Translated by Nick R
As when we have dogs or cats, we have to do the math to know how much it costs to keep birds. Yes, it’s nice to have a pet, but have you thought about how are you going to keep it?
Table of Contents
How much does a pet bird cost?
It’s necessary to look at the species to know how much will a bird specifically costs, not all of them cost the same. These are the most common domestic species you can buy and their respective prices:
How much does a small bird cost?
Canaries
Canaries are songbirds that cost from $35 to $50 (does not include exclusive breeds).
Lovebirds
Lovebirds or Agapornis cost between $22 and $35.
Goldfinches
Goldfinches are one of the most expensive bird species and can cost from $98 to $380, depending on the type.
Budgerigars
Budgerigars are the cheapest birds with a price between $15 and $25.
Zebra Diamonds
Zebra Diamonds, depending on the subspecies, can cost from $20 (White Mandarin) to $75 in the case of the Gouldian Mandarin, the most expensive class.
How much does a medium-sized bird cost?
Cockatiels
Cockatiels have several mutations and their cost can vary, the average cost of the most common classes is between $38 and $60.
How much does a large bird cost?
Parrots
Parrots include bird species such as Amazon parrots with a price ranging from 200 to 500 or larger ones such as macaws for a price ranging from $500 to $1,000.
Is it cheap to have a pet bird?
Yes. The maintenance of a bird differs by species, as some species of birds are small and much cheaper to keep, while others are much larger and more expensive. In general, birds are inexpensive pets compared to other conventional pets such as dogs and cats.
Pay attention to the costs of the following 5 main items depending on the size of the bird (approximation of costs for a couple) to keep a pet bird.
| Bird Size | Bird purchase | Cage and accessories(2 x unit) | Feeding(birdfeed and others) | Veterinary and Hygiene | TOTAL |
| Small Birds(parakeet) | 15 dollars | 30 dollars | 3 dollars | 10 dollars(variable) | 63 dollars /month |
| Medium Birds(cockatiel) | 38 dollars | 80 dollars | 10 dollars | 15 dollars(variable) | 145 dollars / month |
| Large Birds(amazon) | 200 dollars | 250 dollars | 25 dollars | 30 dollars(variable) | 505 dollars / month |
How much does it cost to keep a small pet bird per month?
Smaller species of birds are more economical, especially for the cost of their monthly food which is no more than 2 dollars. Add the rest of the expenses such as the purchase of the bird, the cage and the main accessories.
In that sense, the first month your pair of small birds would have a total cost of up to 100 dollars; without counting the goldfinches, which can cost up to 280 dollars. After buying it and investing in a cage and accessories, your friend will only represent between 10 and 15 dollars a month (periodic and permanent expenses).
How much does it cost to keep a medium-sized pet bird per month?
As for medium-sized birds, including all the monthly expenses; one-time, permanent, and periodic, the first month could cost between $140 and $200 approximately. After that, the pair of birds will cost between $20 and $30 per pair per month.
How much does it cost to have a large pet bird per month?
On the other hand, a pair of larger birds can cost between $500 and $1200 for the first month, including the purchase of the animal, cage, and other accessories. After that, monthly maintenance will cost between $50 and $100.
Note
You must keep in mind that as you have more birds, the cost per bird decreases, especially the smaller they are.
So what expenses should I take into account when keeping a pet bird?
How expensive is it to keep a bird?
There are several types of expenses that will dictate how much it costs to keep a bird and how much you will spend during its life cycle:
One-Time expenses to keep a bird
These are all fixed costs that you will need to consider at the outset. These expenses are actually the most expensive of all the expenses you will have to bear in keeping your bird.
The primary accessories include the cage and of course everything that goes inside it such as perches, feeders and so on. These are one-time expenses, although you may buy them a second time if they get damaged. The important thing is that they are fixed costs in the maintenance of your winged friends, that is to say, yes or yes you must buy them.
Bird cages
First of all, the cage is the most important element in the domestication of a bird. It has several prices depending mainly on its size:
Large cages
These aviaries for larger bird species can be priced from $170. Aviaries are more expensive.
Medium cages
These aviaries are priced between $50 and $145.
Small cages
These cages can be priced from approximately $10 to $20.
Bird Accessories
Here are the approximate prices of these essential, must-have accessories for your bird:
Perches
You can find sticks and logs in the market for between 1 and 25 dollars.
