How to List a Pet Bird for Adoption in the United States

Should you list your bird yourself or go through a bird rescue?

If you choose to list the bird yourself, you can post an adoption ad on PetzLover for free. Your ad appears with other pet birds for adoption, and applicants message you through PetzLover.

How do you set adoption criteria for a bird?

Base your criteria on what this bird needs, not on an ideal adopter. Useful questions to settle first:

• Experience: a macaw, cockatoo or African grey usually needs someone who has kept large parrots; a budgie or cockatiel can suit a first-time owner.
• Time and noise: large parrots need a lot of daily attention and can be loud enough to bother neighbors, so ask about shared walls and work schedules.
• Household: other birds, cats, dogs or young children. For poultry, the CDC advises that children under 5 should not handle chicks, ducklings or other backyard poultry because of Salmonella.
• Housing: a cage of the right size, and a landlord who allows birds.
• Location: monk (Quaker) parakeets are restricted in some states, including California and Pennsylvania, so check where the adopter lives.
• Companionship: whether a bonded pair must stay together.

What adoption fee should you ask for a pet bird?

Bird adoption fees typically range from about $30 to $500 or more, and rescues often scale them by size, charging least for small birds and most for large parrots. A fee covers part of the bird's vet care and supplies and shows the adopter is committed. Say in the listing what the fee includes, such as the cage, carrier, food and records. If you prefer to give the bird away with no fee, read how to give away a pet bird safely.

How do you write a pet bird adoption listing?

1. Title with species, age and city, for example: Green-cheeked conure, 8 years, for adoption, Portland.
2. Why the bird needs a new home, in a sentence or two.
3. Temperament: tame or hand-shy, noise level, talking, biting or feather plucking, likes and dislikes.
4. Health: last avian vet visit, any conditions or medications, and any test results.
5. Diet and daily routine.
6. Your criteria, fee, what is included, and that applicants will be screened.
7. Clear, recent photos and a short video.

How do you screen people who want to adopt your bird?

1. Ask applicants to reply with their experience, household, schedule and avian vet.
2. Hold a phone or video call and ask how they would handle screaming or biting.
3. Ask for a video walkthrough of where the cage will go, or visit in person.
4. Arrange a meeting with the bird and watch how both react.
5. Take your time; you can say no to anyone.

Decline applicants who want the bird shipped without meeting, avoid questions, or want several birds at once. If a reply looks like a scam, use the Report Scam button. Adopters often read our guide on how to adopt a pet bird, so they may expect an application and a home check.

What should a bird adoption contract include?

• Names, contact details and date.
• Species, age or hatch date, sex if known and leg band number.
• Health and behavior information you disclosed.
• The fee and what it included.
• Care commitments, such as an avian vet visit within one to two weeks and a suitable cage.
• A promise to contact you, or return the bird, before rehoming or selling it.

Enforceability varies by state, so treat the contract as a clear record of what you both agreed.

How should you follow up after the adoption?

Hand over records, a written routine and a few days of food, and remind the adopter to keep the bird apart from their other birds until a vet has seen it. Ask for an update after a week and again after a month or two. Offer to take the bird back if it does not work out; birds that come back are better off than birds passed on again. For an adult bird with a complex history, our guide to rehoming a pet bird responsibly covers disclosure in more detail.