Bird Ownership Statistics USA

Birds are one of the most overlooked pets in national ownership surveys, yet an estimated 6 million U.S. households currently keep one — from budgies and cockatiels to long-lived parrots that can outlive their owners. Here’s what the data actually shows about who owns pet birds, which species are growing fastest, and what they cost.

How Many Pet Birds Are There in the U.S.?

According to the American Pet Products Association's (APPA) 2025 Pet Owners Survey, approximately 6 million U.S. households currently own a pet bird. That figure has been effectively flat year-over-year, following a longer decline: AVMA's Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook found the share of U.S. households owning a bird fell from 3.1% at year-end 2011 to 2.8% at year-end 2016. APPA and AVMA use different survey methodologies and sampling periods, so their figures aren't directly comparable — but both point to bird ownership as a small, historically shrinking share of the U.S. pet population that has since leveled off.

Which Bird Species Are Most Popular?

Parakeets (budgerigars) remain the most commonly kept pet bird, owned by 28% of bird-owning households, per APPA's 2025 report. Cockatiels are the fastest-growing species: ownership rose 58% between 2023 and 2025, now standing at 19% of bird-owning households — growth APPA attributes largely to Gen Z and Baby Boomer owners. Larger, long-lived parrot species such as African Greys and Macaws make up a much smaller share of pet birds by household count, but represent an outsized, decades-long financial and care commitment — African Greys, for example, have a typical captive lifespan of 40 to 60 years, with the longest reliably recorded individual reaching 49 years in peer-reviewed research.

Who Owns Pet Birds? Generational Trends

Bird ownership is shifting younger. Gen Z now accounts for 22% of all bird owners, up 22% year-over-year from 2023, according to APPA. That mirrors a broader trend across small-animal and exotic pet categories, where younger buyers are driving most of the category's growth even as overall bird ownership stays flat.

What Does It Cost to Own a Pet Bird?

Cost varies enormously by species. The ASPCA estimates baseline annual care for a small pet bird (such as a budgie or cockatiel) at roughly $200–$300, covering food, a cage, toys, and routine care — among the lowest ongoing costs of any common pet. Owners are also spending more over time: 59% of bird owners told APPA they spent more on their bird in the past 12 months than the year before. Costs climb sharply for larger parrot species, which need bigger enclosures, specialized diets, and avian-specialist veterinary care over a multi-decade lifespan — a cost factor that's easy to underestimate against a relatively low sticker price for the bird itself.

The Big Picture

Bird ownership is a small and historically declining share of U.S. pet ownership that has stabilized at around 6 million households — but the mix of who owns birds and which species they choose is changing fast, with Gen Z and cockatiels both posting outsized growth. Unlike dogs and cats, there's no single authoritative national bird census: the figures on this page combine APPA's ownership survey data, AVMA's longer-run demographic trend data, and ASPCA cost estimates. Where sources disagree or use different methodologies, we've noted it rather than picking one number and presenting it as more precise than it is.