Feeders
These containers differ a lot between species with prices from 2 dollars for domestic birds and up to 50 dollars in the case of group feeders for poultry or up to 75 dollars for external feeders.
Drinkers
You can find this type of container from $1.00.
Bathtubs
You can get this accessory for less than $2.
Toys
The price of these accessories varies, depending on the toys you want to buy. You can find toys starting at $1.5 such as balls, wicker balls, and chew toys.
There are other accessories such as foraging trays, substrates, and so on. If you want to know more about accessories, you can look here.
Ongoing expenses to keep a bird
These are all the costs that you will have to take into account during your bird’s life and on a daily basis, most of them are about feeding and basic care.
How much does bird feed cost?
A healthy diet is essential for your bird, they are animals that do not demand much and it will be very easy to feed them, as long as you follow the indications for each species.
The birds’ diet is largely based on birdseed (50% – 60%), in addition to other foods. You can learn more about this topic in our guide to feeding domestic birds. So how much does bird food cost?
Birdseed
A bird can eat between 10% and 15% of its body weight in birdseed, for example, in a small bird like the parakeet with 40 grams of weight approximately, it would be 5 to 6 grams. However, I recommend that you give a little more because they water much of the food, 10 grams per bird will be fine.
Taking into account the keeping of a pair of adult birds, in small species, the monthly cost of birdseed will be 2 to 2.5 dollars, which costs 1 kilogram. While, if you have a pair of medium-sized birds such as nymphs, the monthly cost will go up to a value of between 5 and 7 dollars for 2 kilograms.
On the other hand, in a pair of large birds such as macaws or parrots, the monthly cost will be between 15 and 20 dollars for 4 to 6 kilograms (the price per kilo may vary a little more with respect to small and medium birds).
In the domestic bird market, you can also find generic birdseed for any species of bird for between 1.5 and 2 dollars a kilogram.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables represent between 25% and 30% of the diet of most birds and their prices vary greatly with respect to the products you give your bird, not all eat the same and the amount varies from one species to another. But, it is advisable to provide about 10% of their body weight in fruits and vegetables.
In that sense, you can give him the ones you include in your grocery, the price is not fixed. If you have parrots, the value will be higher, approximately between 5 and 10 dollars.
Complementary foods
As well as seed mixes or birdseed, feed is also one of the most beneficial foods for your birds. The difference with birdseed is that the feed is more premium and expensive, costing from 4 dollars per kilo.
Additionally, grit, a complementary mineral food, costs 3 dollars per kilogram. Don’t forget to include snacks in the market, among which you can find seed bars from $1.5 and fat pellets from $4, among others.
Periodic expenses to keep a bird
Here are some ongoing, but not forever, expenses that you will need to make on a regular basis.
How expensive is it to keep my bird healthy?
Although veterinary expenses can be sporadic, I recommend that you take special care here. Aside from a healthy diet, your bird requires periodic care to maintain its well-being, including an annual check-up to check its general health, which will cost approximately $150 to $200, including vaccinations and deworming ($15 to $17 per month).
Get to know what vaccinations and medications your bird needs.
I can assure you that well-cared birds rarely get sick, in fact, in general, birds rarely get sick; another reason why they make good pets. However, they do suffer greatly from parasites, whether external or internal.
As for sporadic expenses such as illness and emergencies, the prices depend entirely on the affectation suffered by the bird. You can also choose to purchase health insurance for birds with insurance companies that handle costs of around 30 to 35 dollars per month.
How much does my bird’s hygiene cost?
The grooming products and services are fundamental elements for your friend’s well-being. You must take into account disinfection and cleaning products. Some of the most important products are:
- Bird shampoo for 6 – 8 dollars.
- Cage disinfectant for $8 – $10.
- Floor cleaner for 3 – 5 dollars.
- Odor eliminator for $8 – $10.
- Insecticide spray for $15.
Additionally, you will need to take him to the vet eventually for claw and beak care (price varies).
Recommendation
Try to do a price survey through the internet and in specialized pet stores, don’t forget to consult with caregivers, bird owners, and a veterinarian; this way you will have a better overview to make your purchases without being “taken for a ride”.
If you got here, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this article and I hope you find the information useful. You can check out other articles that may interest you here.
