10 Black Feathered Birds You Can Keep as Pets

Everyone wants a pet they can have as a companion or play with when bored. It’s easy to bond with animals, whether timid, aggressive, or friendly; these adorable creatures light up the home, providing an opportunity for you to feel comfortable and playful again.

Birds make a reliable option for a pet. There are tons of birds in vogue today, from the shy birds to the colored feathered birds and even the talking birds.

Also Read: Blue Feathered Pet Birds

Having a bird pet in the home can spice up your environment, providing modern living for you. Here’s a rundown of 10 black-feathered birds you can keep as pets.

Black Palm Cockatoo

Black palm cockatoos are also called goliath cockatoos or great black cockatoos. It is a member of the black cockatoo family. The palm cockatoo has a protruding black beak; its entire body is covered in black, with a reddish skin patch on its cheeks that resembles blushes.

Adult black palms have a length of up to 26 inches and can weigh up to 4 pounds. They feed on a variety of seeds, leaf buds, and fruits. Life expectancy for the palm cockatoo is 70 years if fed well.

The palm cockatoos make loud distinctive calls; hence they are not suited pets to have if you live in apartments. The black palm is also believed to be a bit temperamental, changing the color of its reddish patch with its mood.

Palm cockatoos require constant attention and continuous training from their owners, so do not leave them idle for long hours in a day—if you’re a busy pet parent, the palm cockatoo might not be suitable for you. Nevertheless, Palm cockatoos possess great intelligence and are social, learning new tricks in minutes.

Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo

The yellowtail is another member of the black cockatoo family. It shares lots of similarities with its black palm counterpart. However, it has a yellowish skin patch on its cheeks instead and has a mix of yellow and black colors from its tail up to its belly.

The adult yellowtail can weigh up to 3 pounds and have a length of 28 inches. The yellow-tailed cockatoo makes loud calls like its black cockatoo brothers, but their calls are rarely heard in a day.

Noise is a factor to consider when thinking of making the yellowtail a pet—it gets louder when they lonely, sick, or hungry. They feed on pellet mix, seeds, and occasionally on insects and mealworms.

They require large spaces for play because of their size. It has a calm and peaceful behavior, unlike other black cockatoos. They are intelligent, taking every chance to explore your home if allowed to do so, and can also accommodate other birds in their territory.

Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo

Carnaby’s black cockatoo is also a member of the black cockatoo family. Carnaby’s are unique pets because they have a population of less than 60,000 around the world and can live up to 80 years.

The Carnaby’s black cockatoo is a large bird with a mix of white and black colors, having pale white long tail feathers that can only be seen when they fly. Females have a white beak with a gray ring-like form on their eyes, while males possess black beaks with pink eye-rings.

Carnaby’s feed on weeds, flower nectars, insect larvae, and seeds. Like other black cockatoos, Carnaby’s black cockatoo is noisy, making loud calls. They are also most active in cooler temperatures.

Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo

Red-tailed black cockatoos are another black cockatoo member on the list, but this bird has striking differences from the flock. They have feathers on the head similar to hairs and a distinctive red pattern on their tails. Adults have a maximum length of 26 inches and weigh up to 3 pounds.

The red-tailed black cockatoos make splendid pets; they possess looks that appeal to elegance and have been known to display charming characters. It isn’t noisy like other black cockatoos and can effortlessly adapt to any environment they are taken to in days.

Glossy Black Cockatoo

Yet another black cockatoo family, the glossy black cockatoo lives up to its name, having black feathers that shine. Adults can weigh over 5 pounds and have lengths of 18 inches.

The glossy black cockatoos are the smallest birds in the black cockatoos family but don’t be fooled by these guys—you would require lots of space when thinking of having this bird as a pet. They feed on seeds and can live up to 70 years.

The glossy black is naturally friendly and playful, lighting up the home every time. They love toys and can make adorable pets with their never-ending amusement.

Keel-Billed Toucan

The keel-billed toucan is also known as the sulfur-breasted toucan. It is has a small size and is generally playful. The keel-billed toucan is a member of the toucan family; adults have lengths up to 21 inches and can weigh 5 pounds.

It has a blend of red, orange, yellow, and green bill. It also has a large beak with ridges that look like teeth on its edge. They live up to 20 years and feed on lizards, frogs, and seeds.

Keel-billed toucans are intelligent, friendly, and active creatures—they, therefore, make excellent pets. Keel-billed toucans quickly adapt to new environs, learning new tricks in minutes.

The keel-billed toucan requires fresh fruits and water daily if kept as a pet. It should also be kept in a cage because of its extremely playful characters.

Raven

Ravens belong to a very large family; the most common ravens are members of the Corvidae family. Ravens have distinctive black feathers and beaks and are mainly migratory birds.

Adult ravens can weigh a maximum of 6 pounds with lengths up to 28 inches. They are omnivorous and have a flexible diet, eating almost anything that can crawl or has seeds.

This advantage allows you to feed your Raven a variety of meals while opting for pocket-friendly foods.

Ravens are usually depicted as a symbol of doom, no thanks to horror movies. Nevertheless, ravens make outstanding pets with their calm and intelligent actions. They mimic sounds and can recall several words just as parrots do.

Black Lory

Black lory belongs to the lory family. They look similar to ravens, having full black feathers with a dash of red and yellow stripes on their tail feather.

Adult black lory can weigh 6 pounds with a length of up to 15 inches. They also have 25 years lifespan.

Black lory makes good pets because of their friendly, playful, social, and fun characters. They make very loud calls and are suited for a cage because of their level of play.

Australian Magpie

The Australian magpie has a stunning look, with white patterns on its belly and back wings.

Its wings and tail have a mix of dark and blue colors; adults measure 20 inches and can weigh 5 pounds. They eat worms and a variety of insects. They also have a lifespan of 40 years.

The Australian magpie make adorable pets- they have an inquisitive nature. They depict intelligent and social characters. They would also require a varied diet as pets.

Black Finch

The black finch belongs to the finch family. They have a mix of pale white, white, and black colored feathers; adults weigh up to 5 pounds and 20 inches in length. Black finches can live up to 55 years.

Finches make likable companions for persons seeking an independent, quiet bird friend. Black finches do not make noise and rarely talk; they become socially active when placed with other black finches.

Finches feed on seeds or other pelleted diets. They also require a spacious horizontal cage because they rarely go out of the house.

Wrapping Up

These black-feathered birds are bound to give you endless amusements. They range from small flesh-eating noisy birds to quiet seed-eating larger ones.

Some birds in this post also learn tricks faster than you would expect.