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It is recommended that you schedule a veterinary checkup for your bird at least once a year. Birds are adept at concealing signs of illness and injury, so regular checkups are crucial for early detection of potential health problems. If you notice any abnormal behavior, such as loss of appetite, changes in fecal matter color, staying at the bottom of the cage, or lethargy, it's important to contact your vet immediately.

Absolutely! Our knowledgeable staff is trained to help you choose the perfect bird that suits your lifestyle and living situation. Keep in mind that sometimes, a bird may choose you as well. We take into consideration factors such as noise level, size, and temperament to ensure you find the ideal feathered companion.

Large birds and some of the smaller ones are very active and will need large cages and areas to play in. Consult your vet or pet storeowner as to what is best suited for your particular bird.

You want to make sure you get a healthy, happy bird. In general look for:
 

• An alert disposition. The bird should be interested in its environment. It should be active. Avoid puffed-up and sleepy-looking birds.
• Feathering. Make sure feathering is shiny and without bare patches. On long-tailed species like Macaws, take a good look at the tail. If there are thin lines running across tail feathers, it's usually a good indicator of poor nutrition. Please note that baby birds often look rather tatty, with the feathers somewhat frayed. This is normal. Lutino Cockatiels will have a bald spot, which varies in size behind their crest. This is genetic and cannot be helped. Although do try to avoid cockatiels with extremely large bald patches.
• Eyes. The eyes should be bright and clear. There should be no discharge. There should be no swelling.

• Upper and lower parts of the beak (the mandibles) should meet cleanly, with no signs of separation. In Cockatoos, the beak should be grayish, covered with powder. Baby Cockatoo beaks will be somewhat shiny.

• Feet should have all toes, although a missing toe or claw for a pet isn't a bad thing. It is however, out of the question for a show bird. More than one toe or claw gone will hamper the bird's perching ability. The bird should be able to grip its perch or your hand firmly. The feet of a young bird should be smooth and soft. Older birds have feet that are scalier. Excessive scaliness is not good, and can be indicative of vitamin A deficiency.

• Breathing should be regular and even. No wheezing, snorting or straining allowed.

• Vent area. While the person has the bird, have them turn it over and check the vent area. It should be clean and clear of stains or pasted feces.

• Observe the bird. Ask to handle the bird yourself. Observe it. Is the bird steady? Calm? Does the bird come readily to you? Does it show good socialization behavior? Did it bite the hell out of you?
• Bands. Aside from the bands, another way to tell a baby or younger bird is by looking at its beak and feet. In a young bird, these are soft and smooth. Older birds have scaly feet and beaks that show wear. Also, in some species, the eyes change color as the bird ages. Baby Congo and Timneh Greys have dark eyes that lighten. Macaws' eyes lighten, too.

This is the most important question you can ask. Birds are intelligent, playful, and most of all, "social" animals. Will you have time to play with your bird? To properly care for it? Will you have an opportunity to be part of your family? Also, consider time in this since birds are rather long lived. A little Cockatiel can live up to 20 years! An Amazon or an African Grey, could live 50 or 60, there are documented cases of some birds living to be 100! Can you commit to that?! It's not unusual for birds to be passed down to another generation. Don't ever buy a bird if you think you will quickly tire of it.