11 Most Expensive Birds Kept as Pets (2024 Price Updates)
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When you think about expensive pets, you’re probably picturing pricey dog breeds like Chow Chows or Samoyeds, which can fetch up to $11,000 or $14,000 restively. You might even consider cat breeds like the very rare Ashera, which can cost as much as $125,000. Needless to say, birds might not be at the top of your mind, considering you can go to your local pet store right now and buy a canary for $50.
Truthfully, many bird species will cost a small fortune to buy as they’re very rare to find or challenging to care for. Read on to find the 11 most expensive birds people keep as pets.
The 11 Most Expensive Birds Kept as Pets
1. Derbyan Parakeets
| Price Range: | $1,500 to $2,100 |
| Lifespan: | Up to 30 years |
Derbyan parakeets, sometimes known as Lord Derby’s parakeets, are beautiful parrots native to Tibet and India. They’re a highly intelligent, social, and affectionate breed. Unfortunately, the Derbyan parakeet is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss.
2. Flamingos
| Price Range: | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Lifespan: | 40 to 60 years |
Though most people don’t think of flamingos as pets, mainly because most folks don’t have the means to support such a pet, some of the richer people of the world could very well keep them in their yards. That said, flamingos don’t make great pets as they’re extremely high maintenance, and setting up your yard to house such a bird would be quite a pricey undertaking.
3. Hyacinth Macaws
| Price Range: | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| Lifespan: | Up to 50 years |
Hyacinth macaws are a beautiful blue parrot species native to central and eastern South America. They are the largest flying parrot species, growing to be up to one meter in length. Due to habitat loss and trapping, hyacinth macaws are listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. They are now listed as a protected species, which can make owning them illegal.
4. Scarlet Macaws
| Price Range: | $3,000 to $4,000 |
| Lifespan: | 40 to 50 years |
Scarlet macaws are visually stunning yellow, red, and blue parrots native to the evergreen forests of the Neotropics. These instantly recognizable birds are among the most sought-after macaw species. They’re highly sociable and need almost constant human contact to stay happy and healthy. There is a great demand for them in the pet industry, so finding one to adopt could be extremely challenging and expensive.
5. African Greys
| Price Range: | $500 to $4,000 |
| Lifespan: | 45 to 80 years |
African greys are one of the more “affordable” expensive birds—if such a thing exists. These medium-sized, predominantly grey parrots are extremely intelligent and prized for their ability to mimic human speech. This makes them one of the most popular and sought-after avian pets.
Unfortunately, due to habitat loss and hunting, African greys are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
6. Yellow-Naped Amazons
| Price Range: | $2,000 to $3,000 |
| Lifespan: | 60 to 80 years |
Yellow-naped Amazons are a parrot native to the Pacific coast of southern Mexico and Central America. These large, green parrots are named after the signature yellow feathers at the back of their necks. They’re highly social and intelligent, known for their ability to talk.
Unfortunately, the Yellow-naped Amazon is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List due to a dramatic decline over the past three generations. It’s believed that they have lost more than 92% of their population in that time frame, due mostly to deforestation and the illegal removal of babies for the parrot trade.
7. Blue-Fronted Amazons
| Price Range: | $500 to $3,000 |
| Lifespan: | Up to 35 years |
Blue-fronted Amazons are one of the most popular avian pets due mostly to their amazing ability to mimic human speech. In addition, their brilliant coloring (mostly green, despite the specie’s name) and extroverted personalities make them great companions. However, they’re quite large, so they’ll need plenty of space in your home to stay happy.
8. Toucan
| Price Range: | $1,500 to $10,000+ |
| Lifespan: | 20 to 25 years |
Toucans, native to Central and South America, are recognizable thanks to their large, hollow beak. They’re not as commonly found in the pet trade industry, but a handful of the 35+ toucan species can successfully be kept as pets, especially if they were hand-raised as babies. Unfortunately, toucans eat a lot of food, are excessively messy, and have frequent, often projectile, droppings that make them undesirable pets.
The price range for a toucan can range dramatically depending on what type of toucan you’re hoping to purchase.
9. Blue-Eyed Cockatoos
| Price Range: | $4,000 to $10,000 |
| Lifespan: | Up to 50 years |
Blue-eyed cockatoos are large, mostly white cockatiels with a white and yellow crest and blue rims around the eyes. These birds have a somewhat demanding personality, though they’re highly personable and very affectionate. They’re highly sought after for their ability to mimic humans and their love of play.
The blue-eyed cockatoo is listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List, mostly due to the clearing of the forests that it calls home.
10. Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos
| Price Range: | $4,000 to $10,000 |
| Lifespan: | 40 to 60 years |
Major Mitchell’s cockatoos are medium-sized birds native to the inland areas of Australia. They’re recognizable by their beautiful pink plumage and black tail feathers. These cockatoos are very sociable creatures that tend to form a tightly-knit bond with one of their humans. They’re energetic and cuddly, though they can be temperamental at times, too. Major Mitchell’s cockatoos are very sensitive to the absence of its humans and might even shun you for a time if you’ve gone away on vacation.
11. Black Palm Cockatoo
| Price Range: | $15,000 to $20,000 |
| Lifespan: | 80 to 90 years |
Black palm cockatoos are native to the tip of Northern Queensland in Australia. They’re very distinctive, with their large crests and humongous bills. The black palm cockatoo is the biggest cockatoo species in the world, but finding one to adopt as a pet isn’t easy. They can be difficult as they’re not as easy to tame and aren’t prone to streaks of affectionateness as other parrots. This is not a beginner bird as it needs a lot of space, and its rougher temperament makes it challenging to keep.
Not only is this species the most expensive to buy, but they have the longest lifespan, too.
Conclusion
Birds can make fantastic family pets, but if you’re spending thousands of dollars on one of the abovementioned species, we recommend you have some experience first. Birds have specific and unique care requirements, and if you’re paying a small fortune to adopt one, you should at least know how to properly care for it first.
Featured Image Credit: Surapit Srisurichan, Shutterstock
