Parrots have become one of the most popular pet birds in the United States. Known for their intelligence, ability to mimic human speech, and vibrant plumage, parrots make delightful and fascinating companions for bird lovers across America. But what exactly makes them so well-loved in the US? There are several key reasons these tropical birds have captured the hearts of so many American pet owners.
Ideal Household Pets
One major factor driving parrots’ popularity is that they make relatively easy pets for people to own in a household setting. Compared to other exotic bird species, parrots tend to live longer lifespans between 15-80 years depending on the species. This allows owners to form strong, lifelong bonds with their parrot. Many parrots also happily accept living in cages and can be quite resilient in terms of adjusting to a domestic environment.
While parrots do require consistent care, attention, proper diet and habitat enrichment to thrive, they are more manageable than other wild bird species that may be delicate or have very specific care requirements. For bird enthusiasts wanting an intelligent and interactive pet bird, parrots check a lot of key boxes.
Ability to Bond Deeply
Another huge part of the appeal of parrots as pets is the strong attachments they form with human owners. Parrots are known to choose a favored person who they see as their trusted companion. They crave attention, engagement, and interaction with their chosen human which allows for profound emotional bonds to develop over years of ownership.
Many parrot owners refer to how their parrots are deeply invested and interested in everything they do. Birds want to be involved in household activities, will show signs of missing favoured humans if they are away, and can even show signs of jealousy towards other people or pets according to some researchers. For those seeking more than just visual enjoyment from a pet, parrots deliver next-level relationships.
High Intelligence and Communication
Parrots also have extraordinarily high intelligence compared to most other domestic pets. Scientific studies have shown evidence that many parrot species such as African grey parrots have advanced cognition equal to a 3-5 year old human child.
Their smarts combined with an innate ability to mimic verbal sounds allows parrots like cockatoos, African greys and Amazon parrots to learn and repeat many words and phrases. Some parrots have vocabularies exceeding 100 words or more! This means a parrot can actively communicate with and respond to their human caregivers beyond basic signaling of hunger or aggression. The keen intelligence paired with talking ability offers very engaging interaction with a parrot.
Colorful Plumage and Personality
On a more superficial yet still important level, parrots simply have an inherent beauty in terms of aesthetics. Their bright coloration of feathers such as vivid reds, greens, blues, and yellows have immense visual appeal. Parrot plumage exhibits far more dazzling pigmentation than typical backyard birds in North America which may explain some of the obsession.
Beyond outward looks, parrots frequently have playful, affectionate and even mischievous personalities only matched by other intelligent domestic animals like cats and dogs. Every parrot develops a unique character which owners delight in discovering over years of observation and adventures shared with their exotic bird. This variety in temperaments adds yet another interesting dynamic to parrot ownership.
Adaptable to Training and Tricks
Parrots also thrive when they have activities to engage their agile minds and energetic bodies. This had led to a rising phenomenon of parrot training using positive reinforcement and clicker conditioning. Many owners actively work on training their parrots to perform fun tricks or master cognitively challenging puzzles and toys. This not only develops a stronger bond between owner and pet, but keeps destructive problem behaviors like excessive feather plucking at bay.
Youtube and social media channels bursting with smart parrots showing off impressive skills have also fueled interest in parrot training as people aspire to have equally talented feathered pets of their own. The capacity of parrots to be trained certainly adds to their appeal amongst animal lovers.
Thriving Pop Culture Presence
Pop culture references have also boosted favorability towards parrots as pets in the United States. Talking parrots have commonly appeared across books, television, film and other media for decades now. Characters like Paulie from classic film GoodFellas or more recent Iago from Disney’s Aladdin have cemented talking parrots in the public’s mind as entertaining and relatable animals.
Viral social media clips showing off incredibly articulate talking African grey parrots demonstrate that truth can be just as captivating as fiction. And celebrity owners like Beyonce, Betty White and Roberta Flack have also sparked wider intrigue. The more mainstream exposure parrots receive as loveable mainstream pets versus exotic oddities, the more average people consider bringing one home.
Lower Costs than in Past
Shifting economic factors have also enabled more everyday people to realistically afford pet parrots which expands their popularity as pets. In the past decade, captive bred parrots costs have lowered while incomes have risen according to surveys of bird breeders. Today hand-fed baby parrots can be readily purchased for between $800-$2,000 depending on rarer species and pedigree lineage.
Responsible breeding programs churning out captive bred parrots versus wild caught specimens saves buyers thousands over prior eras. Given parrots long life spans, increased affordability has motivated more folks to take the plunge into parrot ownership. The initial investment feels less prohibitive and risky when responsible avian breeders offer payment plans as well.
Thriving Aviculture Community
The sheer amount of resources and infrastructure available today around parrot ownership also promotes their favorability for prospective owners. From veterinarians specializing in avian medicine to forums connecting tens of thousands of parrot owners, there is a thriving international community centered around parrots as pets.
This makes the learning curve navigating proper parrot care less steep for total beginners versus several decades ago. Enthusiastic parrot owners have written hundreds of reference books detailing specialized diet, caging, handling techniques, health issues, training methods and more. No new parrot owner need feel entirely lost or isolated thanks to all the shared collective wisdom that exists. Between bird clubs, online discussion groups andbreeder mentoring, support networks abound.
Closing Thoughts
Thanks to their vibrant beauty, charming personalities, formidable intelligence and deep emotional connections parrots form with caretakers, parrots have rightfully earned recognition as America’s favorite feathered houseguests. As more people discover their delightful virtues as pets either firsthand or through popular media representations, parrots look to have a bright future ahead as one of the most beloved companion animals.
Any household equipped to provide the proper care requirements would undoubtedly find themselves endlessly fascinated sharing life with these tropical birds native to lands far away. Their popularity seems poised to keep expanding as more people discover their many irresistible qualities.
