Tips for Buying a Pet Bird

If you're buying a pet bird, you want to do your prep work to make sure you select the right bird for your family. Heed this advice and you'll find the right bird.

Do Your Research
Before you buy a pet bird, you need to educate yourself on the types of birds available. Birds usually live a long time-from a few years for finches to 80+ years for African Grey parrots and cockatoos-so it's important to make sure you choose a bird carefully. Birds bond with their owners and do not handle changes in ownership well, so it's important to buy a bird that will suit your family, income, life situation and tolerance levels.

Interact With a Real Bird Before Buying
While you can find plenty of information in books and online about birds, there's nothing like interacting with a real bird to find out if you can handle your potential pet. Parrot rescues are overflowing with emotionally damaged birds bought by owners who assumed they could handle more than they realistically could. That blue and gold Macaw may look beautiful and seem quite tame as a baby, but an adult Macaw can snap your finger in two or dig a hole in your wall while you're at work.

Make sure you meet with an owner of the bird type you are considering. Ask lots of questions, hold the bird and make sure you know what you're getting into before you plop down cash.

Be Realistic About Your Capabilities as an Owner

• Are you going to be home enough to give the bird what it will need emotionally? Are you prepared to give it sufficient out-of-cage time? Some birds are excellent cage birds, preferring to be in cages all day instead of flying free. Other birds need large amounts of out-of-cage time every day or they will start plucking feathers, screaming and mutilating themselves.
• Are you willing to clean the pancake-sized morning mess of an African Grey? Birds are messy, and the bigger the bird, the more you will need to clean each day.
• Can you handle the noise of a cockatoo crowing his daily jungle call? Some birds are relatively quiet, but the bigger birds are especially noisy.
• Are you willing to hold that pretty Sun Conure for three hours a day? Make sure you realistically understand the commitment you are making.

Leave the Rescue Birds to Experienced Bird Owners
While rescue parrots may be tempting price-wise, most parrots who end up in rescues are in poor shape emotionally or physically. These parrots will need a lot extra attention and expert handling. If you are a first time bird owner, you'll want to buy a hand-fed baby bird of a species that is easy to tame and handle. Typically parakeets, cockatiels, quaker parrots, parrotlets and canaries are the best first birds for first-time owners; these birds are not as demanding, noisy, bossy or as capable of inflicting damage as other bird species.

Buy From a Reliable Seller
Once you've determined the type of bird you wish to buy, you'll need to identify a reliable bird source. If you can buy a hand-fed bird from an established breeder, do so. Buying directly from the breeder will get you the best pet bird price and the best environmental conditions. If you must buy from a pet store, make sure you investigate the conditions under which the bird has been housed. Look for a bright-eyed, active, chatty bird that does not shy away from your hand.

Learn About Pet Bird Care
Make sure you have a proper cage, adequate food and appropriate toys for your bird when you bring it home. Take your new pet to the vet within the first two weeks of ownership and for an annual wellness check thereafter.