According to Gram Research analysis, a 2026 survey of 619 parrot owners found that while 98.8% intentionally provide enrichment activities, fewer than half offer critical strategies like flight exercise (48.9%), foraging activities (46.2%), or positive reinforcement training (34.6%). The study revealed that 65.4% of parrot owners report behavior problems including aggression, compulsive behaviors, and fearfulness, suggesting that many parrots lack adequate mental and physical stimulation.
A new study surveyed 619 parrot owners worldwide to understand how they keep their birds mentally and physically active. Researchers found that most owners know about enrichment (activities that keep birds happy and healthy), but many aren’t using all the best strategies. While owners commonly rotate toys and vary food, fewer than half provide flight exercise or training activities. The study also revealed that behavior problems like aggression and fear are common, often happening together. These findings help experts understand what parrot owners are doing right and where they need better guidance to keep their feathered friends healthier and happier.
Key Statistics
A 2026 survey of 619 parrot owners published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that 98.8% intentionally provide enrichment activities once the concept is explained, yet fewer than half offer flight exercise (48.9%), foraging activities (46.2%), or positive reinforcement training (34.6%).
According to the 2026 parrot enrichment survey of 619 owners, 65.4% reported at least one behavior concern in their birds, with aggressive and compulsive behaviors frequently co-occurring with fearfulness.
In a global survey of 619 parrot owners, 88.8% had heard of environmental enrichment, and owners perceived human interaction as the most preferred enrichment activity for their birds, followed by food-based enrichment and destructible toys.
The 2026 parrot survey found that guardian age was significantly associated with enrichment motivations, with younger parrot owners more commonly citing welfare-related reasons for providing enrichment compared to older owners.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: How parrot owners provide activities and mental stimulation for their pet birds, and what behavior problems they experience
- Who participated: 619 parrot owners from around the world who completed an online survey between November 2020 and February 2021
- Key finding: While 98.8% of parrot owners intentionally provide enrichment activities, less than half offer flight exercise (48.9%), foraging activities (46.2%), or training (34.6%)
- What it means for you: If you own a parrot, you’re likely doing some things right, but adding flight time, foraging games, and training sessions could significantly improve your bird’s mental health and reduce behavior problems
The Research Details
Researchers created an online survey and asked parrot owners around the world to answer questions about how they care for their birds. The survey ran from November 2020 through February 2021, and 619 people participated. This type of study is called a “cross-sectional survey” because it takes a snapshot of what people are doing at one point in time, rather than following them over months or years.
The survey asked owners about specific enrichment practices (like rotating toys, providing different foods, and encouraging bathing), which behavior problems their birds showed, and why they chose to provide enrichment. The researchers also looked at whether the owner’s age affected their reasons for enriching their bird’s environment.
This approach allowed researchers to see patterns across many different parrot owners and identify which enrichment strategies were popular and which were being overlooked. It’s like taking a global snapshot of parrot care practices.
Understanding what parrot owners actually do (versus what experts recommend) is crucial for improving bird welfare. By surveying hundreds of owners, researchers could identify gaps between current practices and best practices. This information helps veterinarians, bird behaviorists, and pet product companies create better guidance and tools for keeping parrots healthy and happy.
This study has several strengths: it included a large number of participants (619) from around the world, making the findings more representative of global parrot ownership. However, the survey relied on owners’ self-reporting, which means some answers might not be perfectly accurate—people sometimes remember or describe things differently than they actually happen. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected some parrot care practices. Additionally, the survey only captured a moment in time, so we don’t know if these practices change over seasons or years.
What the Results Show
The research revealed that most parrot owners understand enrichment and try to provide it. When researchers explained what enrichment means (activities that keep birds mentally and physically active), 98.8% of owners said they intentionally provide it. The most common enrichment practices were varying the bird’s diet (feeding different foods), rotating toys, encouraging bathing, and facilitating social interactions with people or other birds.
However, several important enrichment strategies were underutilized. Less than half of the parrots received flight exercise (48.9%), participated in foraging activities like searching for hidden food (46.2%), or engaged in positive reinforcement training (34.6%). These gaps suggest that many owners may not realize how important these activities are for their birds’ mental and physical health.
Owners perceived human interaction as the most preferred enrichment activity for their birds, followed by food-based enrichment and destructible toys (toys designed to be torn apart). This perception aligns with parrots’ natural social and foraging behaviors. The study also found that guardian age mattered: younger owners were more likely to cite welfare-related reasons for providing enrichment, while older owners had different motivations.
