Agreed with
Cindy and
Sally.
All very practical tips and recommendations.
I'd also add that bird marts, bird shows where they're selling lots of birds, etc. get a bad wrap because many people take a bird home and lo and behold, it falls ill.
What many fail to realize is the role that stress plays in the equation. Even the healthiest, best bred bird (or dog, cat, etc.) can suddenly fall ill after a full day of stress, followed by the stresses of arriving home to a new, frightening and unfamiliar environment. (In fact, it always happens to me! After a big stressor, I always seem to get sick.)
So even a bird who is totally healthy and isn't exposed to anything at the mart can still get sick when he arrives home.
I see this occur ALL the time with rescues and fosters who come to me. Maybe 1/3 show some suffer from some physical ailment within 72 hours of arriving home (and not just birds; dogs and cats too.) Some it's just a bit of minor diarrhea, a bit of fluffyness and an affinity for the heatlamp, or not eating to well for a couple days. Others it's more dramatic, like an acute respiratory infection and in one dog, addisonian shock.
Even healthy animals can get sick due to stress. The chances are even higher for animals who are less than perfect in terms of their health.
So it's just important to remember this whenever you bring a new animal home. They are several times more apt to get sick than they would normally be, simply due the stress and trauma of moving to a new home (and in case of some of the more intelligent birds, they have psychological effects too - some get very upset and agitated emotionally, especially if they've left a former owner with whom they were bonded.)
Quarantining is always smart. It protects your flock and it lessens the damage both financially and physically if an illness arises.
Any situation where you're viewing stressed animals, whether it's a bird mart or an animal shelter or elsewhere, it's important to remember that you're not seeing the animal at their best. So I don't put too much stock in first impressions.
Of course it's best to choose the bird who's looking healthy and lively, but not everyone displays or "shows" that well.
And to be honest, I'm the person who buys the sick bird in the cramped cage - the one that nobody wants because I'm good at nursing animals back to health and I feel like they all deserve a chance (though you can sure bet I negotiate a discount and get that vendor's name, contact info and a written documentation that I'm taking a sick bird in case they die....Though I've never lost one and had to ask for a refund/exchange.)
I suppose I'm not such a "savvy" buyer when it comes to animals. I routinely buy "damaged goods" because I believe they all deserve a chance at a healthy, happy life. The healthy bird and the unhealthy bird both have an equal value to me (especially because unhealthy birds usually don't stay that way forever! And even if they do, you can usually still enjoy them.)
But I suppose the difference is that I KNOW I'm buying damaged goods and I'm okay with it. It's no fun thinking your animal was healthy, only to realize they're not (and perhaps you overlooked something.)
And while I don't hesitate to take a less than perfect bird, it's super important to quarantine and have the resources to treat appropriately if you do that!
My big recommendation would be to research the going rate for the bird s you wish to buy so you don't get taken advantage of. (And with the beauty of mobile phones, it's super easy to google that info at the event if need be!) It's easy to get wrapped up in a beautiful bird and only after do you realize you paid too much!