Does a bird make a good classroom pet? The answer to this question would depend a lot on the type of bird and the ages of the children in the class. It would also depend on the way the teacher introduces the bird and the amount of interaction allowed between the students and bird.

Children are fascinated by birds. They may love the brilliant colours or the happy little song. Hearing a bird talk or seeing him sit on their finger or shoulder may astound him or her.

Although the major responsibility for the care of a classroom bird belongs to the teacher, the daily feeding, providing water & cleaning the cage could be divided among the children, with each one having something to do.

On weekends the children, after demonstrating that they are aware of the proper way to handle & care for the bird and with their parent’s consent, could take turns bringing the bird home, with food and instructions for proper care. Vacations should be the responsibility of the teacher as well as any trips to the veterinarian.

Another possibility would be that the pet bird is owned by & cared for by the teacher, who takes the bird home each evening. This would be the best option if the bird is one of the larger parrots. In this case, the bird may not even come to school every day but could come once or twice a week.

Having a bird in the classroom is usually a very good way to encourage responsibility in the children who will normally love to take their turn at caring for the pet as much as they take their turn at playing with him.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop by the Bird Forum anytime.


After many years of pet bird ownership, I have decided to write e-books about the care of some of these wonderful birds.