The study documented significant behavior problems among the surveyed parrots. About 65.4% of owners reported at least one behavior concern with their bird. Importantly, aggressive behaviors and compulsive behaviors (like repetitive feather plucking) were frequently reported together with fearfulness. This pattern suggests these problems may be interconnected—birds that are anxious or fearful may develop aggressive or compulsive behaviors as a result. This finding highlights the importance of addressing underlying anxiety and providing adequate enrichment to prevent multiple behavior problems.
This study fills an important gap in parrot research. While previous studies have shown that enrichment is important for parrot welfare, few studies have examined what parrot owners actually do in practice. The findings align with expert recommendations that emphasize the importance of flight, foraging, training, and social interaction, but reveal that many owners aren’t implementing these strategies. The high prevalence of behavior problems (65.4%) is consistent with other research suggesting that inadequate enrichment contributes to behavioral issues in captive parrots.
Several limitations should be considered when interpreting these findings. First, the survey relied on owners’ self-reporting, which may not always be accurate—owners might overestimate how much enrichment they provide or forget about certain activities. Second, the study only captured a single moment in time (November 2020-February 2021), so we don’t know if these practices vary seasonally or have changed since then. Third, the survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected parrot care practices in unusual ways. Finally, the survey participants were self-selected (people who chose to respond), which means they might differ from parrot owners who didn’t participate—for example, they might be more interested in bird welfare.
The Bottom Line
If you own a parrot, consider adding these evidence-based enrichment strategies: (1) Provide regular flight time or wing-flapping exercise in a safe space; (2) Create foraging opportunities by hiding food in toys or around the cage; (3) Engage in positive reinforcement training sessions several times per week; (4) Ensure regular social interaction with you or other birds; (5) Rotate toys regularly to maintain novelty; (6) Vary the diet with different healthy foods. Start with one or two new activities and gradually add more. These recommendations have moderate to strong support based on parrot behavior research.
Current and prospective parrot owners should pay attention to these findings. Veterinarians and bird behaviorists can use this information to counsel clients about enrichment gaps. Pet product companies can develop better foraging toys and training tools. If your parrot shows behavior problems like aggression, fear, or feather plucking, enrichment improvements should be a priority. This research is less relevant to people who don’t own birds, though it may interest animal welfare advocates.
Changes in parrot behavior typically take time. You might notice improvements in mood and activity levels within 2-4 weeks of adding new enrichment activities. Significant reductions in behavior problems like aggression or compulsive behaviors may take 2-3 months or longer, as these often develop over time and require consistent intervention. The longer you maintain enrichment practices, the more stable the improvements tend to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
What enrichment activities do most parrot owners actually provide?
Most parrot owners vary their bird’s diet, rotate toys, encourage bathing, and facilitate social interactions. However, fewer than half provide flight exercise (48.9%), foraging activities (46.2%), or training (34.6%), according to a 2026 survey of 619 owners.
How common are behavior problems in pet parrots?
About 65.4% of parrot owners reported at least one behavior concern, with aggression, compulsive behaviors, and fearfulness frequently occurring together. This suggests inadequate enrichment may contribute to multiple behavior issues.
What do parrots prefer most for enrichment?
Parrot owners reported that their birds prefer human interaction most, followed by food-based enrichment and destructible toys. However, flight, foraging, and training are also important for overall welfare.
Does owner age affect how they provide parrot enrichment?
Yes, younger parrot owners were significantly more likely to cite welfare-related reasons for providing enrichment, while older owners had different motivations for enriching their birds’ environments.
What enrichment strategies are most underutilized by parrot owners?
Flight exercise, foraging-based activities, and positive reinforcement training are the most underutilized strategies, with fewer than half of surveyed parrots receiving these important enrichment types.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track weekly enrichment activities: log flight time (minutes), foraging sessions (yes/no), training sessions (minutes), toy rotations (which toys), and social interaction time (minutes). Rate your parrot’s mood and behavior on a 1-10 scale daily to correlate enrichment with improvements.
- Set a weekly enrichment schedule: designate specific days for flight time, foraging activities, and training sessions. Use app reminders to rotate toys every 3-5 days. Log which enrichment activities your parrot responds to most positively, then prioritize those.
- Create a monthly behavior report within the app tracking aggression, fear, compulsive behaviors, and overall mood. Compare months to identify which enrichment strategies correlate with the biggest improvements. Share reports with your avian veterinarian to adjust the enrichment plan as needed.
This research describes current parrot enrichment practices and their association with behavior problems, but does not establish definitive cause-and-effect relationships. If your parrot exhibits behavior problems such as aggression, fear, or compulsive behaviors, consult with an avian veterinarian or certified bird behaviorist for a comprehensive evaluation and personalized treatment plan. Enrichment strategies should complement, not replace, professional veterinary care. Individual parrots have different needs based on species, age, health status, and personality, so enrichment plans should be tailored accordingly.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.