This National “Pet” Bird Day, uncover the hidden cruelty behind the industry selling birds as companion animals.
National Pet Bird Day is often framed as a celebration of keeping birds as companions. But this September 17, we should ask a more important question: What kind of life are birds forced to endure before they ever reach a human home?
Birds are intelligent, social, and wild animals. In nature, parrots may fly miles each day, live in flocks, form strong bonds, forage for food, and communicate with one another. Even the most attentive home cannot fully replicate that freedom and complexity.
Yet hundreds of thousands of birds are bred and shipped to pet stores across the United States every year.
The Mill to Pet Store Pipeline
Many birds sold in pet stores begin life in large commercial breeding facilities known as bird mills. Like puppy mills, these operations prioritize producing animals quickly and cheaply, not their well-being.
A first-of-its-kind World Animal Protection investigation documented conditions at four bird mills licensed by the US Department of Agriculture. Investigators found thousands of birds confined to small, filthy cages, surrounded by feces and dust. Birds were denied opportunities to fly, forage, raise their young, or feel the sun on their wings. Some were exposed to extreme heat and freezing temperatures with little protection, while sick, injured, and dead birds were found among the living.
Baby birds may be separated from their parents before they have had the chance to bond or learn natural behaviors. They are then packed into containers and transported, sometimes over long distances, to dealers, distributors, and pet stores. By the time shoppers see a colorful bird behind glass, the suffering that brought that animal there has been carefully hidden.
The pipeline does not end at the cash register. Birds can live for decades and require specialized food, veterinary care, enrichment, space, and near-constant social interaction. When people are unprepared for that commitment, birds may be neglected, abandoned, or surrendered. Sanctuaries and rescues are already overwhelmed with birds in need of lifelong care.
Appreciate Birds Without Buying Them
People who are currently caring for birds in their homes can give them the best life possible by providing appropriate veterinary care, enrichment, space, and companionship. They should never release a bird into the wild or abandon them.
But we can prevent more suffering by refusing to ever purchase birds from pet stores or breeders. If you’ve done this in the past—forgive yourself. It’s never too late to make important change. If you are interested and have the resources to care for a captive bird in need of rescue and rehoming, reach out to a shelter or rescue organization near you to learn about any animals looking for responsible care. Birds are not “pets.” So, on this so-called National Pet Bird Day, let’s reclaim the occasion as a day of bird appreciation, one that celebrates birds for who they are, not for what they provide to people. Birds belong flying through open skies, living in flocks, and expressing their natural behaviors, not being bred for profit and confined for our entertainment.