Where to buy birds and how to ship them?

[TailFeathers]

Hello All,

Where is a good place to get birds from, beside the local pet store?

Also, if someone is selling birds how do they ship them within the U.S. ?

[Sally]

Where are you located? One of the best ways to find breeders/sources is to join a local bird club, if one is available. Barring that, joining a national organization such as the National Finch and Softbill Society can help. www.nfss.org. It is all about networking, as you get to know one or two breeders, you connect with others through them.

I try to post marts/fairs on the calendar when I learn about them, those are always a good place to find birds for sale.

Birds can be shipped via airlines or via USPS, though the latter way is still illegal. When purchasing birds of some value, then it makes sense to go with the airlines IMO, as that method is usually much quicker and so less stressful on the birds. Of course, when purchasing less expensive birds, it is often hard to justify spending 3-4 times the value of a bird on shipping. Or some people simply aren't close to any airport, and so they must rely on USPS shipping. Though it is illegal, many large breeder/brokers have been shipping this method for years, a lot depends on the local post office.

Check out our Marketplace, many members post birds for sale there. When I first started out, I purchased some birds that were advertised on my local craigslist. Some were great buys, others not so great, so if you go that route, just ask lots of questions.

[TailFeathers]

It's hard to get zebra finches around here and the canary breeders are few. Most just sell off their bad birds and I want to start out with good stock for both Zebs and canaries.

[tobyrosie]

Hi I am new to the forum and was also wondering how to find gouldian finches in my area. I live in Wilmington, NC.
Thank you.

[cindy]

Depending on what you are looking for regarding species you can try

http://www.thefinchfarm.com/
http://www.finchzone.com/
http://www.birdproduct.com/

There are several groups on facebook for specific species.
I run several and am also a member of NFSS... we have 20 different groups plus 2 of my own, one is a classified page. Many members breed and sell good stock/birds and ship. Some of the groups can be located by going to the sites in my signature...I am Admin for these.

[TailFeathers]

Depending on what you are looking for regarding species you can try

http://www.thefinchfarm.com/
http://www.finchzone.com/
http://www.birdproduct.com/

There are several groups on facebook for specific species.
I run several and am also a member of NFSS... we have 20 different groups plus 2 of my own, one is a classified page. Many members breed and sell good stock/birds and ship. Some of the groups can be located by going to the sites in my signature...I am Admin for these.

OH weeeee I'm so happy. Thanks