to have kept pheasants. From writings dating back almost 3,000 years, we know that both Persians and Indians kept parrots and other birds as pets, a
January 23, 2025
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