Keeping A Hummingbird As A Pet Is A Costly Mistake In Many Ways - Here's Why
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Pet birds can range from the common lovebird to the exotic parrot, and while each species presents unique challenges, they can be affordable pets kept happy in small spaces. Moreover, owners will attest to their potential to be affectionate, intelligent, and easily trainable. Still, not all will be ideal pets. While the adorable and busy hummingbird may seem like a great, cute pet, attempting to have one would be a costly mistake.
Foremost, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 prohibits the ownership of hummingbirds in the United States. There are no legal hummingbird breeders in the country, so you'd need to look for other exotic pets you can purchase if you want a unique pet. These laws also apply to catching one in the wild to keep as a pet or attempting to rehabilitate an injured bird. Breaking these laws can be a costly mistake in terms of both potential fines — up to $5,000 — and jail time. Still, overlooking legality, there would be many other costs to consider.
A hummingbird can travel up to 23 miles in a day. An enclosed space doesn't allow for the freedom this species needs and would cause potentially fatal levels of stress. The far-traveling bird also has a diet that is difficult to replicate, needing a mix of nectar and insects due to its high metabolism. Hummingbirds eat up to three times their body weight daily. Speaking with Birds & Blooms, Anusha Shankar, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, compared the birds' appetite to humans, stating, "If we had their metabolic rate, we'd need to eat 300 hamburgers a day to survive!" Laws, space, and diet would make a hummingbird a costly pet. Instead, having one visit your garden can be the best way to bond with the beloved bird.
The best way to befriend a hummingbird
Hummingbirds don't make good pets, but this doesn't mean you have to give up on making friends with one. Choosing to plant hummingbird-friendly plants in a garden can help a homeowner get regular visits from the quick little bird, with beebalms and sages being great choices. Or, if you don't have the space for a large garden to tempt a hummingbird, you purchase a hummingbird feeder. Here, it's essential to use boiled sugar water and avoid using dyes, honey, or artificial sweeteners for the bird's health.
@hum.daddy Testing out the @hummviewer 🙌🏼 ⛑ 🙌🏼 #humdaddy #hummingbirdking #hummingbirdfeeder #hummviewer
Seeing a hummingbird up close may be behind one of the desires to have them as a pet. However, as seen in the above TikTok video from Hum Daddy, there are clever DIY ways to get an up-close view of the spritely feathered friends (that is a window view a cat would be content with). It remains essential to let the remarkable hummingbird exist in its natural environment; the best anyone can do is help create a safe environment to entice it to come for a visit.
Curious about better avian pet options? Check out the quietest pet birds.