| Companion Bird Club |
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| "A club for parrots and their human companions!!" |
| Locating a breeder or bird fairs & shows: Look in the back of �Bird Talk� or other avian magazines for breeder listings. Check out the internet for the species you are looking for. Many breeders have very informative web sites and may have young birds for sale. Local & national bird clubs can direct you to breeders and tell you when and where bird fairs & shows are held. Don�t overlook parrot rescue groups. Let the rescue people know you are a novice bird owner so they can match you up with the appropriate bird. You should choose a healthy bird as evidenced by: 1. Clear eyes, nose and vent area (rear end). 2. Bird is not sitting all fluffed up and not moving. Feathers should be smooth without bald patches. 3. Bird is not gasping with tail moving in rhythm with breathing. 4. Bird should not be sleeping on bottom of cage. 5. Bird should notice humans at its cage and not be sleeping and ignoring them. 6. Bird should not have a really prominent breast bone. 7. A bird that has been hand tamed as evidenced by: 8. Bird will step up on your hand when you ask it to. 9. Bird does not scream and fly about in fear when you approach its cage. After you've bought your bird, it is a good idea to take it to an avian vet for a well birdie check up. You may not want to go to the expense of blood tests, (although they are a good idea, especially if you have other birds at home) but at least have your vet look the bird over. They can tell a lot about the bird's state of health from a physical exam. They are trained to look for things like stress marks on feathers that you would not be aware of. Also please be aware that ideally a new bird should be quarantined for a period of time when entering a home with other birds. Discuss this with your avian vet. |
| FINDING A PARROT |
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