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Where's the Best Place to get your Pet Bird?






After you determine which type of bird will make the best pet for you,
the next decision is where to find your bird.


First time bird owners should consider very carefully where to find
their pet bird.


Places to Find Your Pet Bird:





Finding Pet Birds at Animal Shelters or Humane Society

We were lucky and found our two beautiful lovebirds at the local
Humane Society.

Many bird owners discover after owing a pet bird, that they are not
suited to ownership and decide to get rid of the birds, often giving
them to animal shelters or Humane Societies. Often times these
organizations will give you the pet birds for a small donation, so
if you are on a low budget, this is a good place to look.

The shelters will usually have taken very good care of the birds, but it's
also best to do as we did, and have a qualified avian veterinarian do
a follow up checkup.





Finding pet birds at bird Breeders

Look in the Yellow Pages for a bird breeder, or do a search on the
Internet for bird breeders in your area. Some breeders sell
directly to the public, while others market their birds through
pet or bird specialty shops.

Some breeders will offer at times adult birds that may be past their
breeding prime.

Before you purchase a bird at a breeder, try to get references and
talk to other folks who have purchased a bird from that breeder.
Call the Humane Society or vet's office and inquire about the
breeder's reputation.

Ask the breeder if they will provide a certificate of health with the pet
bird, and if they will give you a health guarantee after purchase.



Finding pet birds at Pet Stores

Places like Petsmart and Petco, or local bird specialty shops are very
good places for the first time pet owner to find their new pet bird.
These stores usually take very good care of the birds and have given
them the proper veterinary care. After all diseased birds don't make them
money plus keeping problem birds can lead to the other birds in their
stores developing sickness.

Plus pet shops usually have a good variety of breeds and different birds
within each breed to select from, along with the food & supplies you
need to get started.





Finding pet birds from private owners

Oftentimes when a private owner discovers they are not suited to
bird ownership, or for whatever reason, decide to no longer
own birds, they will place a classified ad in the paper or on
bulletin boards in Humane Societies or vet's offices. Also some
bird owners will have baby birds from time to time and are
wishing to find good homes for these birds.

Be very careful about taking a bird from private owners. Most birds
will be healthy, but unless you have a decent knowledge of bird health,
you should take someone with you that can recognize symptoms
and determine if the bird is healthy or not.

There's not much fun in getting a new pet bird, only to find out within
a short time that there is going to be some major vet bills or to have
your new pet die.

Always after purchasing a bird from a private owner, take your new
pet bird to a qualified avian vet for a thorough checkup.

Remember the old adage when getting a bird from a private owner:
"Buyer Beware."

That is not to say all private owners have birds that are unhealthy,
many have beautiful birds and just no longer desire to keep the bird.
Take a good look around the home and use good judgment in
determining if this bird was well taken care of or not.



Finding pet birds from Bird Rescue Groups

Bird rescue groups frequently have a wide variety of birds for adoption.
Some require that new pet bird owners attend orientation sessions to
find out about the responsibilities of pet bird ownership. Other Bird
Rescue Groups may a different screening processes to make sure
the pet birds are going to good homes.

Check your local Yellow Pages, classified ads or vet's office to
locate Bird Rescue groups in your area.


Finding the right bird for you is really not that difficult.

Do determine what type of bird is best suited for you first. Then
be selective, there's no hurry. You're better off to take your
time and find the right bird for you than to just get the first
one that becomes available.

Having a pet bird is a lot of fun, enjoy your time in finding the right
one for you.


See Also:

Which is the best Pet Bird for me?

Keeping Birds as Pets

A History of keeping Birds as Pets