What to consider:

The variety of different bird breeds is immense and daunting, each with its own distinct set or requirements. Some may be noisy, others destructive, so it is important that you fully research the bird in question thoroughly before purchasing or rehoming.

Additionally, dietary requirements for birds are incredibly diverse, make sure you can afford these and have the facilities to provide them.

Introduce yourself and your family!

Make sure you view the bird in its own home and make sure you prepare a list of questions to ask the seller, to ensure that bird is suitable to what you can offer it.

Healthy birds make happy pets!

When you first view the bird, give it some space to allow it to relax and then check that their feathers are sleek and that the bird is lively, if this is not the case it may indicate the bird is not well.

Seek information from a specialist bird vet who will be able to provide any further information you may need.

Check the requirements:

Some birds need paperwork such as Cites 10, please check your prospective bird has everything necessary as you and the seller may be breaking the law if these are required and not provided.

Always collect:

Don’t let your seller offer to courier the bird to you, see it in its own home and collect it from there. Travelling with a courier may cause the bird an immense amount of stress that it may not recover from.

Please, please, please consider rehoming a rescue centre bird first!

Before purchasing a bird, please consider searching local rescue centres to rehome one in need, there are many available and some centres advertise directly through Petwise where we support them with free advertising and charitable donations, because at Petwise.com, we love pets!