Many companion bird species are highly social animals that suffer significant welfare harm when kept alone, yet solitary keeping remains common among pet bird owners.
Solitary keeping of social bird species is one of the most widespread and preventable welfare problems in companion bird ownership. Many owners believe that a single bird will bond more strongly with its human owner, but this misunderstands bird social needs - human contact, however frequent, cannot provide the constant social presence and species-appropriate interaction that a conspecific companion provides. A solitary parrot that is left alone during work hours may experience many hours of social isolation every day. The welfare solution is species-appropriate social housing combined with human interaction, not human interaction as a substitute for species companionship. The cost of keeping a pair rather than a single bird is the most significant practical barrier.