Bird Fairs: That Time of Year

As the snow melts away and the grass turns green, my thoughts turn to bird fairs. Our club, the Mid American Cage Bird Society (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/3777/), holds three fairs a year, plus a show in the fall. Our first fair happened this past Sunday, and I and my friend Myra (www.seffera.net), shared a table. She raises fancy varieties of zebra finches, with a few shaftails and orange cheeked waxbills thrown in for variety. I have the average, pet store, zebra finch in a few colors, and together, we create the "rouge's gallery" of zebra finches, but I'm getting off track.

For the first time visitor to a bird fair, such events can get overwhelming. After all, hundreds, if not thousands of birds are sold along with vendors selling every imaginable, and unimaginable, bird supply. Fairs happen along with actual bird shows, or can be held as stand-alone events. Oftentimes, bird fairs are held in conjunction with raffles to be a major fundraiser for the local bird club.

So, if you're looking to purchase a bird at a local bird fair, what do you look for? Obviously such thoughts as the prettiest bird or the cheapest may come to mind, but first, the bird must pass a rigorous exam, then it has to go to the vet.

Once you find a bird that you think you would like to bring home take a look at it. Does the bird look healthy and alert? Are all its feathers in place? A bird with bare patches is either a feather picker or has a disease; don't let the seller tell you it is just molting. Birds do not lose feathers when they molt. Do the eyes look clear and is there a discharge from the nostrils? How about the beak and nails? Are they overgrown? Do not be swayed by a sad story or a low price. In the world of birds, as it is with most things, you get what you pay for.

After you have looked at the bird, check out its surroundings. Are the cages clean, or as can be reasonably expected with birds? For example, if you arrive first thing in the morning to find dirty paper and seed hulls scattered, then you may want to look at another table. Do the cages look appropriate for the birds and are they too crowded? While most vendors place birds in smaller cages for transport, the birds should not be walking on one another or picking fights because they cannot get away from each other.

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