The Five Rarest Types of Birds that Money Can Buy

When it comes to birds that you can purchase as pets, you can choose to go one of two ways. You can decide to purchase a relatively inexpensive one that you can enjoy for years to come, such as a parakeet. You can purchase a parakeet at virtually any pet store and they usually won't cost you more than about $20. On the other end of the spectrum, you can decide to purchase something that's difficult to find and extremely rare. As far as money is concerned that translates into a bird that costs a lot of it. Below are five of the most expensive birds that money can buy. If you're in the mood, and if you have the means, you just might decide to pick one of them up and enjoy it for yourself.

1. Rainbow Lorikeet

These birds hail from Australia and they're relatively rare so they're pretty hard to get ahold of, especially if you live in the United States or somewhere other than Australia. As you might have guessed by their name, they feature virtually all of the colors of the rainbow in their feathers. Each bird is unique as far as the exact color combination goes, but when it's all said and done, they all are very colorful birds that have personalities as unique as their appearance. Since they are rare and they have to be imported, they cost a lot of money so if you plan on getting one for yourself, it's going to be a lot more expensive than getting a parakeet, not to mention complicated. If that doesn't deter you from getting one, you might be surprised to know that you'll probably never find one of these birds for less than $350. Depending on the exact coloring of the bird, that price can be as much as $600.

2. Black Palm Cockatoo

These birds also come from Australia and the first thing you're likely to notice about them is how big they are. They can actually grow to a height of two feet which is nothing short of massive for a pet bird. They have a big head with a big beak and some wild looking feathers on top. They also have a tendency to possess an attitude that matches their size so if you plan on getting one, you should have some type of expertise at handling birds or you should enlist the help of someone that knows how to train it. If you fail to train one of these birds you're likely to end up with a real head case on your hands. As far as cost goes, you can drop anywhere from $600 to $750 for a single bird.

3. Victoria Crowned Pigeon

These are large birds that actually get along fairly well with humans. Unlike a lot of birds, they don't mind being touched or handled and they have some bright colors that typically contrast each other and really set them apart from anything else you might find. The one caveat here is that they prefer to run around as opposed to flying so you can't put them in a cage. In addition, they are a large bird and they need a lot of room to roam. Putting this bird in a cage is absolutely cruel so if you plan on getting one, you need to have a room that's dedicated to the bird. It's not really safe to keep them outside because of predators, so you need to either set aside a room for them or have a special outbuilding that's climate-controlled where they can enjoy themselves. The purchase price for one of these birds is about $750.

4. Golden Conure

These are beautiful birds with soulful eyes and bright colors. They look something like a parrot, only they typically feature more yellow and green on their feathers. The birds are extremely rare and there are not very many people that are involved in breeding them responsibly. As such, it makes them hard to find. In addition, governments have started regulating their purchase because of the fact that they're becoming increasingly rare. That means that it might be almost impossible for you to find one. If you do manage to get your hands on one, it's going to cost you about $1,000.

5. Australian King Parrot

These birds are large and colorful and they require someone that knows a thing or two about handling birds. They can be headstrong and they're prone to biting if they get irritated. They can grow up to a foot and a half so they need to have enough space to be comfortable and since they are from Australia, you have to deal with importing the bird in order to get one. They're relatively rare and they're quite popular, meaning that they come with a premium price as well. If you want one, it might cost you about $1,500 in order to bring one into your house.