Risk assessment: Difficult to ensure good animal welfare for exotic birds

Approximately 400 tropical bird species and about 195,000 individuals were kept as companion and hobby animals in Norway in 2023. However, the report about animal welfare to the Storting (Meld. St. 8 (2024-2025)) highlighted the limited knowledge about their welfare needs. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority commissioned VKM to evaluate the welfare for 27 parrot and toucan species when kept as companion and hobby animals, focusing on the optimal living conditions, feeding, activation, supervision, care, and other welfare-relevant factors. VKM has reviewed available scientific literature and other relevant articles and reports on the selected species and assessed their welfare needs in private care. VKM has also conducted a risk assessment of the welfare challenges for each species and described various mitigation measures.

VKMs findings

-Housing with limited opportunities to perform natural flying behaviour is a high risk for negative welfare.
-Housing in spacious aviaries may meet some of the birds’ behavioural needs, but free, unrestricted flight is necessary to allow for a full range of flying behaviour.
-Feather clipping is detrimental for the birds, preventing movement and natural behaviour.
-These birds need substantial cognitive and social stimulation. Keeping them alone severely harms their welfare. In most cases, housing in appropriately composed flocks is best.
-Deficiencies in the physical environment can lead to boredom and chronic stress, and lack of environmental enrichment poses a high risk for reduced welfare. Frequent change and a high variety of enrichment objects are crucial.
-Hand-rearing of chicks has traditionally been implemented to socialise the birds to humans. However, hand-rearing deprives the birds of parental contact and the development of vital social skills. This increases the risk of developing abnormal behaviours and results in poor welfare.
-Feeding mainly seed-based diets will lead to excessive amounts of calories and malnutrition, posing a serious welfare issue. A formulated diet supplemented with fruits and vegetables best meets the birds’ dietary needs.

“Our assessment shows that the welfare needs of all 27 species are challenging to meet when kept as companion and hobby animals. In addition, seven species are at particularly high risk for poor welfare in captivity, and the suitability of white cockatoo, sulphur-crested cockatoo, galah, Moluccan eclectus, chestnut-eared aracari, toco toucan, and white-throated toucan as companion and hobby animals is therefore questionable”, says Janicke Nordgreen, scientific leader of the report.
Furthermore, due to lack of studies, VKM cannot conclude whether the eastern rosella, green-cheeked parakeet, and ochre-marked parakeet are suitable as companion and hobby animals. The risk assessment is approved by VKM’s Panel on Animal Health and Welfare.
VKM provides independent scientific assessments on issues relevant to food and environment. VKM does not offer advice or take a position on how risks should be managed.