Life Well Lived

Surprising facts about bird life spans

- KENN AND KIMBERLY KAUFMAN

The birds in our gardens or local parks can feel like old friends after a while. It may seem as if we're seeing the same individuals year after; year-and that may be true because often they stay faithful to their home territory. But it can lead us to wonder: How long do these birds live? That question can be surprisingly hard to answer.

Cushy Cage Life

After a bird reaches its adult plumage, it's impossible to tell how old it is just by looking at it. But some zoos and aviaries keep records of individual birds, which means we can track their ages. One example: A pink cockatoo (a type of Australian parrot) arrived at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago in 1934. When he died in 2016, he was at least 83 years old. It's also been claimed that some other parrots, especially large ones like cockatoos and macaws, have reached over 100 years old. Some probably have, but it's difficult to be sure without complete documentation.

Birds in good zoos, protected from predators and with access to veterinary care, may live longer than those in the wild. Aside from large parrots, some other zoo birds that have lived more than 60 years include flamingos and Andean condors.

Life in the Wild